LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1036, 7 June 1871, Page 2

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.

[NEW T.OKK TIMES.]

Late in the year 1870, ah exploring party, of whom Mr Evarts was one, set forth from Helena, in Montana, to pene trate into the wild regions about the sources of the Snake and Yellowstone Rivers. The country into which the little band made its way is very high—■ fully some 8,000 feet above the level of the sea. The party were well mounted, and their object being rather to discover what was worth seeing than to get rapidly over the ground, their progress was nut unsatisfactory. One day the whole company scattered in pursuit of game. Mr Evarts detached himself, as ofteu before, from the rest, and plunged into the woods. He was tempted by a deer's trail, and he kept on following it until, to bis uneasiness, he saw the sun's rays slanting through the trees low down in the West. Fiuully, the orb dropped below the horizon, and night ca'j»je on in pitchy darkness. The wanderer camped out as best he could, hoping to retrace his steps and join his friends next day. In the morning he committed the error of starting too early. He could not clearly see his trail, and on this it was needful to return. Alighting from his horse to make sure of it far a moment Evarts iucau tiously let go the bridle, Unhappily, an instant after, the animal took fright at something and plunged wildly away. This was a dismal calamity, indeed ; for attached to the saddle Were the hunter's carbine, his pistols, ammunition, matches —in a word, his entire equipment, save the clothes in which he stood. Still, he did not despair. He thought his friends would surely return and look him up. It appears, howevc, that his friends, considering that he was well mounted, supposed he would certaiujy push on and overtake them. In fact they travelled forward two days' journey after missing Evarts, before they paused to wait or make search for him. To complete his discomfiture, on the second day after he lost his horse two feet of snow fell. Progress through this he found to be impossible. Mr Evarts, amid the supreme horror of his situation, had given himself np in despair. But suddenly it flashed across his mind that five or Six miles from the spot where he separated from his party he had passed some hot springs. To these he determined to fight his way through the snow, and he succeeded in doing it. On the warm ground close by the springs he managed to exist, sleeping there at night, until the snows passed away. He was safe from perishing of cold, but it appeared inevitable that he must die of starvation. Plenty of elk bounded through the woods, and abundant fish were in the streams ; but Evarts was totally without the means of capturing either. Fortunately he chanced to find a sort of thistle root that grows plentifully near the springs. Ou this uoot, sodden in the hot water, he supported himself. The snow disappeared, and he resolved to make a fresh efiort to escape. But the weather was at nights fearfully cold, and he could not leave the springs without the means of making a fire. He bad with him—it was about the only article not carried off by the horse — a small field glass. It occurred to him to try to use the lenses as a burning glass. This, too, succeeded. Yet there was danger of being without the help of the sun on occasions when it was most required. Therefore, after setting out from the springs, Evarts on cloudy days, always carried brands from one stopping place to another. Two nights, despite all precautions, he had to spend without fire } and on these he kept alive only by unremitting motion and constant friction of his stiffening lhnbs. For thirtyseven days, save the roots, he had no food except one small bird and two or three tiny fish ; and with much wandering his boots were destroyed and his feet become worn to the bone. On the thirty-eighth day Evarts suddenly came upon a party who were searching for his body—-for they had not the least hope of finding him alive—rand who were as niuci astonished as delighted at his rescue. H< was, to be sure, reduced to a shadow. His former weight was 160 pounds, it was now 80. No permanent harm was> done him, notwithstanding, by his wil*adveuture, and we are glad to know that Jre is a strong and healthy man to-day.

For the first time London and Borabay were brought into direct telegraphic communication by the lndo European lint* on Bth April last, a message heing sent through, withouc retransmission and insbantly acknowledged. The distance from London to Bombay by the Indo-European line in 6,000 miles;

Two instances of determined recalcitrancy in connection with the census have recently oconrred in England. A middle-aged man was fined £1 and costs by the Devon county magistrates for refusing to make out a census paper for himself and child tie declared that he knew neither his own name nor his place of birth, and he would not perjure himself by making a false entry. At St. Austell, a gentleman, the possessor of considerable property, has leto allow the census to be taken in Ids household. He will be summoned.

