..........The story begins with James Mackenzie, also known as *Jock* and *Mac*. He was a large man, with red hair, and a large red beard. He was a reiver from Ross-shire Scotland, and had emigrated to Australia in the mid-1840's, and then came to New Zealand. He was described as a *raw-boned Highlander, as rough as you make them, a regular barbarian.* The first mention of Mackenzie was in the deep South in Mataura, where he arrived with a sledge and two bullocks (and probably Friday) at a sheep station owned by Mr. Mieville.

He recalls...*I was indeed surprised by this, the first vehicle. He came blundering into our only sitting room, and after saluting us, he sat down before the fire on one of our log seats (we only had two), and began to undress and coolly take off his nether garments and dry them before the fire. Of course as he was soaking wet, it was natural he should try to get them dry, but the heathen had no manners, and seemed to ignore the fact that a lady was in the room. So we let him know that there was a lady present and bundled him pretty quickly up to the mens quarters*

Mackenzie became a familar sight in both Canterbury and Otago as he passed throught the countryside with his dog and pack bullock. Suspicious were aroused when many runholders began noticing curious disappearances of sheep. On this particular day in March 1855, 1000 sheep from the *Two Levels* sheep station disappeared. A Mr. John Sidebotton was at the time supposed to be looking after these sheep. He was working for the Rhodes brothers, George and Robert who owned the Two Levels station. He thought they were safe, in a three-feet high yard made of sods. He had left two Maori lads, Seventeen and Taiko, in charge and was surpised when he saw an agitated Seventeen running towards him. *Boss, the sheep have gone!* Seventeen began tracking the stolen sheep, and sure enough found a fresh sheep track with the steps of one man and a dog. *On the Saturday we saw tracks of a bullock and another man for certain, and a third man's tracks doubtful*

Just before sundown on the Sunday they reached the summit of Dalgety Pass *from which a vast expanse of tussock-covered plain opened before them - beyond lay a low range, and in the far distance mountains, snow covered, stretching as far as the eye could see. At their feet was a small valley and there, in a natural paddock formed by the junction of two streams were the 1000 ewes guarded by one man and a dog*. The three men scrambled down the steep gully, *collared* Mackenzie without a fight, *and took a feed of his damper, mutton, tea and sugar*. After Sidebottom had removed Mackenzie's boots, but left his hands untied, the men settled down for the night. But not for long. They were distrubed by voices calling the dark. The dogs growled. The sheep broke camp. The prisoner began whistling and cooeeing. *I had to force him down again, and told him to lie still, or I should be under the painful necessity of administering a bark poultice to this head!* There was a real fear that men might break through the darkness in an attempt to resuce Mackenzie. Quickly Sidebottom broke camp and went ahead to lead the sheep up the *awful hill*. Seventeen followed in charge of Mackenzie, his dog and bullock. Under cover of thick fog Mackenzie made a dash for it. Seventeen rushed after him, recaptured him, but could not hold him down. Their quarry had escaped. Sidebottom and his men drove the sheep throught the night and all next day, a distance of 25 miles over rough country. The sheep were safe. They had Mackenzie's bullock, they had his dog, but they did not have Mackenzie. Sidebottom mentioned in his letter to the Rhodes, that he had noticed old sheep tracks leading up to Dalgety Pass. Heavy sheep tracks, indicating a large mob. It was his *stong opinion* that they were the tracks of an earlier mob Mackenzie had driven off The Levels.

