A Mystery of the N.Z. Alps.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 432, 28 December 1889, Page 6

A Mystery of the N.Z. Alps.

By Guy B. EARL f r Kirikiri/ Thames. ■ -,

AST'C'hristmasi came Kom'eforjthe ' holidays, I brqught a very good repdjr'bj and' my father s&id, <{ as 1 'a "reward, *he J would take nib bn a trout fishing e*cur- ■ sion down ' South. Accordingly we left • Oriehunga'on sth of January of ( this \ '.year, in the steamer '. Takapuna. ' ' This was my first sea voyage^ and I had been looking forward ,to it f ' .with', 'fereat pleasure. My brother B.UI came to see us off, and was rather, sad because'ho was not going with us ; I, think I was rather glad because he was sad. I always feel like, that when other boys want samething nice which I have pot and they havon't. Bill gave me a pound of apples as a parting gift. I ato them all before' wo got to Manukau Heads. I had mado up my mind to write every night an account of the day's adventures, but the apples disagreed and for that nighV and for many nights my, adventures were not so satisfactory as \>6 be- worth telling. So I commenced this history when we got to Dunedin, where we purchased an outfit of appliances for camping out, also my supply of fishing tackle. Father also hired a Chinaman to go with us as a servant. t We went on board the Wairarapa, bound for the West Coast Sounds. When we armed thero we were put ashore at the end of a long, narrow inlet of tho se,a, surrounded by mighty precipices of great grandeur. The captain of the Wairarapa said he would look out for us on his return trip in the following month. We stood on the beach waving our hats to our fellowpassengers until the Wairarapa had steamed round a projecting point of land and disappeared, and then we were all alone. It looked very solemn, and I felt' rather frightened. Suppose the Wairarapa should not come back ; suppose we should be forgotten or lost, liko the professor. It was early in che morning, and we immediately made a start to reach a river which father said he saw on the other side of the high cliffs at the foot^ of which' we were standing. Ah Wong got%he tent pole and arranged his load — the tgntand cooking utensils at one end, and fo% weeks -tucker at the other. Father and^liouldorfid our fishing creel?, also crammed full of'things, and we commenced to <asc.enct a rugged stony track, which appealed, to be the bed of a winter torrent. After aJbout four hours' hard work we crossed the 1 narrow mountain range that divided the sound, from the deep gorge, at the bottom ofwjiich ran the river in which we were goifrgfibb h'sh. It was three p^m. when we arrived on its banks. We set to, work, and with Ah Wongs assistance soon erected our tent, and alter a rest and, a "feed, father said he would try to oacch.a few trout for supper. I went with him to learn how to cast a fly before using my q.wn new rod noxfc day. Father soon caught a few trout and as it was getting near sunset I wanted to try my hand at it. It seemed so easy to throw the light line out, using the od in the way I had seen bullock drivers using their long whips. Father gave me the rod. I made an attempt to fling out the line as I had seen him doing so easily, but to my great disgust it fell in a tangled heap almost at my feet. Father took the rod again and showed mo that -I should let the line stretch out straight behind me before jerking it forward. I tried again, and did as he told me, with the result that one of the little barbtd hooks struck stuck. deep, into my trousers bejiind, and reminded me that Euclid says " the extremities of a line are points." I yelled, father laughed ; he then tiied to get the hook out, bub said ho couldn't do it without his spectacles, so we had to go back to the camp, father carrying tho rod and I walking along in front, at the end of his line. '' When We got to the tent that idiot Ah Wong sot a laughing, and said • you makee yelly good fishey.' I vowed I would serve him out. Father had to cut a hole in my fcuousers, and then he had to jerk tho hook out with a pair of small pliers, while that ' fool Ah Wong laughed like a great baboon. After a supper of trout beautifully cooked by Ah Wong, we turned into our hammocks, and Ah Wong slept on the floor. Father was soon asleep, and Ah Wong snored and snorted like a steam engine. The sore place where the hook went kept me from sleeping. I lay awake gazing in the moonlight at Ah Wongs yellow face, which lay turned upwards like a big suet pudding with a quarter cut out for his open mouth. I thought I would have my revenge on Ah Wong for his cruel laughter at my fishhook sufferings. I stole quietly oub of my hammock and took my ink and carefully inked one half oi his face, after thafe I ielt better and slept soundly till morning. I laid the cloth for breakfast on the grass in the tent. When Ah Wong came in with a fryiner-pan of trout in his hands he was received with shouts of laughter. He did not know that we were laughing at his painted face, so he laughed himself as hard as we did, no doubt thinking it was the correct thing to do. After breakfast we started away up the stream, and I soon learnt how to use my rod and line. By noon we had got several miles up the gorge, when the huge cliffs on either side closed in so much that we had to wade through the shallow pools to get any further. By this time father had nearly filled hid creel and I had caught a few small trout. > We were not getting many in this part of the stream. The tall cliffs on either Fide, many yards in height, being destitute of soil or vegetation, and the gorge being so deep no gleam of sunshine could* ever reach the bottom. Father said it> was no use going any further, as there could be no trout where there could be no insects or worms to feed them. He sat down on a stone and lit his pipe, and while he was having a smoke I floundered on over^the rocky bottom of the stream, until I came to tho end of the gorge. Here straight up before me rose a strip of perpendicular rugged rocks, of stupendous height, which, showed the outlines of what must bo in winter a tremendous* waterfall, but this season there were only a few sprays of water which came dashing with lightning speed from * point to point, until they reached the* bottom in the form of a fine misty rain. "This mist more or less obscured the surface of a deep dark pool of clear water at the bottom ot the precipice, from which the river seemed to take ita rise. » ( ' ' 4 ;' At first I was at a loss to understandhow bo much water ran over' the of the pool down the river, when so little appeared to' be' coming down >tho 1 precipice. a At length, through the<miBty cloud, I perceived that the main stream came* bubbling out; of the' rocks through a low cavern or aperture only a few inches higher than' tKe ! water'a ! stirfaceV While- gazing at) this outlet 1 , oft waters I suddenly perceived an object come but of-it' bobbing *up and .down likossomething alive. "For a moment ]><lost ! sight of it in the mist, then suddenly an odd look-

