A NARRATIVE OF THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST COAST, CONCDUCTED BY THE LATE MR. WHITCOMBE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 139, 11 September 1863, Page 6 (Supplement)

A NARRATIVE OF THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST COAST, CONCDUCTED BY THE LATE MR. WHITCOMBE.

(Translated for tlie LyUeUon Times , from tlio German manuscript of tho survivor, Jacob Lotjpei!). (Concluded.) Next morning early, I left this mournful place, passing through the dense bush along the river. I could not go further than about (lave miles : at night I lay down, without being able to catcli anything to cat all day. I felt famished with hunger; suddenly I heard something crying out in the distance, but could not distinguish what it was. 1 jumped up and ran as quickly in the direction, but I could not hear it again. I lay down once more, but I could distinctly boar the barking of a dog. Again I went in the direction ; it was dark night, and at last I saw the light of a fire. I went to it and found a hut, with a Maori, his wife and child. I asked him if he had anything to eat. lie said, no : That ho had been a long time waiting for Dixon’s ship, but could wait no longer, and was about to leave tho spot next morning. I said he surely must have something ; I had tobacco and money about me, and would pay him well. I told him'my misfortunes, and gave him four sticks of tobacco ; be then gave xno a couple of very small potatoes that were cooking—they tasted delicious. During the night ho caught a few small fish in a fixed net. He gave me again a couple of potatoes and three small fish, but not half enough ; still I felt better. I asked him for something to take with me. A; first lie refused, but was persuaded, and gave mo two haudsful of potatoes, for which he demanded ten shillings, giving me, besides, an old cap. In making our bargain, he saw I had some tobacco left, and asked for some of it. I replied, “ Mv tobacco is just as dear as your potatoes; if you had been more liberal 1 would have given you nearly all this, but now I won’t.” I packed up everything and left him. I travelled all day through tho bush, but the weather saw very fine. In the evening I had got about three miles up the river, when suddenly I heard some one speaking near the river. I cooeed ; they answered me ; I immediately ran to the spot, and saw a canoe with five Maories going down. They came up to me, and expressed great surprise to see me there alone. 1 asked (hem for some food ; they said they had none—they were coming from the diggings, and going to tho Duller River. I then asked them to put me across, which they immediately did. I went on the spine evening to the diggings, where I found two Maorics and their wives. I asked them for some food, and related my misfortunes; they had little or nothing for themselves, but they gave me a small piece of a roast wood-hen, anil Rdd me they had set eel-baskets in the river, and

if any were caught, I could get a good breakfu; I slept in the hut, and next morning early they looked at the baskets, but there were no eels in them. I ate half the potatoes I had brought with them gave the Maories some tobacco, and went on my way. I determined now to leave the Teramakau, and go towards Lake Brunner, where I hoped to find Mr. Ilovvitt’s party. Should I fail to do so, I felt certain I could get as many eels and wood-hens as I wanted. I followed up the Oiioui creek, walking in the water. In the evening I had nearly reached the summit of (he range, when 1 camped for the night. Next day I crossed it, and went down the oilier side. I could not tell whether I was too much to the right or left; I had lost my pocket-compass, but by the sun I could tell iu what direction [ should find Lake Brunner. I came to a stream, which I followed down, and passed the night in a very wet plain. I tried to eke out my potatoes as long as possible, and only to eat them at the greatest need. Next day I came to a very swampy ground, and had to make a circuit of several miles. At last, about two p.m., I reached the lake, to my great satisfaction. I killed a robin to snare woodhens with, or for a bait to catch cels at night. I ascended a peak where I could got a good view of the neighborhood, and I saw smoke rising up in the distance, most likely from some Maories come here to fish, but itmightpossibly beHowitt and ins parly. I went towards it, going along the lake up to my arms iu water, and about a mile further I heard the blow of an axe, and then saw a tent and some men. It was Ilowitt ; I was saved. 1 fold my story briefly, but already the billy hung over the fire, and a wood-hen and an eel were put on the coals ; and, while continuing an account of my adventures, enjoyed a hearty meal. AVe all lamented sincerely the loss of poor Air. AVhitcombe. One of the men gave me a pair of dry trousers, another a jacket, and so I found myself once more in a suit of good clothes. Air. Ilowitt then proposed to send mo with his two horses to Air. Taylor's station, which gave me great satisfaction, although I felt very weak. I had a good supper, bed, and breakfast ; he gave me then as much provisions as I would have—bread, ten, sugar and matches. He had made a canoe for Ids own use, in which lie and one of Ids party put me across the lake, a day’s bad travelling. After some trouble they caught the horses, saddled them, and put my little swag on one, leaving the oilier for me to ride. The Maories had told I could not cross the saddle, from the depth of the snow. Ilowitt said lie thought they were right, but I thought I would try it. If it was too deep, I had only to return tlie same road. lie advised me to hurry as much as possible, while the line weather continued ; to drive fast, and not spare the horses ; saying, besides, that the old grey horse know every inch of the road ; so that 1 could even ride during the night if I liked ; and so forth. I thanked Air. Ilowitt for this, the third time 1 had enjoyed his hospitality, took a hasty farewell, and rode the same evening to the Teramakau ; night had come on ; so, having found a little grass, I unsaddled, to pass the night there. I tethered one horse with a long rope, well knowing that the other would not stray far alone ; made a fire and some tea, and succeeded in snaring two fat wood-hens, on which I made a hearty meal. About midnight I hoard the tethered horse making off, having broken his rope and gone off looking for better feed. I followed him and caught him after a run of nearly a mile. As this might occur again I determined to go on, although the night was very dark, the horses know the way ; I saddled them, riding one and driving the one with the pack in front of me. I let the bridle hang loose on my horse’s neck, and nearly fell asleep on liis back. Suddenly I heard the first horse enter the river—mine followed ; I left him to go his own way, as I could not see. I never was a good rider, and had not ridden much for some

