GROSSING THE WAIKATO IN A COACH.

Dunstan Times, Issue 734, 12 May 1876, Page 4

GROSSING THE WAIKATO IN A COACH.

But the coach was not equally fortunate. Our driver, though sustained greatly by a dram lie had taken at the cottage, was almost on the point of relinquishing the ford. Gideon was in great terror of water, for a brother of ■his had been drowned while crossing an Otago river. Had it not been that two of us went on the box as company ho would assuredly have thrown up the reins. It was certainly far 'from pleasant to seethe grey current rolling prist us at six knots an hour, and know that the next minute we were to trust ourselves to its uncertain depths. The danger magnifi ed every moment, though ■we had not long to think, for the Norwegian, riding into the river, called on us to follow. He was mounted on a white horse, and rode barebacked, so as to be ready at any moment for a swim. Gideon cracked his whip, and we splashed in, the rear being brought up by two of our folk on the saddlehorses. The stream widened out as we proceeded, while the water ran three feet deep, and tore noisily through the wheels. A bank of shingle was reached, and the cavalcade moved slowly along. Then our guide, having looked anxiously about for the next -crossing, took us some two hundred yards in an oblique direction down the stream, which was the cause of a strange illusion, for the swifter speed of the current, combined with the grating of the wheels on the rough channel, made us appear to be going at a considerable speed backwards. We came to another branch of the river, and progressed cautiously, Plump!—the leaders sank over their knees j splash ! the wheelers swayed for a foothold, while their tails flowed on the top of the 'et earn; bump ! —the coach went down over the axles. Farther in the pole disappeared; then the horses’ legs; then the front wheels. The coach gave a severe pitch, and a substantial wave -came over the box seat, wetting two ■of us considerably, while Gideon threw his legs up in the air and thus escaped a ducking. The two on horseback had a bad time of it keeping their horses’ heads up-stream. One of the unfortunate equestrians, riding a little black pony, was every moment expecting to be carried away; but he got at last under the lee of the large horse, and felt comparatively safe., Muller now tied a rope to the head’ of one of the leading horse to guide us round Some awkward places—a proceeding which kept us continually on the alert ! for once or twice he turned us sharply on the “ lock” of the coach, and we felt the vehicle lifting for an overturn in the river, which, of course, made us all gesticulate wildly and cry out loudly to the ferryman. Another shingle-pit was gained, and Muller again peered, about for a ford, but the bottom was lost a few feet from the edge. We drove in at random, the Norwegian keeping close alongside our leading horses. All at once his white horse sank to the belly, and in a second the coach had crashed down to an equal depth. It was a mast awing sight to see the solid mass moving past us—not foaming, but gliding swiftly, with every indication of a treacherous foothold. We had -gone but a few yards farther when Muller suddenly threw up the leading rope into the air, flung back his hand •warningly, aud sank with an ominous plunge, almost at our feet, into an unknown depth of water, , Horse and rider were swept before our terrified gave away down the river, only the animal’s head being visible, while the water was far above the ferryman’s waist. Clutching the bridle firmly in his left hand he made a lunge with his right, caught the mane, and held grimly on, while the horse swam strongly, and brought him at last to a small point of land. The coach was left standing on the brink of a hidden terrace, with the current rushing round us, each one trembling for the Slightest movement of the horses, that luckily stood like statues, despite the water surging up violently against their sides. Muller made his appearance again, all dripping, but hopeful, and got us out out of our predicament by a sharp turn of the coach—telling us afterwards, in proof of the shifting nature of the channel, that he had crossed, easily, at tins very place, only the day before. When we arrived on the shore we found an hour had been occupied in fording: and for all this trouble, with a spice of danger thrown into the bargain, we paid thirty shillings. Gideon was refreshed with another drab), and bore himself manfully. The Norwegian who treated the whole affair very coolly, told us he had been ten years at the ferry, aud had been swept off that same old white horse many and many a time, and had frequently to Swim for his life. Wo would advise no one with weak nerves to ford a swollen river in New Zealand. For ourselves, we made a vow never to drive through the Waikato again ; or, if circumstances ever did bring us that way, we intended to cross it farther down, on the fine new bridge which was being erected at a cost ol L 30,000. —N. B. Advertiser.

“Working for bare life” is defined to be making new cloths for a baby. The bump of destructiveness—A railway collision. The two Kings—The two kings that ndo in England—Jo-king and amo-king. Why is electricity like the police when they are wanted ? -Beeausoit is an invisible force. What would a pig do if bo wanted a habitation ?—He would tie a knot in bis tail and call it a pig-'-tyc.