Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 219

Transcript

Pop Adams was an old man-o’-war [illegible] who like others had drifted in the early days to Canterbury. He was perhaps sixty, hearty and strong, excepting for a painful limp, which prevented him from doing hard rough work. Consequently he throve by jobs, short jobs, at anything sailor like. He was a kind, merry old soul, always ready for a chat, and also, always in readiness to do strict justice to his beer. Having that weakness, in those days, it need not be said, that Pop often got most harmlessly tight, unoffensive [sic] and sleepy. His abode was a modest neat little two roomed shanty on the site of what is now a Bond in Oxford Terrace, and in close proximity lived a set of choice spirits, of the olden sort. A section away, that which now adjoins Turner’s business premises, held a paling lean to, and loft, forming the dwelling, faced adjoining old Pop’s by a row of stables and boxes. These were the abode and place of business of a well known Character, Charley Turner, alias Charley the Butcher, from his former occupation. Here were stabled when in Town, such old celebrities as Phoebe and other of Duppa’s racers which even then did battle on Australian ground for New Zealand. About those stables often concentrated such sports as Tom Adams, a grand cross country man, Holland a relative of an early Bishop, Hodgson and the rest of them and old cronies like Bill Birdling and the rest of them. Sam Dufty[?], a well known character was always to be found.

Old Pop was Mr Ballard’s gunner when firing the Saturday twelve o’clock gun. That was the Town Clock. Ballard had a watch he swore by. Good to regulate the sun. He stood watch in hand waiting for the noon mark, gave the word of command to Pop, who stood match ready over the old ship’s [hole in page] let fly. [hole in page] course, why there was a drink.