A case of attempting to rob a jeweller* not unlike'in t* main features the great Torpey robbery, occurred in Bristol on Wednesday, the 22nd March.. On the Friday previous a young mau, aged about 28, short, of dark complexion, stylishly dressed, and of geutleuiauly bearing, who gave the name of E. W. Hall, and said he had lately returned from the colonies, went to. the shop, of Mr Tucker, who. carries joii an extensive business as a silversmith and jeweller in Ciare street, and ordered of him a gold pin of shoe pattern, with a stirrup pendant from the centre. On Tuesday the gentleman called for the pin, and at the same time said he wished to see some nice diamond: ornaments, which he intended to present to his wife, aud he promised to call the next morning to inspect them. Oa Wednesday moruing lie called according to appointment, and Mr Tucker showed him some of the finest aud must valuable jewels in his shop, and with rare discrimination and judgment Mr Hall selected a set of the value of about ,£650, and comprising a siugle-stoue diamond ring,, value .£110; a diamond half hoop ring, value .£l5O ; a diamond pendant, value ,£155 ; aud a pair of diamond ear drops, value <£lss. On the pretence that hewas g dug to the bank, the gentleman left the shop, but shurtly afterwards returned, and requested that Mr Tucker's man might accompany him to his hotel —The R->yal, in College green—wi h the diamonds, in order that his wife might see them. He also r< quested that Mr Tucker might send a duplicate set, so that his wife might have her choice of the two sets. Mr Tucker had no objection, but he thought it might be as well if he tojk the jewels himself. He, however, gave directions to a confidential servant-man to follow him and to post himself close to the door of the room in which he might hold the interview with his customer. On reaching the hotel, Hall ushered Mr Tucker into a private sitting-room, and asked him to take a glass of wine. A decanter of wine and two glasses were op the table when he entered the room, Mr Tucker declined to take the wine. Hall then rang aud asked the waiter if his wife had He was informed that she had not, and then Hall himself went out to make enquiries, and it is supposed that in leaving the room he came across Mr Tucker's vigilant porter, and suspecting that he was a detective, did not carry out his. original plan. On returning, lie told IV£r Tucker that he expected his wife to have arrived by train before that rime, but. as she had not, perhaps Mr Tucker would have the jewels for her inspection. This, of course, Mr Tucker refused to do, but he said he would call again if required to do so. Mr Hall was full of apologies for having given Mr Tucker so much trouble, and he left tho hotel and walked with him to the bottom of Clare-street. He has not since returned to the hotel, and he leaves an unpaid bill behind. Suspicion being aroused, the " colonist's " portmanteau was opened, and it was found to contain nothing more valuable than some d< zens of paper collars, The police have not succeeced iu tracing this Torpey No. 2. Mr Tucker had with him about <£1,200 worth of jewellery, aud had Hall succeeded in drugging or m any other way »f incapacitating Mr flicker, he would h*ve had a good prize, assuming, of course, ihat he was not stopped at the door by Mr Tucker's stalwart porter. It has trauspiied that Hail has tried on the same trick at other jeweller's shops in Bristol and also in Batbj

Of 239 pei'sons booker! at the Liverpool police stations*, between Saturday evening, April 8, and Monday forenoon, April 10, no fewer than 200 were drunk.

. For the benefit of readers unread in Highland family lore, Mr Punch t-ays that—Mac Okiiiean Mor is the great Colin, the real founder of the house of Campbell. He fought Norse Haco at Largs (ad. 1263), and after a long life of gain and glory was buried at Kilchvenan, on Loche Awe, having lieen slain on the Sreang of Lome, in a foray Against the Mac Dougalls, Lords of Lome, and hereditary enemies of the CampbelN, who gradually ousted them of their lands by the sword, and completed the work by the wedding of Colin, first Earl of Argyll (a.d 1470), •with the Lady Isabel Stewart, daughter and co-heiress of John, Lord Lome It was this Colin who thus brought into the house of Campbell the lands, titles, and arms of its ancient enemy, and so bore the galley of Lorn on his banner, alongside the boar's head of Diarmid, the mythic ancestor of the Mac Cailean Mor. It was Diarmid's grandson, Gillie Caltum, who going over to Normandy, before che Conquest, there married the niece of Duke William, the Conqueror, and gave to his sons the Norman name of Beauchamp; Latine, €ampus-bellus; Anglice. Campbell