years. Suddenly niy horse stumbled and fell on his knees, throwing me over bis bead into the water; I kept a hold of the bridle; when he gained his feet I pulled him to me,, and taking hold of the stirrup, made him draw me out on dry laud. Except the wetting I was not the least hurt, and could not avoid laughing at the mishap. When I had ridden on a little distance they came to a dead halt, nor could I get them to go any farther that day. Next day it rained ; I drove both horses before me ; they went so fast I had great difficulty to keep up with them. Presently the rain changed to snow, but the horses

knew the track so well 1 did not mind it. There was vei-y little of the old snow remaining, and what was then falling could not hinder mo much. About three o’clock 1 came to tho hut above described, where the men were to wait for us. They did not recognise me, without my old cap, but asked me with astonishment where I came from, whether I belonged to llowitt’s party, and if I had seen anything of two men—Mr. Whilcome and Lonper. “You must be mad,” I said ; “give me some mutton, if you have any - .” “Oh!” said George (the youngest), “it is Jacob ; now I know him ; where is Mr. Whitcom.be?” “He is dead,” I answered, and then told them everything. It rained all night and next day, but we went as far as Lake Summer, and passed the night in another old hut, and the following day reached Mr. Tayloi’’s station. As soon as ho heard the death of Mr. Whiteombe he came to see me, with Mrs. Taylor, who brought me some cake, and a good warm drink ; he also gave me a blanket, and pressed mo to slay a few days'to rest myself; be immediately despatched one of his men to acquaint Mr. Whitcombe's family with their sad loss before the news could reach town. Wo started, however, the next morning, and reached Christchurch in five days, without further accident.

Senseless Yv r eights and Maddening Measures.—A gallon isn’t a gallon. It’s a wino gallon, or one of tliree different sorts of ale gallon, or a corn gallon, or a gallon of oil ; and the gallon of oil means 7J- lb. for train oil, and 8 lb. for some other oils. If you buy a pipe of wine how much do you get ? 93 gallons if the wine bo Marsala, 97 if Medira, 117 if Bucellas, 103 if Port, 100 if Tencriffe. What is a stone? 1-1. lb. if a living man, 8 if slaughtered bullock, 16 of cheese, 5 of glass, 32 of hemp, 16 J of flax at Belfast, 24 of flax at Downpatrick. It is 14 lb. of wool as sold by the growers, 15 lb of wool sold by the wool-

staplers to each other. There are seven measures in use to define an acre. A hundredweight may contain a 100 lb., or 120 lb. A hundredweight of pork is 8 lb. heavier at Belfast than at Cork. A man might live by selling coal at a less price per ton than he paid for it at the pit mouth. A ton of coal at the pit mouth varies from 22 cwt. to 28 cwt. of 112 each ; a ton to the householder means 30 cwt. of 113 lb. each. Of cheese 32 cloves (of 8- lb. each) make a wey, in Esssex, 42 in Suffolk. We walk in this United Kingdom by the measure of four sorts of miles, an English mile being 217 shorter than a .'scutch mile, 180 shorter than an iridi mile, and the geographical mhe being another measure differing from all three. Our very sailors do not mean the same thing when they talk of fathoms. On board a man-of-war it means U ft., on board a merchantman Sift., on board a fishing vessel 5 ft.— Diclcen's All the Year Hound.