itfg. '"bottled JglaeVflaskVcafod drifting to the ■veryJßpot-;wherd Itwas?«t6ndihg 6n:,the edge 1©!1 ©! tire pbolii'-* -J^iitf «**!* <;*r /• t h;.v^ -,t »I fo^riU'ibtovbe^corked 'and sealed? With e'onie' "" Btibstance'^like> kauri? 'gam.*''*- It was^sealed^ with 1 tihe'ira'p'ressioii' of a* six* pence, folding it'ap 1 td'the ' light'rwJwthat it contained no 'liquid, but some bdd f - ' looking" stuff,* 1 wHierf T took 'to be cigars J (Greatly' astohighed to'firid suoh ( an T at'ticle> Under the circumstances^ I hurried back 1 and told my 'father. -'He alfeo' was" greatly astonished to hear the accoitWof 'my -find,, and after going' again *to"bhe 'Jp'o'ol and as 1 -. certaining b'eyohd dotibbthab-ihe bofcble'did come through gome s'ubteminean'f'passage, we returned to our camp. 7,.*' That night we investigated the son tents of tho bottle, which were found 1 to be three small rolls of paper, each roll being tied with a^piecVofcfin'eVoldfsri'wire^ :: f On opening them, they^ consisted of a number of leaves citb out of a pocket) book, and closely 'written in lead pencil.,. The, paper was yellow with age or damp, and the writing difficile to, decipher, but I made it out to be' a sorb of diary, of which the following 'condensed copy is as correct as> the condition of the manusciipb would enable me to make ib ; — January, 1855.-— Lslt our camp, In, Fiery Gully, determined to cross .the snowy ridge to „t|?e east, boing convinced that tho gold-Jboaring country extends in. that direction. Took three days tnokcr • with me, blanket 3, and pick. Reached the snow lino same evening. , Climbed all next day and crossed top of the ridge of perpetual snow. Descended some cistanco on the other side, when I came to an enormous glacier, right in my line of march '; went on' until 1 was stopped by a great crack in the ice, of enormous' depth. Spent three hours looking tor, a place narrow enough to cross. At length came to where a good running jump would clear the chasm. ' , « X threw my pick and swag across, stepped' back a few yards to yet a run, and made the attempt. As I rushed to the edge to mako my Bpringa great overhanging mass of enow,,, and ice gave way beneath my feet, i had only time ' to cry ' God forgive my sinß,' when I found myself gliding with lightning speed down a sloping side of the icy, mass. The next instant I found* myself immersed, in ice cold water, and iastinctiTely 1 struck out and reached the surface. I had only time for a hasty glance upward, where, through the green, glassy sides of tho' cleft through which I had fallen, I could see a' thin line of blue sky, which was instantly shut out, and I found myself swimming in total darkBess. I was nearly exhausted, when I suddenly found myself in shallow water. " (raining my feet, I perceived I 'was standing in a strong current, the course of which 1 began to follow. At, length I again plunged into deeper water, and after swimming some time, I was suddenly shot out by the rapid stream into the light of day.» The next momemt I was ashore dripping, chilled to tho bone, exhausted, and half dead. Fortunately, in the breast of my shirt I had a flask of rum, my tobacco, and. matches. , , , A pull at the flask soon revived'me. Darkness wus now coming on. Not being able to light a lire I looked about for a sheltered spot in which to pas* the night. After some time 1 perceived a small jet of steam rising at some distance : it was a hot spring, and the ground around it was warm and dry. I passed a comfortable night, thankful for my escape, and looking forward with great interest to the morrow. March Ist. 1855.— 1 have now been more than j a year alone in what I may properly, call the ' valley of Death.' I «tni hiving: on a treeless open plain of four or five square miles in extent, surrounded on ,every side by perpendicular cliffs of enormous height, whose lofty summits are clad in eternal snow. Vainly have I searched every inch of the frontage of this mighty f enco by which I am surrounded. There is no outlet of escape for any creature unaided by wings. Even tho ancient birds of New Zcalnnd—the moannd the kiwi— are prisoners here like myself. The surface of the ground is covered with a rich but stunted vegetation, all tall growth being kept in cheok by the grazing of tho moas, which arc very numerous. Within very recent times this valley must have been inhabited by a gigantic race of human beings, whose ghastly skeletons confront me at every step. But for tho presence of the moa, whose flesh and' eggs provide me with food, I should suppose thatthe population were exterminated by fainihe ; but most likely they perished from some' epidemic. In searching the cliffs for a way out of this fearful valley, I have come across numerous lodes of gold and I silver. Some', of the latter 'form irregular streaks of pure metal several inches wide, on the face of the perpendicular cliff. Great Heavens ! what wealth, and none but dead men to help me enjoy it I The little streams which trickle down the cliffs, convorge almost in Ike centre of the plain into a whirlpool of water, where all the drainage of the valley disappears below the surface of the ground. January, 1867.— 1 have now been in this dreadful solitude two years. This being the last leaf of my pocket-book, I will insert my little manuscripts in my empty flask and throw it into the whirlpool, in hopes that it may roach some friendly hand who will make tin effort for my rescue. My brother, Bill Hunt, was encamped ! in Fiery Gully when I left them two years ago. If a party would strike due east from that point until reaching the erlacier, they would be within a few miles of the precipices with which I am enclosed. Should I 'not be rescued' within a year from this date, I shall plunge into the whirlpool, in the hope of escaping by some underground passage.— Cyrus Hunt. It would be too long for the columns of this paper to recount the rest of our adven- , tures on this excursion. I may say, how1 ever, that when we 1 returned to the Wairarapa, Ah Wong was received, to his great astonishment, with shouts of laughter. He was still unconscious that his face was still half black. Chinamen only wash their faces when their, heads are .shaved, -and that is nob often. They koep their hands clean because they generally use them instead of knives and iorks.— G.S.B. The End.

