The Mackenzie Country has long been one of the most celebrated pastoral areas in New Zealand. It is a great inland plain, noted not only on account of its own pastoral richness, but for its lakes, Tekapo, Pukaki, and Ohau—and its adjacent mountains. Yet it was discovered, in the first instance, almost by accident, and under circumstances which shed a humorously sinister light on some of the incidents of early colonisation. These circumstances have been variously described, and two accounts are brought together in this article. Mr. L. Langlands, in a letter dated Highfield, Burke's Pass, and published in the “Otago Witness” some years ago, says: “On several occasions sheep in large numbers were missed from the Levels station. Mr. Rhodes came to Dunedin in the hope of hearing something of them. He told me he felt convinced they were being brought into Otago, but as no traces were left, was at a loss to conceive how, and had to return no wiser than when he came. In those days the common custom was for sheep to be tended in large flocks by boundary keepers, generally two men in a hut. On the Levels some Maoris were acting in that capacity, and report had it that they were more partial to playing cards in each other's huts than looking after the sheep. Each flock had a large block to graze over, and they were only mustered on special occasions. Sheep-stealing was thus made easy. The country was all open, and if a mob could be got away without being seen going, some time might elapse before they were missed. It was only by a fluke that the discovery on the Levels was made. Mr. Sidebottom, the manager, wanted some horses, and sent a Maori boy to look them up and ride them in. The lad returned at night, and said he could not find them. The manager doubted whether he had been really looking for them, and told him he believed he had been putting off time at one of the huts, which the boy denied. He was told to go again next day, with the consolation that if he came back without them he would get a flogging. This frightened the boy, and caused him to cover a lot of ground, but without success. Sidebottom, still doubting, questioned him closely as to where page 952 he had been and what he had seen. Amongst other things the boy said he had seen a man with a bullock driving sheep. Being beyond bounds, Sidebottom knew it was none of the station hands, and it at once struck him that probably here was a clue to the mystery. Early next morning, taking the boy and two Maoris, he started in pursuit, and about dinner-time came on Mackenzie, for he it was, eating his dinner on a knoll, the pack bullock grazing near him, the sheep in front, and his dog lying near them. Mackenzie knew very little English, but he mustered enough to innocently ask Sidebottom ‘Who seep dat?’ Sidebottom told him he knew perfectly well whose sheep they were, and called on the Maoris to seize him. Mackenzie objected, and showed fight, on which the Maoris cleared to a safe distance, leaving the two to fight it out. They were both powerful men, Mackenzie lean and muscular, Sidebottom tall and robust. After a scuffle Sidebottom threw and held him down, seeing which the Maoris took heart of grace, and, coming up, he was speedily secured with ropes, taken back to Timaru, and given into custody. This led to the discovery of the Mackenzie Country, and eventually also of the Mackenzie Pass, for Side-bottom, being curious to know what outlet he had in that direction, returned to where he had picked him up, and travelling in the direction he had been going made the discovery. These particulars I had from Mr. Sidebottom himself. Mackenzie was convicted and sentenced for sheep-stealing—not insanity—and confined in the Lyttelton Gaol. On the occasion of Governor Browne's first visit to Christchurch he was the only prisoner in the gaol. I believe it is the custom on an occasion of that kind, if the crime is not too serious, to commemorate it by an act of clemency. Whether or no, he was pardoned on condition of taking his undoubted though misapplied talents to other shores, and was [gap — reason: illegible]en by the gaol authorities on board a v[gap — reason: illegible]sel bound for Australia, and nothing reliable was heard of him afterwards. I think there is little doubt of his having taken several mobs through the pass and crossed the Waitaki at what is known as Ross's Crossing—a crossing made to order, and where one man would have little trouble with thousands; but his route through Otago is unknown. I saw his dog in Christchurch when in the possession of Inspector Pender (who kept it for a time and then gave it to a runholder)—a lowset black slut, with tanned muzzle and feet. Of course she was accustomed to be worked in Gaelic, and several tried her on sheep in that language; but whether their Gaelic smacked too much of the tussock and not sufficiently of the heather for her taste, or whether the work was too honest, I can't say, but she would work for no one. The bullock did not belong to Mackenzie. Its owner was well known in Otago, he having a place on the Taieri and a run down south, where no doubt the sheep were going as others had gone before them. In Scotland he (the owner, not the bullock) had been a cattle and sheep dealer on a very large scale, and had unlimited credit. One fine day his clothes, from his hat to his boots, including also a bulky pocket book, were found beside a stream, which was dragged, but the body was not recovered, probably because they did not try the right place. Had they thrown the grapnel in Princes street, Dunedin, they might have been more successful, as that is where he serenely bobbed up, very wealthy, after that memorable dive, having divested himself of his name and heavy liabilities as well as his clothes in the process. With the exception of a note or two for appearance sake, the papers in the pocket book were valueless.”

