BUSHED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 395, 2 January 1909, Page 5

BUSHED.

TERRIBLE TIMES IN THE UREWERA. , TWO MISADVENTURES. ... BXPERIENOES OP-DR. SCOTT AND DR.' ' MASON. The rough and dangerous experiences of Dr. Scott, of Onehunga, and his daughter, who -wore lost in- the Urowora Country'.'a.' fbw days ago, aro recounted with graphic detail' in the "Poverty Bay Herald." Incidentally, the writer of-the article tells of a somewhat similar experience that';befell'!Dr. Mason, Chief' Health 0(Eeor f . and both narratives aro mado tho occasion-for certain warnings to tourists and 'suggestions to tho Government. - - Aft®?, describing the laborious but, fruitless March" expeditions; which - were directed . ..byMT'jP' B. Challis, manager of Lake House, Wttikaromoaiia, tho article" proceeds About 7.30 p.m. knock was heard at tho front door, and as Mr. Ohallis opened it -an' elr, derh' gentleman, in tattered clothing;' muddy, and saturated,.with ;wet,.'abco"mpan-' L i/V i Muel'tof, equally wet and disneveiied, both taint from exhaustion, and' their teeth chattering • ivith bold, staggered into tho house,: and called for assistance. The gentloman anriouneod himself-as'Dr;.'Scott, and was most solicitous as to 'the state of his daughter, and called for-hot water. The Tourist Department has not-.prtvided "Lako* House with a- hot' water service';'.though a hot bath is one of .tho most grossing necessities of travellers arriving l after-a long journey: but oasins of hot water we're quickly■ .forthcoming, and willing hands sot to wort to .restoro_ warmth and - animation- ; t-o ' : the doctor and his daughter, who were both suffering, jovorely ..froni what had evidently beon a - very severe, .experience.. '/.-They-- wero soon pdt under the..blaiikets,"ftnd -provided wtii warm soup, milk, etc., and after a good- night, s- rest, both reported . thomfielves ~ recovered next . morning. The story oftheir - travels ■: wasthen told. Unfortunate fldvico. • •'? itt •'•'AftWt:- of-'-making'; in; ftWiuaL'. Christmas .cami)iiig-6uf 'oxbursibri. generally taking, ono of=his: daughters. ! ' Ho: and Miss. Septt had journeyed by train to Jwt6rua,_ and . on the .representations of; the Tourist Department handbook that l the~rbM" {"rough to Lake WaikaremOana was possible for, bieyehsts. - had taken their bicycles - aud commenced_tho journey- through' the Drewora Country, of which - they iieyer. dreaincd ,they. would, receive; such ' an.;, extensive; a)id . inti-' mate . '. 1 They. I spent. -a^-liight-' at' Waiptapuj .and then.oycled Kaingaroa Plain to Galatea,-where'they.spont tho nigut-at Bird s accbmmodatibri house. Their next stage.ivas up.the picturesque Wbirinake: Oforge to To Whaiti, and on to somewhere in the region, of Ruatahuna. whero. at a small store, kept, by; Mr..Bailoy, they' Obtained accommodation. Thoy wero detained/hero ror two (.ays and nights owing- tc heavy -rain. Tho-weather cleared, and they pushed ori,'tho track being tsscellont as far as Waiiti, where thoy left their bicyclcs with Mr. Grant, and P roe( ?sded io Huiarau range. At tho top ■ of the saddle,'.following' some adyiee ihey - had,.received,; thoy, deviated .from, the^ track (which, was not well defined), bspeoting to find, ail easior track .a little further on, and hero their troubles commenced/ Pre-' sently .they got' bushed;-'ahd;.Dri;,Scott,;,rer; membenng the, advice of a bushman that if ono 'was lost -the.:best plan w;as. to 'get intb a -creek and -follow 'it 'd6wn;- , pumibd'''')his' in-;due--tiihb-;te-reaohrthc-lake. ' Unfortunately, however, I 'the' creek' into" which; he! descended was -flowing towards-the:, of Plenty, justoad of towards Hfliwko's Bay. Muslo and Misery.' . The dootor, who ,is ; ari'.agod maUj' and' ilia daughter found■ travelling: .Very/-rOugli, and at times'scramble over ..logs, and rough boulders,, tear their: .way; through . thick: undergrowth,' and manoeuvre. their, wayraldtig^ho-face-'bf- trfooipitous. papa oliffs,- - 'digging -footholds .-for their feet and hanging on to roots and supple- i jacks. When beds.of. punga, lit-a. liro, s and,fafteK^i.frugali; meal of, tea, plasnioh biscuit, soup and raisins, with which, as well- t as , a li|t!.o, cboco f , late, cneese and dates, they' had sustained themselves during the, day'/: spent'' a' fairly' comfortable ■ night," At daybfcak'.tlvey .:Mere ! entertained by what. :the ab ! the'most beautiful harmonic'' concert lib'' lias I ever.heard. ; ,-Prince. Me'ritehikbff.'in speaks of, tho birds of the forest assembling, tOipractise harmony and indulging, in a grand yMttrconeert-.-ahd Dr.;SooK:'saysstills-,-ri-4s-actly what did' appoar ,: .tb v b'e taking plaobi ! A; great number, of. birds for-.the spaco of An hour, or. more grec-t-ed tho sunrise witli.magmnoent music. v-Tho;travellers', enjoyment of thisy however, [was '/Somewhat byanxiety,; regarding their position.; They had tho previous day. crossed; the Minfeapbhatu tiaclc (not knowing it as such), and gone-down-the creek, believing it must lead them to the lako. Now Dr, Scott determined to climb tlie hillside, expecting from. the; summit'ftb 4 , get/ a view'of'the lake.'' It.was : a laborisi}s';elspii)',i and the whole, day .was, |j»nt-asc^d),ngLtho;, hill and coming. down -again, --'Prom -fop' thoy saw nothing oxcopting;-a fliv' cows inlthe" bush. ; ; v..-!*; Clothes Worn to Regs* " ' , " ' -,' On returning down ;-anbthet?-.'cfeek - ■worb : overjoyed- .at .finding .footmarks; .ibut. subsequently discovered - that ' they were -their own; of the previous; daty.-v Thoy pusled-oil down stream until night- presently .came bn', when they made camp : in'a. mossy dell. ' They 1 'had .-had: several. plunge.S; into, - -theioreekj -and their 'matches were.: ivet, !whioh-precluded; the. lighting of a iu-e and:thb 'iiaking; , of-.tca, J ahd, thoy, had but a' ; bite of.- biscuit; ''fduV riiiSias','and"less than an ounce of cheese .to 'siistain: them.' .- Nest morning'they' wero* aifTrearly'r arid continaa-.--<Jia>'dß^nt';6^^to^tiw'ffi f .s ■ which' rapidly grew, before afternoon breast high, and -'but for-joining hands ;they would;not have, got through. They* had a porilons'passa^e.,through l a''rboky;gbrgo,. .where there wero' some iriagh'ificent'WaterfaSßL H The idescont of the 1 these .was:'difficult an-; the;fcstretne : ,' ; .and onmore than one occasion: they- were in' dangerof, slipping-: into .the''raging water. beneath. The biuy was .lost at this'-'shptr'Dr./Sooft's clothes wero worn to ••rags climbing ;-over. the rooks,; ! and-;his 'daughter's - clothes- likewise; iwere' ruihed and her dhbei in shre.ds.:: Clinging'to the rocks, had torn their hands*-and .the, bush lawyers had'considerably"lacerated .their legs.'- Footsore and weai'jr,' they: reached J,> small open space';'wlier6' thby tbunla.Mabi'i ' pataka or. food house:.',;Herb:they;!.discovered. :mats, but;no:food. hungry.