It was fast; it broke
the point of someone's knife. "Shove it in," said I, breathless with
impatience; no - no - it yielded, and shortly afterwards, giving up all
opposition, came quickly out. A tin pannikin was produced. With a
gurgling sound out flowed the precious liquid. "Halloa!" said one;
"it's not brandy, it's port wine." "Port wine!" cried another; "it
smells more like rum." I voted for its being claret; another moment,
however, settled the question, and established the contents of the cask
as being excellent vinegar. The two unfortunate men had brought the
vinegar keg instead of the brandy.
The rest may be imagined. That night, however, two of us were attacked
with diarrhoea, and the vinegar proved of great service, for vinegar and
water is an admirable remedy for this complaint.
The snow continued till afternoon the next day. It then sulkily ceased,
and commenced thawing. At night it froze very hard indeed, and the next
day a nor'-wester sprang up which made the snow disappear with the most
astonishing rapidity. Not having then learnt that no amount of melting
snow will produce any important effect upon the river, and, fearing that
it might rise, we determined to push on: but this was as yet
impossible. Next morning, however, we made an early start, and got
triumphantly to our journey's end at about half-past ten o'clock. My
own country, which lay considerably lower, was entirely free of snow,
while we learnt afterwards that it had never been deeper than four
inches.
CHAPTER VIII
Taking up the Run - Hut within the Boundary - Land Regulations - Race to
Christ Church - Contest for Priority of Application - Successful issue -
Winds and their Effects - Their conflicting Currents - Sheep crossing the
River.
There was a little hut on my run built by another person, and tenanted
by his shepherd. G- had an application for 5,000 acres in the same
block of country with mine, and as the boundaries were uncertain until
the whole was surveyed, and the runs definitely marked out on the
Government maps, he had placed his hut upon a spot that turned out
eventually not to belong to him. I had waited to see how the land was
allotted before I took it up. Knowing the country well, and finding it
allotted to my satisfaction, I made my bargain on the same day that the
question was settled. I took a tracing from the Government map up with
me, and we arrived on the run about a fortnight after the allotment. It
was necessary for me to wait for this, or I might have made the same
mistake which G- had done. His hut was placed where it was now of no
use to him whatever, but on the very site on which I had myself intended
to build. It is beyond all possibility of doubt upon my run; but G- is
a very difficult man to deal with, and I have had a hard task to get rid
of him.
