Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 243

Transcript

Major Richardson, Superintendent of Otago, a fine, gentlemanly, British Officer. He succeeded James Macandrew, who had attached the public money to some amount, and when proceedings were taken, he as “Super of Otago” proclaimed his own house a “public gaol”.

The Major (roughly)

Gabriel Reed [sic] was an eccentric sort of Tasmanian oracle – years after was under restraint.

The Major was in power when the first “Irish Police” were imported with St. John Branigan at the head of them. They formed the gold escort.

Well, these youths, no Dick wasn’t quite a youth, what the Frenchy could call his first youth had passed. But there was life in the old dog. He, and his clan found their way to Gabriel’s and it was quite interesting to see the way Dick shaped up digging and also what a neat hand he was at dispensing physic, that is, physic in a pannican – or if need be a bucket should there be nothing handier. It was a sort of medicine the crowd liked. Dick didn’t touch heavy – that’s very old colonial – perhaps a relic of the old Vandemonian days and he returned to Christchurch to be welcomed by the merry gang then floating about who are now – where?