few days were very busy ones, as we had to arrange our small
domestic affairs, send up the dray, etc., etc. I felt rather anxious at
the postponement of our return home, for I had left several "clutches"
of eggs on the point of being hatched, and I had grave misgivings as to
the care my expected ducklings and chickens would receive at the lands
of my scatter-brained maid servants, to say nothing of the dangers
besetting them from hawks and rats. However, small interests must give
way to great ones, and F---- and I were already tasting the cares of
proprietorship. Our friend, the former owner of our new property, sailed
for England in the mail steamer, in high spirits, saying cordially as he
shook F----'s hand at parting, "Well you _have_ got your fortune cut out
for you, and no mistake; I feel half sorry already to think that I've
parted with that run." About two days after his departure, F---- who had
registered his name at the land office as the present tenant of 100,000
acres in the Lake Wanaka district, received a polite request from
official quarters to pay up the annual rent, just due, amounting to 100
pounds or so. We had effected our brilliant negotiations about a week
too soon it seemed, but that was our own fault, so we had nothing to
do but pay the money with as good a grace as possible. I am "free to
confess" that this second cheque ran our banker's account very fine
indeed, but still in those palmy days of the past this was no subject of
uneasiness to a squatter. His credit was almost unlimited, and he could
always raise as much money as he liked on an hypothecation of
next year's wool. But we had not come to that yet. The weather was
delightful; the customary week of heavy rain just after our midsummer
Christmas, had cooled the air and laid the dust, besides bringing out a
fresh spring-like green tint over the willows and poplars, and causing
even the leaves of the gums to lose their leather-like look for a few
days.

After much consultation we decided to go by coach as far as Timaru, and
then trust to circumstances to decide our future means of transport. Not
only were we obliged to pay a large sum for our places but our luggage
was charged for by the pound, so we found it necessary to reduce our
kit to the most modest dimensions, and only to take what was absolutely
necessary. The journey was a long and weary one, the only variety being
caused by a strong spice of danger at each river. At some streams we