-,.and soon sank to sleep, through sheer fatigue. ;.In, tho-,-morning,'they..' s con-< tinued their passage; along tho river bed, expeoting every moment to see the lake and .being continually disappointed;; " They, could' scarcely crawl along; their- : feet' were .-bo' sore, and it took them' six hotifs tb do'threo. miles. ' . Hetp at Last. ' : At last' they,, came, to ; clearing, !-and. saw i -a tent, where a Maori,, with his .family, liad i a small cultjyatioh.-'^JhevMabris.' were surprised at'thbir arrival, iihd exclaimed as they I tottowd-in, .".Poor V'Affer. a rest of a .few hours,: Dr.-: Scott arranged- : with 'the Native to provide horses'andrtako-thprn- to thelake. . The. Maori tried-'lo'.' bxplaih-'tliat ' it would bo : much easier.-.tb'!io'''tb Wliakjilane, but not knowing th'b.ia'UguSge,"-and thinking thoy Avere .. still tolgfjibly;; close I *.; fe moana, tho - dootor, 'insisted: oh l being:.taken there. . They were told that the river was ! tho':''WliaWataiksV..Wdi3h6ugh" ; tiiey did . not know it; they were then actually Within a fbw' miles of Ruatoki;:wh'ich'i6 15 W..20 miles from! Whakatano by a good road. A start was ,mado early 1 in tho "afternoon for' Waikare-. moana, and ; at nightfall, the travellers' roaehed Matatua, an extensive clearing and settlement on the upper reaches of the Whakatane stream; ; : 'pitably received, by. .the 'Nativesi"and given foathor .beds'with frilled pillow eases.- -There they got''their : first''gbod' night'B 'rest'since leaving Bailey's. More Dangers. " "y 'From Matatua-.thoy mado an early;-Start next morning, coniing'<baok over tho Huiarau track, from must havo deviated- sufficiently to: miss Mr. Chaliia and party*.wha:ttefo loakiog fm t.hnm;;

iriioy failed ■to obsorvo the smoko of a fir? Mr. Neill had Jit to attract their attention, and pass ed on' by the track round tho side of the lake. Here troubles began almost as ■ bad as those. Trhich had, befallen. .them a fov days previously. The track round tho lake,, a distance of 12 miles, to lake House, i? little better, than n death-trap. It has in places been-'hewavottt of "tho solid cliff, and slips and'trees* hav-a oome down, narrow--ing it to less than two feet, there being bare foothold for a horse, with'tlio Lake ■ many feet below. At ono' placo tho path actually crossos tho face of a waterfall, tho : ? n N io °tbold on): tho slippery papa being potholes that hava been,worn by tho falling Water. In another placo there is a' great bottomless pit in the middle of tho track; "I™t, the wholo way la full of snares and pitfalls, '-and'-should 'either be closed - or repaired. Dr. Mason's Perl). ,It. was alone this that a few weeks previously Mr. : (£aftßSß'-;had»i ! byvi»'-.lgrei!iir: feat; pr pluck and endurance—himself exhausted ,:■ after a; perilous all-night outmg'on the Lake with a small boat in a heavy' sea—partly • dragged' and : carried Dr.- Mason, Chief ■ . Health Officer, who was in a great state of . exhaustion, benumbed with cold.. Dr. Mason had sent word that; ho would reach the Lako ' on a Tuesday morning in : time/to. batch' the,' ' : 4f, coach, : and' the launch had 'been-sent to rnvait; his arrival. ; It was rough, -wot' wea- -. thor, The launoh waited-.; : till-.-evening, and:.',.'V-; then-the engineer; (Mr;. Neill, a son of tho gentleman',-previously, referred to). had.' re--. - : turned- to the boat harbour for instructions.: ... V:. bhortly-aftortheboat'a departure 'Dr. ■ Mason v «nd .Dr.; Buck had arn'vod; at Opurualuno. The former.