THE LOST CHILDREN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 520, 21 October 1867, Page 2

THE LOST CHILDREN.

(From the Dayte-ford Mercury.) The great mystery which has surrounded the fate of tiie three children lost on Sunday, 30th June, has been cleared away. Early on Friday morning it bee one known that traces of them had be •n found on the previous afternoon, about n mile and a half from Wheeler's saw mills on Musk Creek, and about three miles from Specimen Hill, where they were last seen alive, and within a distance variously estimated at from 150 to 200 yards from the hut of a splitter nam'd M’Kay, and about the same distance from a ro ad in daily use by splitters and men engaged in carting wood to the sawmills, and early on Siturday forenoon further tidings were brought to town that tiie bodies of two of tiie children had been found in a hollow tree, the bones of the third being scattered about. It is matter of surprise that from the tree in which they were they did not hear carts passing, or that tiie carters did not hear or see tiie children ; but it is probable jtliat they arrived there at night tired and exhausted, and lay down and slept the sleep that knows no waking. It is further probable, from the locality in which the children were found, that if their wanderings were not over on the night of tiie Sundiy on which they left their homes, »hey did not live through the bitter cold of the following Monday nigiit. The circumstances attending the discovery of the remains of the children appear to be as follows ; —On Friday about mid-day, M Kay proceeded to the Fern Creek, a short distance from his house, fur a bucket of water, bis dog accompanying him. On his way back he met a neighbour named Charles Stewart, and while they were talking M'Kay’s dog passed, but without attracting any notice. M'Kay and Stewart parted, and on proceeding to his lint M'Kay’s attention was called to ins dog by observing that lie had something in his mouth, which lie found to be a boot with a child’s foot in it. MTvay at once guessed that tiie remains of (lie children could be far distant, and lie went in search of Stewart, to whom lie showed tiie boot. They immediately commenced a search, which was continued without any success for two hours, when they left off, and word was sent to tiie sawmills. Mr Riddle then joined them, and the search was renewed, and kept up till nightfall. When M'Kay went home tiie dog brought up to the hut a skull, but the darkness and torrents of rain prevented any renewal of the search till Saturday morning, when Mr Wheeler, M.L.A., IMr Kiddie, M‘Kay, Stewart, ami two brothers 1 named David and Ninian Bryan, met at M'Kay’s. Tiie dog was let loose, mid they posted themselves on as elevated situations as they could select to watch him, thinking he would direct ids steps to jthe place from which he find twice brought such ■sad evidence of the fate of tiie little ones ; but he I refused to leave the tint. The party named then

formed themselves info a search party, going abreast at a certain distance from each other. Proceeding in this way for a short distance, j David Bryan, in jumping a log forming part of a fence, discovered some bones and clothes lying 'about, and exclaimed, “Here they are!” His (brother Xinian was next to him, but on the opI posits side of the log. Starting to join his 1 brother, he went round a large tree standing and .forming a corner of two fences. On rounding lithe found it. hollow, and a glance disclosed to him the bodies of two of the children. He started bach, and said to his brother, “ Oh, Hike, here they are 1” The others were speedily attracted to the spot, and watch kept over the remains until the police, who were sent for, arrived, and took them in charge. The remains too surely evidenced that they had been gnawed bydogs. Mounted-trooper Phelan had sent from Daylesford. some miles distant, three coffins, and then began the unpleasant but necessary duty of removing the bodies from the hollow tree, which was at least ten feet in diameter. Tins was done by Constable Daley and Mr Riddle, and the bodies placed in the coffins were conveyed to the Farmers* Hotel, Daylesford, where they await the coroner’s inquest. The father of the boys, Graham, who now lives in Castlemaine, was sent for. The general impression at first was that the scattered remains were those of the boy Burman, and

that the two bodies found in the tree were those of the boys Gr.ih-irn, hut oubsequent conjectures led to the belief that those in (lie tree were the younger Graham, and Burmin aged four and five years. The position of the bodies in the tree sud their general appearance would indicate tiiat their spirits passed away peacefully and gently while in sleep. They were lying with their faces towards the inside of the tree, the smaller one farthest in, the larger lying ontside him, as if to shelter him, with his right hand under and embracing the other, who lay partly on his body, as if nestling there for warmth. A correspondent has favored the Ballarat Post with the following description of the locality where the children were found, and their appearance ;

“ The locality where the remains of the children who were lost from Table-hill on Sunday, the SOth June last, were found, is situate about a mile and a half from Wheeler’s sawmills on the Musk Creek. The bodies of the two children which were found in the hollow tree were when discovered in a state of fair preservation, considering the length of time which had elapsed since they were lost; but the remains of the third consisted only of a few- hones and the skull. The two bodies in the hollow tree when found were lying closely cuddled together, as if the children had by the warmth afforded to each other endeavoured to ward off the bitter wintry cold. The younger child had been placed inside, and the elder and stronger one had lain down beside him on the outer side. The backs of both were turned to the entrance of the cavity. Here they must have lain and perished of cold and starvation. The elder boy had his legs completely under the body of the younger, and his cap lay ou the floor of the cavity ; the younger boy had his cap placed before his face. It is probable that the body of the third boy was also in the tree, but had been dragged thence by dogs. There are marks of hair outside on the roots o the tree. The elder boy had boots on, the younger had none, but a lacenp boot broken at the heel, was lying in the interstice of the tree just over his Imad. In the cavity were two sticks which they had evidently used in their wanderings. When the body of the elder Imy was placed in the coffin, as the corpse sank iuto the narrow shell, his right arm was pushed forward, and his hand fell over upon his breast, and In's face, became uppermost. This hand was white, plump, and apparently undecomposed, but the whole of his features were gone, and nothing remained hut a ghastly skeleton outline, with the lower jaw detached and fallen. The face of the younger child was, however, in a state of preservation, but perfectly black. The members of botli bodies were much attenuated. The position of the tree is at the corner of an old cultivation paddock in which potatoes are now planted. It is melancholy to reflect that these unfortunate children should have reached so near help and succour and failed to find it. Had they proceeded 200 yards further nn the fence, they would have come upon the hnf of M'Tvay. It would seem that they had reached this place at night, and finding their passage impeded by the brush fence, turned into the hollow tree, not wishing to lose sight of it, thinking that the dawn of morning would set them right. Thus they must have lain down to sleep their Last sleep.”