Mr. Langlands' account of the encounter between Sidebottom and Mackenzie, and of Mackenzie's release from custody, does not tally with that of Mr. E. W. Seager, Usher of the Supreme Court at Christchurch. Mr. Seager arrived in New Zealand in 1851, by the barque “Cornwall,” and has up to the present time (1903) been in the services of the Government. In 1855 he was Immigration Officer and Inspector of Police at Lyttelton, and in the second of these capacities he had a good deal to do with Mackenzie. In an article contributed to “Canterbury, Old and New,” published in the year 1900, Mr. Seager says that Mackenzie was a Highland shepherd, born in Ross-shire, Scotland. About the year 1845 he emigrated to Australia, and two years later arrived in New Zealand, and landed in Otago. At first he earned a living by driving sheep, and in that way became acquainted with sheep stations in Otago and Canterbury. After residing for some time in the Mataura district, Mackenzie tracked northward into the interior on an exploring expedition, on which his only companions were his collie dog, and a bullock which carried his possessions and his provisions. On this expedition he discovered new country to the north-west of Timaru, and of the Levels run, occupied by Messrs G. and R. J. Rhodes; and Mr Manson, the Commissioner of Crown Lands in Otago, afterwards gave him a license to occupy country bearing north-west from Timaru, and midway between the sea and the west coast of the Middle Island. In order to stock this territory Mackenzie page 953 followed methods said to have been common enough at one time in his native country—methods associated in story with the name of Rob Roy, whose economic gospel was that—

They should take who have the power,
And they should keep who can.

Accordingly, as Mr. Seager relates, Mackenzie, in 1855, cut from the Levels flock, with the assistance of his dog, a mob of sheep, which he drove up the valley, over the pass, and down to the plains; that is, into the district now known as the Mackenzie Country. In the mob thus stolen there was a black sheep, which was missed by Mr. Side-bottom, overseer to the Messrs Rhodes, the next time he mustered; and he also found that altogether about a thousand had disappeared from the flock. With the help of a Maori boy, Mr. Sidebottom got on the track of the lost sheep. On reaching the plain of the new country they saw a bullock in the distance, and farther on came to a small tent, in which they found a man asleep. On being aroused, the man was asked how he came there, and he answered “That's my business.” He then leaped to his feet, seized a piece of wood, with which he felled Mr. Sidebottom to the ground, and then ran away. After recovering from his stunned condition Mr. Sidebottom found the sheep, which were being faithfully guarded by Mackenzie's dog. Then, on returning to the Levels home station, he despatched the Maori boy to Purau, Lyttelton harbour, to inform Mr. Rhodes of what had happened, and give him a description of Mackenzie, for whose apprehension Mr. Rhodes then offered a reward of £100. The boy left Levels on Saturday, and, travelling along the lonely Ninety-Mile beach, reached Purau on the following Friday. Mackenzie, who was probably trying to escape from the country, also made his way to Lyttelton—by what route is not known—and reached it on Thursday, the day before the Maori boy arrived at Purau. To Mr. Seager, as officer in charge of the local police, Mr. Rhodes told all the circumstances of the case; and, in the end, after much ingenuity and resource on Mr. Seager's part, he, with two of his constables, arrested Mackenzie late at night while he lay in bed in the loft of a small shanty that stood in a narrow alley between London Street and Norwich Quay, Lyttelton. Mackenzie was found to be a man of large size, with red hair, high cheek bones, and piercing ferrety eyes, that gave a look of extreme cunning to the whole face. In due course he was taken before the Resident Magistrate (Captain Simeon) and committed for trial at the next sessions of the Supreme Court to be held at Lyttelton. When placed on trial in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Stephen, Mackenzie remained stolid and silent and refused to plead. But during the trial his dog was brought into court; and, at once recognising her master, she wagged her tail and whined up towards Mackenzie, who was so overcome that he shed tears. Mr. Sidebottom gave evidence that the dog in court was the same which he had seen guarding the sheep, and after he and Mr. Seager had described the conversations which they had had with Mackenzie, the accused was adjudged guilty. Before being sentenced, Mackenzie begged, with tears in his eyes, that his dog might be allowed to accompany him to gaol. This it seems was not allowed by the gaol authorities, for the dog was taken south, where for years afterwards her progeny were much sought after by runholders and shepherds. Mackenzie was sentenced to five years' penal servitude. Within the first year he escaped three times from custody, but was recaptured on each occasion. It was, however, thought advisable that, on account of the trouble and expense caused by his escapes and captures, he should be allowed to leave the country, under a proviso that, should he return, he would be compelled to serve the unexpired term of his sentence. This plan was carried out, and Mackenzie left for Sydney. He seems to have returned to New Zealand, but on receiving a significant hint from the police, he soon left the country for ever. Such, as historically described by one who had intimate official knowledge of the facts, are the circumstances connected with the discovery of the fine pastoral territory which has so long been known as the Mackenzie Country.