Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 255

Transcript

Luggage and some goods had to take the Sumner zig-zag, and draymen for years made a very good trade of it. It is true, every now and then, accidents would happen and there would be a topple over. Good drinking men abounded, for such an idea as Good Templarism was unheard of and the Blue ribbon would have made the old identities smile. They were a hardy lot. Where are they now?

Fore [sic] some years the only wharf was about a chain long, and only allowed small coasters to use it. Peacock’s wharf in deeper water, was then built by that firm, who were strongly in the Sydney trade, and was sold by them some years later for a very fair consideration to the authorities. The largest vessels for some years were 5 and 600 tonners such as the old Oriental, [marginal note:Captn Macey], and their cargoes were unloaded into barges for the Lyttelton trade and into small craft for Christchurch, the latter going round over the Sumner bar, up the Heathcote, to what was then Webb’s wharf, and has lately been a Soap Factory, on the Ferry road. Now and then one found its way up the Avon to the Bricks wharf, near the Cemetery. Sumner was kept lively and old George Day, the parent of all the Days, was busy at times. Sometimes twenty or thirty craft would be stuck up at the bar, and woe to the sardines, jams and grog in the hold. All had to pay toll.

the Sydney trade was largely done by a brig the Dart Captn. Jenkins.