- was too' Cold and dono - op,, to > proceed.-further, but. Dr. Buck pushed on - round the' lakeside, - ; and - 'reached : ' lso-. eommodation hoiise-.about'.- 9 -. o!clook. ■■ Mr.-.' :. r Ohallis being apprised of Dr. Mason's plight, > - \ at; onco;: got' his , two boys (Rowland: Neill ■ and : another), and. set 1 ba:-iii.''the weather was : to'o thick' and dirty. to .venture": With-; tho .lauiich;-- • -It ;Was : .' J alffibst- impossible.,. to pick up-the:.land,/and thoy could just manago to keop their boat head on to tho ■ seas, which were; .running, .-very; high,- ■: and threatened every, moment to BWamp tho boat; In the. early morning they 'ran tho boat into .' , a . sheltered spot, !. "near-.. . tho; Opiirua- ' hine -landing,-■, and found : Dr. Mason in ...«a, ' -very' ¥ .;bad v stato, -, v.; wet and cold and hungry, tto was got. into the, • boat, and Mr; Ohallis and. tke boys valiantly ' endeavoured .to pull back, to Lake House. Tho' ' ; wind arid seas had increased,, however, and . the latter threatened several times . to .swamp the boat.. Dr. Mason showed signs (if collapse. It Was found impossible with tho soa - ■ : that was running to make across the lako, •and. the -boat/was'-accordingly!Cached;'at'a . ;Safe- spat,,,;:; Weak and fitiff with „Co!d.' The boys were dispatehod ovprland to Lako liouso to bring tho .. launch—it being now daylight,-, it was felt-safe to'tako the-launch out—and Mr. Ohallis remained with'the doc-' ■ . tor, and spent ovory effort to revive him, ■ Jator two days' heavy rain there, was diffl- :.sv ? eulty in finding dry wood; but by under .a cliff :Miv: Ohallis.. got ii few roots .and • started a fire, ..which toon brought warmth i *i Mason e chilled body, and ho waspor- ■ suadod' to 'tako In. a £ow hours ' tho boys bamehJckwM.lhu launch. but laost '- ' S unfortunately: the macliihory at rtlne momeut broke down, a oastirig'having fractured. Leav- '.', .ing tho'boys-to tako caro of tho launch and i beach.it in a siifo spot, Mr. Ohallis started ; oft with Dr. Mason along tho lakeside track, j ' to roaoh which ho had to partly drag ana partly, carry.his chargo up a ronch hilr faeo.:' : , Dr.' Mason -was exceedingly weak and stiff - • -with-flold)- and- it-was- only by-the- plucky' and persistent manner in iwhich:-Mr,-Ohallis—him- • ■, self by, tliiß.timo considerably done-up—stuck to his chargo that ho got-him, after-a long 'day's'.toil, along to Lako House abouti 4.80 in ' i ; '•%. aftenioon.',-Suoh-is tho:kind of wrtrk that ■ V - occaSibnallJr/ falls to tho: lot of tho Gorernment accommodation .'house Managers' tn these! ■ . uaj-back-placcsj'.aud .which thoy and settlors • i .like'ithoj.'Mossrs.i.Noillt jvaro--. ovor ready to cheerfully.and horoically.'tako up. r. 1 • i -Two Narrow Escapes. But to return''to Dr. Scott.. It took him, his daughter. ..and their JVlaori guido, from 1 p.m. till dark ".to rokch as far as tho Aniwamwa stftam,* which' is about 3 inilos distant from'Lftko"HoUs'o. l - Being A dusk, they failed to obseryo a-natural bridgo in tho shape of a . fallen., tree,. over which , ' they -; might; have '-. -i f ro f ed ', ? U(J - attempted ,the' ford -on horse- •. back.. jMi.ss ,Scott!s .hors'o camo down on the papa ; -and-alm'ostjfell-bn top;of ; her. , She. was..considerably .bruised -and shaken, '. : . arid lost her hat and bolt, but fortunately. .' • managed