THE TRIAL:Ten days later Mackenzie limped painfully into Lyttelton. He had walked 100 miles. He was arrested by Police who found him resting in a bunk in the loft. The loft was lit by a candle which gave enough light for the Sergeant to observe that Mackenzie had the *most remarkable eyes I have ever seen. They were ferret-like, and so keen and piercing as to give a character of cunning to the whole face. The man had red hair and uncommonly high cheek bones, and from his size seemed an ugly customer to tackle. I raised my pistol, and shouting, *You are the man. I arrest you on a charge of stealing sheep from the Levels Station*. The case attracted wide interest.
A pioneer reporter wrote:
*I fell right into the Mackenzie trial. It was a peepshow for the province: the tiny Lyttelton Courthouse was like a sardine tin.
In front was Jock Mackenzie, stolid as a brick and dumb as an oyster. The judge called on him to plead and the case proceeded. One by one the witnesses rounded off the whole story of the stolen mob and Mackenzie's flight.
*bring in the dog,* called out the judge.
I saw Mackenzie start and gnaw his fingers a moment, as the crowd stared at the slim timid little black beast, that had outwitted grey old shepherds, with the dumb crambo tricks Mac had taught her.
She slipped her chain coming in, and in another minute the slim, sad-eyed thing was scratching and whining at the woodwork, trying to get to Jock.
And Jock - the dog's eyes had made a baby of him, six-footer that he was.
The tears ran down and lost themselves in his red beard as he said over and over,
*Eh, lassie! Poor lassie. They've got you too!*.
Well, I felt smaller that matchwood that minute. There, on the one hand, was all civilisation with it's thumb turned down; on the other, this neolithic survival of a man and his soft-eyed dog bearing it all!
*That is enough; remove the dog,* said the judge.
*Leave the dog to me; she was mine, bought with my own money; she was doing no harm to nobody, and she was a good friend to me that has no other.
Leave me the poor beastie!
I`ll make your roads; I`ll break your stone; I`ll call myself thief; but let her stay.
She'll work for me, will never lift sheep more, only let me keep her*.
The judge's words dropped like frost.
The keeping of the dog did not rest with him, he said, nor did Mackenzie deserve mercy after his attempt to deceive the Court.

THE SENTENCE WAS 5 YEARS PENAL SERVITUTUDE!

But Mackenzie took that with a better face than he took the busy talk of squatters as he was led through the crowd, for sheep-stealing was the sin unforgiveable then, as now.
*The dogs a witch; and a witch is not allowed to live - Holy Writ for that!
She could sweep a run by herself.
Reform a dog? Yes, with a bullet - thats the only way.*
I thought Mackenzie would burst his heart at that. For myself, I hardly waited for the Court to adjourn before bouncing on the Super like a young tornado. (the Super was the Superintendent of Canterbury, James Edward FitzGerald.)
Good old Fitzs Irish blood was up, too.
The powers of justice heard a deal about matters canine that afternoon; and the upshot was that the dog was banished from the holy soil of Canterbury and sent back with a guard of honour to Otago, where she lived long and saw good days*

WHAT DID BECOME OF FRIDAY? *Other contemporary writers have said that the dog was sold to a southern squatter.
In a letter to the Otago Witness of 8 June 1897, L. Langlands, Highfield, Burkes Pass, says:
*I saw Mackenzies dog in Christchurch when it was in the possession of Inspector Pender, who kept it for a time and then gave it to a runholder.
It was a lo-set slut, with tanned muzzle and feet.
Of course she was accustomed to being 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.*
Mrs Airini Woodhouse, grandaughter of George Rhodes said:
*One day my father was showing me an old family album, and, pointing to a photograph of a dog said,
*that was Mackenzies dog*.
He then took the photograph out of the album and read the inscription, *Yours faithfully, Friday*, written under it.
On the back was written:
*The oldest on the station and favourite dog of the late G.Rhodes, Esqre. July 29, 1864.*
My father was obviously a little puzzled.
*Well, I have always understood that this was Mackenzies dog,* he said to me.
I presume that his mother had told him this. I do not remember anymore discussion on the subject, but shortly afterwards he had the photograph copied and enlarged. On the copy my father wrote:
*Enlarged copy of photo of Friday, the famous dog of Mackenzie, sheep stealer and original pioneer of the Mackenzie Country.
Friday afterwards came into possession of my father. The original photo was taken at the Levels in or about 1864. (Signed) R.H.Rhodes, Blue Cliffs, July 1917.*
My father was a very careful man, and I do not think he would have written such an inscription as a record, nor given the photograph to others, unless he had satisfied himself that it really was a photograph of Mackenzies dog.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MACKENZIE!
Apparently Mackenzie escaped about 3 times from gaol.
In the Lyttelton Times of 12 May 1855, there appeared the following notice of Mackenzies first escape:

