Overview
Sun. Sept. 19.
Deluge of rain during night. Andy arrived 8.30 to help me search the bush behind the North Block for my nine missing steers. We entered the bush on Ohau Summit at 9.30 + followed a spur (a sub-watershed) eastwards for a long distance. The bush was soaking wet so we were soon drenched. Leaving the ridge we then turned north into the basin of Canyon
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Creek, the head of which is quite easy country - good spurs, shallow gullies + semi-flats in places, but covered in birch + kidney fern. We followed the creek down + when it started to become gorgy, followed a spur back to my boundary coming out between Trunk + Leighton Spurs. Did not see any cattle foot-prints but plenty of pig tracks + rootings. Went along my bdy [boundary]-fence to SE corner of "1st burn" + again struck into bush following a spur down to Canyon Creek reaching it a few chains above Narby's bdy-fence. Followed Barty's old tram-line out on to Narby's + crossing his SE corner entered the bush beyond his east bdy. Here we found innumerable cattle tracks + foot-prints + much scrub smashed down + eaten. We followed the spur eastwards a little way + then worked down on to the Wai-iti flats, where the scrub is riddled with cattle tracks. Came upon a young wild bull + a white cow with earmarks + chased them about in bush for some time but finally let them go. Saw no trace of my steers. Tramped back to my whare + returned home. Drove to church in evening.
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