to- scramble out of the creek. The travellers- pushed on!' and made . a vory natural'mistake,'..which miglit-'easily ! befall . ; i travellers froni Qisbortle arriving by tho Ruakituri Koad. O.i - reaoking the lakeside • thereris a well.define'd track along tho'faco of . papa cliff, but,some,distance up it narrows ' ■ ' , to nothing,'aiid"once up.there the'difficulty isf : how to get down again. Dr. Scott.solvod tho : diiuoulty by falling f down, and his descent was so • rapid that lis daughter. screamed in terror, fearing he. would fall into tho lake.- ■ fortunately, however, ha saved himself from - - ' jthat,. calamity and managed to get to a safe r. • ' r pp'iition.j Darkness had come on,' and soparat- " ius from their guide. "Dr. Scott and his ' • dauglltpr.isorambled fchrough tlie busth, and : an nour- or moro later ai-fived at Lako House '. iicae.'disti^d''c6hdiMcm.';alreadyA4escribjd;- ;i ':'y' That'-.theyl-sybre not, altogether "knocked out"-, r experiences is shown by the , _ . fact, that 1 -, the'y , announced their intention, after,a fewVdaysV'fest,'to 'return over"Huia- •-' - v '- reoorer their .bicycles-and !ride','back ■ -'. iUO 'iiotorU3<<'w 'J /;• '2: '• ;•* ■ -.* '.j'.: t' "" r":: Warnings and Suggestjona. , , H 'manifest; 'as . tho.resUlt .of J.their'.experieoicb and that of Dr' -' 1 Masont 'iha should lerftove from ■ the-Handbook ,'the^staltomeht^hdt-thbv:tfkk S ' from Roto'rua aremoana; fs available ■' i ..for bicy.olists; -and shoilld. warn tourists not K i to attempt the. journey,: without' a i- - - ; ondly, -fliiger and. distance, posts' aro : noccs- • sary at several pbints'.bn -the overland trail where traveller are liable to go astray, and 1 «Bl>ecially . at. .that dangerous ohfr near ; the Aniwamwa stream. Thirdly, it nould bo a most-humane' act' for tho Tourist Depart- • - -ment....tfl:..ereet a. small shelter • shed-with . bunks at Opuruahino, jUiero the Rotorua trail stakes the, Lake. Had this been there Dr. vMason would hare been saved his bitter v ' ;: and • dangerous, .expdrieneo', •• arid tho .^Lake , - House people.- would , not have '-been'icalled .^uppn.-to-Mffc..their. ; lives -in .tho manrier-thev: ! !-i : did.-: m; setling;out .to/rescue-him a ; ni|»ht m such a heavy sea. Thaio are other' ; mmor requisites, such,- for mStnncb, as a MMvater. servico.at- Lake irousfc; !tfio lack ' :gi'eat;;bleiriish ori'a'n bthbVwiso ■ welj-cquippcd and exccllently-matoaf»ed institution; - .The - ''Hefald'' adds: "On. a -later, occasion .wo.' shall havo something to say about tho ' necessity, of . the. Government completing ' the ;; - road through from Galatea to Waikaramoana : ; , .(there, ,aro only, about ton milos-of track to be cut),', but itneatitiine the' Roads Denartment might very, well employ a little labour in clearing and widening whore nebessary '■ tho present dangerous roaa round the Lake." " Capilla" flair Tonto .will .you' strong i' glossy hair,. ana will prevent baldness. -:- = C 773 ■' i "S.C.A.T." CABS. \Vo have recently been appointed Nc\r 7m. land t Agpt,3 for tho , CAES. . rhe ordoml ' woald do Well to INSPECP'THE "SCAT" ■ BEFORE PURCHASING-ELSEWHERE lr LUSTRATED CATA'IiOGUE; WII% pp'rcrs ON APPLICATION TO INGLIS BltOS LINGTON, SOLE N-Z. AGENTS. P/O.EorM Telcphona 2iil, ,1019. , dk ' LADE3S'" TAEtOES, The oldest and best firm in;Anstralasti 5 Gowns and Costumw 51; Skirfe E ° M 10s. 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