50 pounds Reward

SHERIFFS OFFICE, LYTTELTON, MAY 11, 1855
Whereas the prisoner, James Mackenzie, sentenced to a term of imprisonment at the last session of the Supreme Court for sheep stealing, did on the 10th inst. succeed in making his escape and is still at large, the above reward will be paid to any person or persons who may succeed in apprehending him and handing him over to the proper authorities.
DESCRIPTION OF MACKENZIE:
Height about 5ft 11in; hair light; eyes small and grey; nose large and acquiline; face long and thin; body spare and muscular.
At the time of effecting his escape he had on a brown wideawake, cloth waistcoat, check shirt marked with a broad arrow and numbered corduroy trousers; pair of worsted sock; no boots or shoes.
He speaks English imperfectly and feigns generally that he understands only Gaelic.
He has a peculiar habit of putting his fingers behind him and snapping his fingers.
(sgd,) Charles Simeon
SHERIFF.

After serving about a year Mackenzie was pardoned. Views differ here, as some say he was sent on a ship to South America, others say to Australia, and others say he just disappeared. He also may have had some help with stealing the 1000 ewes, or could even have been *set-up* by another man called James Mossman.
A Sheriff Henry Tancred, befriended him in gaol, and gained the shepherds trust. Mackenzie told of Mossman paying him twenty pounds to drive the mob of sheep from Canterbuy to Otago. Just before Sidebottom showed up, Mossman fled and told Mackenzie to stay with the sheep. It was Tancred who gained Mackenzie an unconditional pardon.
The granting of this pardon drew comment from Samuel Butler, who, in *A first year in the Canterbury Settlement, * wrote:
*Mackenzie is a man of great physical strength and can be no common character. Many stories are told about him, and his fame will be lasting. He was taken and escaped more than once, and finally was pardoned by the Govenor, on condition of his leaving New Zealand. It was rather a strange proceeeding, and I doubt how fair to the country which he may have chosen to honour with his presence, for I should suppose there is hardly a more daring and dangerous rascal going.
However, his boldness and skill had won him sympathy and admiration, so that I believe the pardon was rather a popular act than otherwise.*
Mackenzie was released immediately after the pardon was granted. The Lyttelton Times of 12 January 1856, reported: *We understand that Mackenzie has, since his liberation, paid his passage money to Melbourne*.
From then on, nothing more was heard of Mackenzie, but this has not prevented a mass of stories and legends being built around him, and almost every fact about him - even his name - has been disputed.

To this day, Mackenzie and Friday are remembered. There is at the Dalgety Pass a weathered obelisk. It is said to mark the spot where a half-literate shepherd was caught with a mob of 1000 sheep, allegedly stolen from South Canterbury's largest sheep station, the Levels. The inscription in three tongues, Maori, Gaelic and English, reads:
*In this spot James Mackenzie, the freebooter, was captured by John Sidebottom and two Maori lads, Taiko and Seventeen, and escaped from them the same night, 4th March 1855.*
Also on the shores of Lake Tekapo is a bronze statue of a Border Collie.
This was put up in 1968, to honour all Border Collies and in general sheep-dogs, who without their help the grazing of this mountainous region would have been impossible.
To honour sheep dogs also, a stamp was issued in 1998, as part of the *town icons* set.

Bibliography:

Colonial Outcasts; Nell Hartley
High Endeavour - the story of the Mackenzie Country; William Vance
Blue Cliffs; A.E.Woodhouse
A Picture Book of Old Canterbury; Ken Coates
The Early Canterbury Runs; L.G.D.Acland