a nice little "mob" feeding tranquilly on a
sunny spur. It is impossible to estimate our loss until the grand muster
at shearing, but we may set it down at half our flock, and _all_ our
lambs, or at least 90 per cent. of them. Our neighbours are all as busy
as we are, so no accurate accounts of their sufferings or losses have
reached us; but, to judge by appearances, the distant "back-country"
ranges must have felt the storm more severely even than we have; and
although the snow did not drift to such a depth on the plains as with
us, or lie so long on the ground, they suffered just as much,--for the
sheep took shelter under the high river-banks, and the tragedy of the
creeks was enacted on a still larger scale; or they drifted along before
the first day's gale till they came to a wire fence, and there they were
soon covered up, and trampled each other to death. Not only were sheep,
but cattle, found dead in hundreds along the fences on the plains. The
newspapers give half a million as a rough estimate of the loss among the
flocks in this province alone. We have no reliable news from other parts
of the island, only vague rumours of the storm having been still more
severe in the Province of Otago, which lies to the south, and would be
right in its track; the only thing which all are agreed in saying is,
that there never has been such a storm before, for the Maories are
strong in weather traditions, and though they prophesied this one, it is
said they have no legend of anything like it ever having happened.

Letter XXI: Wild cattle hunting in the Kowai Bush.

Mount Torlesse, October 1867. We are staying for a week at a charming
little white cottage covered with roses and honeysuckles, nestled under
the shadow of this grand mountain, to make some expeditions after wild
cattle in the great Kowai Bush. I am afraid that it does not sound a
very orderly and feminine occupation, but I enjoy it thoroughly, and
have covered myself with glory and honour by my powers of walking all
day.

We have already spent three long happy days in the Bush, and although
they have not resulted in much slaughter of our big game, still I for
one am quite as well pleased as if we had returned laden with as many
beeves as used to come in from a border foray. I am not going to inflict
an account of each expedition on you; one will serve to give an idea
of all, for though there is no monotony in Nature, it may chance that
frequent description