One dray had been over the ground before us.That took four days to do the first ten miles,and then was delayed several weeks on the bank of the Rangitata by a series of very heavy freshes,so we determined on trying a different route:we got farther on our first day than our predecessor had done in two,and then Possum,one of the bullocks,lay down (I am afraid he had had an awful hammering in a swampy creek where he had stuck for two hours),and would not stir an inch;so we turned them all adrift with their yokes on (had we taken them off we could not have yoked them up again),whereat Possum began feeding in a manner which plainly showed that there had not been much amiss with him.But during the interval that elapsed between our getting into the swampy creek and getting out of it a great change had come over the weather.
While poor Possum was being chastised I had been reclining on the bank hard by,and occasionally interceding for the unhappy animal,the men were all at him (but what is one to do if one's dray is buried nearly to the axle in a bog,and Possum won't pull?);so I was taking it easy,without coat or waistcoat,and even then feeling as if no place could be too cool to please me,for the nor'-wester was still blowing strong and intensely hot,when suddenly I felt a chill,and looking at the lake below saw that the white-headed waves had changed their direction,and that the wind had chopped round to sou'-west.
We left the dray and went on some two or three miles on foot for the purpose of camping where there was firewood.There was a hut,too,in the place for which we were making.It was not yet roofed,and had neither door nor window;but as it was near firewood and water we made for it,had supper,and turned in.
In the middle of the night someone,poking his nose out of his blanket,informed us that it was snowing,and in the morning we found it continuing to do so,with a good sprinkling on the ground.We thought nothing of it,and,returning to the dray,found the bullocks,put them to,and started on our way;but when we came above the gully,at the bottom of which the hut lay,we were obliged to give in.There was a very bad creek,which we tried in vain for an hour or so to cross.The snow was falling very thickly,and driving right into the bullocks'faces.We were all very cold and weary,and determined to go down to the hut again,expecting fine weather in the morning.We carried down a kettle,a camp oven,some flour,tea,sugar,and salt beef;also a novel or two,and the future towels of the establishment,which wanted hemming;also the two cats.Thus equipped we went down the gulley,and got back to the hut about three o'clock in the afternoon.The gulley sheltered us,and there the snow was kind and warm,though bitterly cold on the terrace.We threw a few burnt Irishman sticks across the top of the walls,and put a couple of counterpanes over them,thus obtaining a little shelter near the fire.The snow inside the hut was about six inches deep,and soon became sloppy,so that at night we preferred to make a hole in the snow and sleep outside.
The fall continued all that night,and in the morning we found ourselves thickly covered.It was still snowing hard,so there was no stirring.
We read the novels,hemmed the towels,smoked,and took it philosophically.There was plenty of firewood to keep us warm.By night the snow was fully two feet thick everywhere,and in the drifts five and six feet.I determined that we would have some grog,and had no sooner hinted the bright idea than two volunteers undertook the rather difficult task of getting it.The terrace must have been 150feet above the hut;it was very steep,intersected by numerous gullies filled with deeply drifted snow;from the top it was yet a full quarter of a mile to the place where we had left the dray.Still the brave fellows,inspired with hope,started in full confidence,while we put our kettle on the fire and joyfully awaited their return.They had been gone at least two hours,and we were getting fearful that they had broached the cask and helped themselves too liberally on the way,when they returned in triumph with the two-gallon keg,vowing that never in their lives before had they worked so hard.How unjustly we had suspected them will appear in the sequel.
Great excitement prevailed over drawing the cork.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.
