EXCITING ADVENTURE AT MOKAU RIVER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 13, 18 January 1907, Page 2

EXCITING ADVENTURE AT MOKAU RIVER.

Rather an exciting experience befell several Aria settlers on Wednes- jjfjj day morning in attempting locross llie Mokau river on their way to I lie Te Kuiti stock sale. The punt was % on the north side when 1 lie settlers arrived, and the man in charge was unable to free the floating rubbish caused by the IVesh. Messrs J. Me Meekin and 11. Houghton volunteered to swim across and give assistance, The former was the first to take to the water and /.jot within a couple of yards of the bank, when'a whirlpool pulled him into the stream and was carried down some distance; then he suddenly disappeared for a time, which caused great anxiety amongst the rest of his males, who had just about given him up, the falls only being a few chains down. A few minutes afterwards McMcekin appeared at the surface, about a chain from where he was last seen, and just where the wire, which carries the punt, crosses the river, and made a grab and caught the wire in an exhausted condition. He scrambled out along the wire on to the punt, and, after being on terra firm a once more, soon recovered from his little experience. By this time Houghton was just prepared to make his trip through the muddy river, but was called back by his companions and crossed by the aid of the w ire, as also did a Native. The endless wire had to be tightened lirst and when this was done, the punt had got into the middle of the river and a lot ol manoeuvring had to be gone through before it could be rescued. They then took the punt across to gel a load of passengers and horses. Three horses were put aboard, and six passengers, and when half-way across the wire gave way, and those in (he punt practically lost command. I lowever, after about three hours hard work, the Mokau was negotiated, and nothing more than several narrow escapes happened. The unfortunate part wa.s that when the horses and passengers were landed safely, it was found that they had left their clothes on the opposite side, but some kind settlers came to their assistance in the way of clothing, and they were able to proceed to Te Kuiti in not such a nude state as when the got out of the punt.