A Cold Trip To The Molyneux.

Having satisfied himself about the Northern boundary, Clarke came to the conclusion that the Southern line was vague. He refused to accept the line given by the surveyor, and to the disgust of all but Symonds, insisted on seeing the Southern boundary, and having the details pointed out to him on the spot by selected Maoris.

Colonel Wakefield decided to accompany Symonds and Clarke, so with a party of Maoris they started on a fortnight's tramp, in midwinter, with the ground covered with snow. They rowed up from Port Chalmers to the head of the harbour, struck across country, and then came down to the coast, possibly at St. Kilda Beach. They lived on native quail, wild pigeons, and wild pigs. When they reached the mouth of the Taieri, they got a boat and pulled up the river and down Lake Waihola. With firing both barrels of his gun Clarke brought down “nearly a dozen” ducks. They pulled ashore, lit a fire, and roasted them. “Leaving the head of the lake, after hauling the boat page 47 ashore, we struck towards the south–west, dragging wearily over long rolling downs, with here and there a small clump of stunted trees, often miles apart. We always pitched our tent near one of these clumps, for the sake of shelter and firewood. Sometimes it would rain in the night and then freeze, so that the packing of the tent next morning was like folding a sheet of tin, and made it rather an unpleasant back–load for the unfortunate Maori who had to carry it… So we went on until we reached the boundary, and then returned by the same track, luckily killing three or four wild pigs on the journey… Back to Otago, I prepared the Maori deed… I wrote and certified the English translation, and no dispute has ever come of it…”