MISSING MEN FOUND

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 233, 25 May 1932, Page 6

MISSING MEN FOUND

SEARCH AT HOROHORO WEAK FROM EXPOSURE AND LACK OF FOOD SHELTERING IN WHARE Af ter two days and two nights in the bush without food and soaked by heavy rain, tbe two young Maoris, Ihihei Kir.moa and IC. Haera, who wero lost wbile on a pig-shooting expedition in the rough country at the baclc of Horohoro mountain, were found by a search party shortly after nine o'cloek yesterday morning- The two men were both suffering severely from the effects of exposure, and were sheltering in an old whare on the edge of the bush about four miles from the settlement. Only the hardy constitutions of the two men had enabled them to find their way out of the dense bush, and in spite of the rigorous experiences which they had undergone, they were able to walk back to' Horohoro with the assistance of the searchers. In their weakened condition, however, without food and assistance, it is extremely doubtful whether they would have been able to reach the settlement. Another example of the hardihood of the Maori constitution was the f act that the two other members of the party, Mangu Manuel and W. Goldsmith, who were found late on Monday afternoon, assisted in yesterday's search, and led the police to the spot -where they parted company with .their companions. Over 50 Maoris participated in yesterday's search, while Constables Shilton and Brown proceeded from Rotorua early yesterday morning. Wonderful work was done by the search parties, who traversed miles of extremely rough and rugged country, cutting their way through the undergrowth and in some plaees crawling on hands and knees as the only means of making progress. "Apparently Haera and ' Kirimoa succeeded in working their way out of the bush late on Monday night, and found shelter in a disused whare on the edge of the heavy timber. They were found several miles from " the spot where Goldsmith and Manuel were located. The two men had been carrying portions of a pig which was killed by the party on Sunday, but as they had no matches to light a fire, were compelled to abandon the meat. Heavy rain fell in the bush country on Sunday night and Monday, and this added considerably to the difficulties of the wanderers. The two men were found by two Maoris from the settlement who were searching well off the track followed by the majority of the larger parties. Before the searchers set out, it was arranged that three shots shoulci be fired if the missing men were found, and when this signal was given the parties returned to the mentThere was general anxiety at the - settlement concerning the fate of the two young men, and every available man assisted in the search. A number of women from the settlement followed a rough .and difficuli track for over three miles to light a fire and prepare food on the edge of the bush. When the majority of the searchers had returned, Chief Ruhi. who is in charge of the work at Horohoro, harangued the natives pointing out the danger of expeJitions into the heavy bush country without proper food supplies. Some four years ago, a man named Hansen was lost for several days in this area, and was onl ydiscovered in ' this area, and was only discovered in search parties had combed the bush for some time.