THE LURE OF IMPROVEMENTS 127 



Musterers returned about 12 A.M. with about 2000 sheep. Hughie 

 and T. C. K. put canvas on shed. The rest took a rest. T. C. K. 

 returned to Kaikanui alone. Saw the bull with broken leg at whare. 

 Also saw 12 sheep, 5 on the road over and 7 at the whare, mostly 

 X-breds. 



20. Thursday. All hands started drafting the sheep. Hughie cooking and 



rather sulky. Maoris (9) commenced shearing. 114 sheep shorn. 

 Rained till 12 o'clock then knocked off. In afternoon all went draft- 

 ing. Got through half sheep. Webb of Maungaharuru came about 

 5.30 P.M. to give notice of 3700 sheep coming through on Sunday. 



21. Friday. T. C. K. and Webb left Kaikanui at 6 A.M. for Tutira. T. S., 



Neil and Kite out mustering Natural Paddock. Began to shear at 9. 

 T. C. K. superintending shed. Rest of the hands finished drafting 

 sheep. Musterers returned at 12 o'clock unsuccessful. 550 sheep 

 shorn. Let the lambs go 'in Natural Padk. to-day. When I returned 

 to Kaikanui, on going for water found the lame bull bogged in the 

 drain where the bridge formerly was. Too dark to do anything, 

 so left him till morning to get some help to pull him out. 



22. Saturday. Shearing commenced at 8 o'clock, but rain put a stop to it 



after 25 sheep had been shorn. Only a shower. All went to draft- 

 ing-yards and got through all sheep left from yesterday at 12 o'clock. 

 Sheep dry in afternoon so recommenced shearing. 234 sheep shorn 

 to-day. Hughie left to-day. Mistaken about bogged beast ; found it 

 was Redman the old bullock. 



23. Sunday. C. H. S. and T. S. came over to Kaikanui in canoe. Jim and 



Neil shepherding woolly sheep. The three of us went over to Tutira 

 for tea. I rode to Kaikanui alone. 



24. Monday. C. H. S., Neil Rossell, Jim Wild and T. C. K. tried to get 



Redman out of creek but were unable to do so. Maungaharuru sheep 

 passed through to-day. T. S. clearing the road. 200 sheep shorn, when 

 rain put a stop to shearing. C. H. S. sewing bales and branding. T. C. K. 

 went burning. Jim shepherding woolly sheep. Neil knocked off to- 

 day. 



25. Tuesday. Went to shoot Redman this morning, but found him dead. 



Shearing till 12 o'clock, when rain put a stop to it. Rained at in- 

 tervals during the whole afternoon. Day very stormy. 134 sheep 

 only shorn. C. H. S. and T. S. took 9 pack-horses to Petane this 

 morning with wool. 



26. Wednesday. Began to shear at 8.30 A.M. Being short of bales or bags 



could not press the wool, so had to pack it the best way I could. 

 Got 482 sheep shorn, and would have done more but for the number 

 of previously shorn sheep being mixed up with the woolly, making it 

 necessary to fill the crush-yard more often, consequence being loss of 

 time. C. H. S. and T. S. returned from Petane about 7 P.M. 



27. Thursday. Drafted out all woolly sheep and took them to the shed. 



Shearing began at 9 A.M. Finished all sheep, 421, at 6.30 P.M. 

 C. H. S. and T. S. drafting and putting shorn sheep out to the 

 paddocks. Jim generally useful. Kite cooking. 



28. Friday. Paid off all the Maoris (shearers and others) with the exception 



