NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH IN THE BUSH.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1054, 28 June 1871, Page 2

NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH IN THE BUSH.

The position of a peripatetic school* master in the district of Northern Wairoa, Kaipara, appears to be far from enviable. We quote from the pondent of the Southern Cross ; —" On Monday, the 22nd May, Mr Winston did bod arrive, according .to arrange* ment, at his weekly teaching station, where the children were waiting for, and the parents expecting, him. In this way Monday passed, and he was not seen coming out of the dense bush, nor over the bare mountains. Tuesday was spent looking for him, bub, lo !. he came not. Wednesday went as the two preceding days, when suspicious looks were? exchanged from one to another of his anxious friends who heard of it, and feared that he was lost in the terriblo forest—the tolerable home only of the wild pig and rat, mockingbhd and companions at midnight, and none of them willing to share their morsel of meat with man, starving in their midst, and wandering about, it may be, to find a lonely spot to die,. On Wednesday evening it proved that the fears of his friends were not. without foundation, for the missing gentleman fortunately found his way out of the bush, after being there two. nights and nearly three days without, food. At this season of the year,, under such circumstances, we are surprised that his strength was equal to force his way through supplejack, toi grass, &c„ We certainly congratulate him on his, good fortune in making his escape with his life. Whilst walking, without knowing in what direction he was going, lie came out near the cultivation of Tailor McGrath, exhausted with cold, hungei, and toil. With nearly all his clothes torn from his person, he could not possibly have stumbled upon a more suitable settler than a bushtailor, who would, without ceremony, 1 feed the hungry and clothe the naked.' For several days he was unable to prosecute his school duties; but we ate glad to say that he has resumed them again this week, and is looking not much the worse for his misfortunes.. Mr Winston is very much respected here even by those who. do not patronise; the novel mode of education, which, to say the least of it, we consider a mistake- made, it may be, by well-mean-ing men, but which we fear can neversucceed. We wish the wise men of the Wairoa would adopt a method of edu-. cation more agreeable to the teacher and more profitable to the children. We dislike to see an educated young man week after week wading to the, knees through mud and water, fern and scrub, and finally thrown by misfortune amongst the wild beasts of the woods for days and nights together, without food or shelter, at the peril of his life, when he ought to have a com-, fortable school-room provided by selfsacrificing settlers for the benefit of their children. Would they not merge their differences and grapple with the difficulty if they really felt all they express for the welfare of the risinggeneration around them? We think they would, and the result would be agreat success. But as long as little petty jealousies exist the teacher must make his periodical visits in all kinds of weather—if he can find his way—from house to house, teaching two here, and three there, and five yonder. We fear the teacher will grow tired of his, task before the twelve months' appointment terminates."