Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 267

Transcript

Yes, there were grand old doings in Port Cooper some years ago when an immigrant ship arrived. That great official, Mr Rolleston, for example, who prides himself so upon his administration of the affairs of the old Province no doubt thought himself posted, and that he knew all. He was a sucking babe. Like his friend, that great administrator, Charley Bowen, who prided himself so much on the discipline of Addington female gaol, and the morality of its keeper, until he was rudely awakened by a Christening being needed under his dispensation. That caused a sort of sensational moral earthquake.

Yes, those were grand old times in Port. Couldn’t the old Mitre walls have told a tale, and Heaphy a little story? Julian now could have passed away half an hour and the father of the Hamlet, the old Doctor, might amuse you. Old Peter Cameron too, with his rich old Doric, had seen some funny reminiscences. For those were the days of Mr E.A. Hargreaves, old Mr Latter, Robert Waitt, Mr A.J. Alport, fondly called Bumblefoot, Wormald, Bamford, when Mr R.H. Rhodes could be seen busily rushing backwards and forwards from Purau and Kaituna, when Urquhart Macpherson was a personage, and Mac an amazing individual, and your special weakness, Mr Harry Allwright, little dreamt that ever he would be Member for Lyttelton.

An eccentric of the name of Cawood invented a compass, quite an extinguisher upon all previous compasses. He made an exhibit of it in the Port. There was some fun. George Agar and the boys were about.

Julian, was an institution in Port.

Urquhart Macpherson, was a sort of Comm. Merchant &c. He was mixed up in a scandal, that ended in a tragedy.