A TERRIBLE JOURNEY

Nelson Evening Mail, 27 September 1916, Page 5

A TERRIBLE JOURNEY

"• OVERTAKEN BY SNOWSTORM. WITHOUT FOOD FORI DAYS. , A graphic description of, a terrible journey which Mr R. 'Cargill performed oii the overland track from- Puys&gur Point, is given by the Or&puki correspondent of the Southland',' Times. Cargill, who was aJ member of thfe main body of the Expeditionary Force, turned from Gallipoli, and' was sent South six weeks ago in in differ eht-iealth. He . was returning to otter his services again. He states that he never had -su'eh < a fight for his life, hot even on Oallipoli, as he has hid topass through lAtfely. He left the Puysegur;• Point lighthouse on September 5, with five days* food,: which ufnder. ordinary circumstances is "atnjile. All '"vvent weil the first day, and> •"'he \ydfc rejoicing in' the walk And splendM. track," -which -was much improved -by- the Government last summer.' That- naght snow f ell, making itimpossi'ble to start for a couple of days, and then the buslr was down everywhere, the track * absolutely covered up; and the telephone line down from end to end. ' . ■ Asked why he did not turn hack at I this stage, being only one day from the : Point, Mr Cargill replied: , "Because I •5m not the turning Iback sort. . Also, I did not know -what was ahead,~or I could riot have ,got baclc quick enough.'? ' After his food was done,' which was several 'clays before reaching - Big River, Gargill seems to have only a. -hazy idea of what happened. It was continual climbing over logs, finding means ; --to cross swollen Creelcs, "which- had all hecome raging torrents. He can remember crossing two by hanging on to the ttilo-ohone-wire,- which was down. "He' spent night after night under tres, not being a ! ble to' -reach the lihesmeii's -liuts.' At one hut- he canie across some old floux", and made a meal" oh this and water. At another placfe' '--ihei -"gofc' >'' fisK and ate it raw. After this his sufferings were severe, and he 'lias not much recollection of anything until/found by two linesmen, • Messrs Donaldson;- and Smith. At this time he was unable togive any clear statement, as he had been out "16 days, and must have gone on for days' in that state. He had managed to get within about 15 miles of open (country at Blue Oliff. ' ■