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Journal of the Nelson and Marlborough Historical Societies, Volume 2, Issue 2, 1988

Cow Herding in the Moutere :

page 39

Cow Herding in the Moutere :

When the St Pauli arrived in Nelson, in June 1843, the German settlers on board included four missionaries. They had been sent by the North German Missionary Society, to establish a Lutheran mission to the Maoris.

The group comprised J. C. Riemenschneider, J. F. H. Wohlers, J. W. C. Heine and J. H. Trost.

It was a shock to them to find that there were few Maoris in Nelson and none near the land which the Society had purchased.

They decided to live on their rural section, at the Moutere, in the meantime and wait for an opportunity for missionary work to arise.

The physical labour of establishing themselves on the land was back-breaking and the section was subject to flooding.

In August, some of the German families settled nearby and life became more cheerful. Hardships were shared and they were able to minister to the small community, known as St Paulidorf.

In December the missionaries purchased some cows from George Duppa. Pastor Heine has left a delightful record of the consequences:

Sat. 16 December: Ulrich and I set out at 3 o'clock to Mr Duppa to fetch the cows. After Mr Duppa had tied the cows together with chains, we left with them at ½ past 11. The cows went very well, but we had a 10 hour journey, so we had to leave them at Mr Dickinson's and went home, arriving very tired.

Mon. 18 Dec: I set the sponge for bread this morning. Then I went to Dickinson's to help fetch the cows. In the afternoon I helped build the stable which, however, we didn't make secure enough, because the cows got out straight away.

Tues. 19 Dec: This morning I helped at the stable. In the afternoon I had to stop and go and look for the cows. The cows can escape easily. If they only just lie down they are hidden by the flax and toitoi bushes. Often you think they've gone, but as you approach nearer you see them there. You can most easily find them by the hoofprints.

Mon. 25 Dec: Today I did the cooking and in the afternoon looked for the cows, which I did not find.

Thurs. 28 Dec: Towards evening looked for the cows but didn't find them.

Fri. 29 December: Cooked, baked bread and looked for cows — didn't find them.

Sat. 30 Dec: Looked for cows all day but didn't find them. Arrived home tired out.

New Year 1844: Today we celebrated the New Year in the same manner as we had been used to in the Fatherland. Service was held in the German village. Then, for several hours, I wandered through the neighbourhood in search of the cows. Abut 1½ hours away, near the English village, I found tracks. A bit further on I met a man who said he had seen 2 cows over by the hills. I was pleased. But when I arrived and searched there was no trace.

Tues. 2 Jan: This morning after breakfast and morning prayers Wohlers, Trost, Ulrich and I set out to look for the lost cows. Trost went to Motueka, Wohlers went to the Bluffs towards the north and Heine with the boy went towards the landing place at Waimea. Reimenschneider stayed home to do the cooking. Heine went to the landing place where he had to pay a small account for bringing our goods from Nelson. The people told him that that morning there had been two cows there and that they had driven them over the western hills, because the cows had eaten some of the cabbages in their gardens during the night. We searched the place, found tracks but no cows, because of the thick manuka. Wohlers also came home without the cows, but with a pair of birds which he had shot.

page 40

Wed. 3 Jan: This morning very early, Wohlers, Heine and the boy once more went out to look for the cows. All three went by different routes towards the Moutere landing place, to the spot where the people had seen them and driven them over the hills. After they had spent most of the day searching through dale and hill, they found the cows in the manuka. Wohlers didn't think they'd be there, because there was no feed and had gone on. Heine and the boy found tracks and followed them till they had found the cows. In the evening, at 7 o'clock, they reached home with them. As they had searched fruitlessly most of the day, Wohlers had gone by a different route and came home late. Trost too returned from Motueka. Riemenschneider provided food and drink.

Thur. 4 Jan: This morning we discussed the herding of the cows. Should we get a boy to do it, or should we take it in turns ourselves. We decided on the latter for the time being, because you can't altogether rely on a boy.

Fri. 5 Jan: Today Riemenschneider herded the cows. Heine kept house and mended Riemenschneider's boots. Wohlers and Trost wrote their diaries. While Riemenschneider was taking school in the village, Trost took over the herding. However, when Riemenschneider came back to take over the herding, Trost had lost the cows. We unsuccessfully searched for the cows all that evening.

Sat. 6 Jan: Immediately after breakfast and prayers Wohlers, Heine, Trost and the boy went to look for the cows. They had taken whistles so that if one found the cows, he could let the others know. They came back at 11 o'clock with the cows. Heine had followed the tracks and found them in a side valley, towards the Waimea. One was standing, one was lying down. I herded them for the rest of the day and began to make a light bridge across the creek, so that the cows could cross to the other side to graze. Looking for the cows is something like hunting deer in the Fatherland, but there's no profit in it.

In March 1844, Wohlers went south and established his mission on Ruapuke Island, in Foveaux Strait. Riemenschneider left in August and went to Taranaki. Heine and Trost struggled on. The families at St Paulidorf were encouraged to move to the Waimea district. Heine wrote "If this happens we shall live quite alone as in a desert".

Serious flooding in September forced them to abandon their land. The cows make their final appearance in the journal:

Wed. 25 Sept: The rain continued all night. When it ceased this morning I went out to look for the cows, which we hadn't seen since Monday. There was such a lot of water that it almost came into the top of my boots, although I jumped from one stump to another. When I found neither the cows nor any trace of them on the hills, I went home. Our land behind the bush was a big lake and in the Moutere Valley proper the flood raged.

In the meanwhile I saw the cows coming out of the bush, jump over the ditch and make for the hills. The water drove them there and it was the safest place for them.

Thurs. 26 Sept: This morning I set out to look for the cows. They were at the English village. I drove them to the Waimea to Mr Dillon as we will probably have to sell them soon. There is little grazing here and they look thin and they cost us more than they bring in, as we have to pay a boy to herd them. In Waimea, on the other hand, there is more fodder. There was still much water on the way there. In one place I waded waist deep and so froze all day. Late in the evening I came home. Trost had kept house all day.

At the beginning of December both men moved back to Nelson. Trost went to join Riemenschneider while Heine stayed on, becoming pastor of the growing Lutheran community.

(Source) Heine, J. W. C. Memories of my life, NPM