One of tho latesb manifestations of the sp»rifc which may be said to be the soul of the Eastern difficulty is the promulgation of whab are called " Russia's Ten Commandments." These commandments, printed on small leaflets, are being; largely circulated throughoutthe Balkan States, and, indeed, all over South-eastornEurope. They consist of a series of propositions, and give a comprehensive summary of whab may 'be called Pan-Slavic ideas and designs. They are as follows :— " First, Russia will no 1 longer allow the ' Catholic propaganda' carried on in tho Balkan 'Peninsula by Austria; second, Russia "'will annex 1 the so-called Russian Galicia ;< third, Transylvania and some districts in Southern" Hungary, and Bukowina will be given io Roumania ; fourth, Bosnia, Slayonia, an|d some Hungarian districts will go to Servia; fifth, the Roumanians shall replace their present Protestant dynasty by an orthodox ,one ; sixth, the Servian throne shall be offered to Prince Nicholas of Montenegro ; seventh, the armies of Greece,. Servfa, Roumania, and Bulgaria shall swear allegiance to the Czar ; eighbh,all orthodox churches to be subordinated to the Russian Church;,. ninth, Catholics and Protestants to be expelled from all the Balkan countries; tenth, the Bulgarian Church ,to be united with the Greek Church." The return which has just been published ) of the convictions for drunkenness in England and Wales, during the four years from 1885 to 1888," inclusive; is nob particularly . cheerful reading. Tho total convictions decreased during the first three 'years, falling, from 154,601 in 1885 to 139,482: iti "1887. But,. in 4BB8 > there was^ a. sudden jrise 156,809,. a, number which . happily does nob, .necessarily, mean that aboutjsix personssout of eve,ry thousand not only, get drunk, (bub disgrace themselves in such a manner as to be s taken A before a magistrate. • * ,Wjb may take* comfort from ,the, reflectidn ,that there' atie reputed-cases of.! tho i conviction of, the! same person. Liverpool • yielded, « last; 15,0,00, cases of drunkenness from a popula- 4 .tion d'fjrflittrfovpr Volf,a' million/ This is' 1 about^he rabY preaenitfett^b^any'' great town. THe'lrtetropolitan police krea", Vf v(i4K4t»\ v 4i,rfiUiotof^opple/ l yiWdy k oniy, 2 000 ca^es more tl&if Liverpool. ' - : \ ' '- J li -i vßrofesfeor Frank, S touch has taught 23,685 personBisabnlledding,v)P,enif. , :hiow,to dance, , It took/hiin*fiftyth,ree.yeara to doib. r ; '{ "*