AN EVENTFUL JOURNEY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2767, 4 February 1882, Page 2

AN EVENTFUL JOURNEY.

The mail coach from Christchurch had rather a rough journey of it on its last trip over the ranges to the West Coast. Though the rivers were observed fo be rising fast on Saturday morning, no great difficulty was encountered until reaching the Otira, which was divided into two streams, and down which the current was running fast, and was rapidly increasing in volume. Arthur Davis, the driver, managed to get across the first stream without much difficulty, baton reaching the second, one of the pole horses got into deep waterwitharoughfooting, and stood a fair chance of being drowned, had not Davis jumped into the river and cut the horse loose. Nor were his troubles then over, for he had then to land his passengers, and get the coach out of its precarious situation, which was no easy undertaking. In accomplishing this one passenger got a “ header ” in the cold Otira, and a second passenger, a Chinaman, also made a slip in beyond his waist. After much trouble, says an exchange, all were landed on the southern bank, and ultimately got on the length of the Tuipo, late that evening, where they stayed all night, reaching town early on Sunday morning. The passengers give Davis great credit for the plucky manner in which he acted throughout the journey, which was one of. the roughest that has been experienced by him for years. (Press)