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The Journal of Edward Ward 1850-51

Thursday, February 20th

Thursday, February 20th

Started with Henry and a 'shagroon'* cattle-driver to drive our own cow and a heifer round the head of the bay to Quail Island. We left home at six o'clock and took the hillside path to Gibby's intending to put up the night there and drive round next day to catch the midday low water. Our path was steep but clearly marked in most places, not very difficult except in parts where the fern grew very high (in some places breast high) and we had to head the cattle by bursting through it. In one place we had driven a couple of miles up a valley and had to drive them back—unable to pass the bed of a stream thickly tangled with shrubs. We arrived at Manson's house about twelve o'clock. Mr and Mrs Dampier kept us company the greater part of the way; she walked most courageously and well, though it was more difficult for her dress to penetrate knee-deep fern than for ours, as may well be supposed. We were entertained hospitably by Manson and his wife, who live in the lone farmhouse, Gebbie their only neighbour, surrounded by comforts and children—eleven children, twenty-nine cows and about one hundred hens. He has just bought the place and fifty acres for £200. He has lived there seven years, each year adding to page 133his store, till now he is in a fair way of reaching wealth. He makes nothing but cheese, and turns out one every day—value from twenty-four shillings to twenty-five shillings. He came out with Deans originally from Scotland—himself a carpenter by trade, his wife a dairymaid. They gave us the best bed and we slept well. We turned out the cows in the swamp below the house where they might run with the other cows and we could find them next day. He much approved of the Island as a small dairy farm and prophesied success of it. He assured us that it would be quite easy to drive our cows in upon the Island at low water—a point upon which we were somewhat dubious and anxious.

* The term 'Shagroon' was used to describe pastoralists and stock-drivers who came to Canterbury direct from Australia and without the blessing of the Canterbury Association. The Canterbury Association settlers were 'Pilgrims', while those established in Canterbury before their arrival were 'pre-Adamites'.

Gebbie's. John Gebbie and Samuel Manson came to Canterbury in 1843 as farm servants to William Deans. In 1845 they left Deans and began farming at the head of Lyttelton Harbour.