AN UNFORTUNATE MAORI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 174, 14 July 1908, Page 3

AN UNFORTUNATE MAORI.

WOMAN FAMISHING ON THE MOUNTAIN. A party organised by Mr. Collis visiti'd the North Egniont accommodationh.mse on Saturday evening, returning to town on Sunday. When coming down the track through the reserve groans were heard, but a sear.ch failed to discover the source of the groaning. They were naturally perturbed, and, it is *aiil, one or two were not particularly anxious to continue the search. A close I investigation of the spot revealed nothing. Upon reaching the radius line they gave information to Mr. Williams, and suggested that he might go up on Monday morning to see if there were n human being or an animal in distress. If it proved to be an injured animal they might as well shoot it and end its misery. •

Yesterday morning, jdjout 10 o'clock, as Air. I'. (J. Alorris, the custodian of the house, was driving down tlie track with Airs. Alorris and Miss Shoemark, they _ mot three men with guns. Air. Alorris stopped them, and spoke of the seriousness of being i n the 'cscrvc with firearms. They then explained to Air. Alorris what Air. Oollis had reported the night before, and said that they were j doing as they had promised him, adding that they were going to search near the two-mile peg. '

Mr. Morris and party drove on, lmt presently they heard a "eoo-ee" up the track, and they stopped. Tlie three men, Messrs. Williams and Cash (i). came running down the track in :1 great state of excitement, and reported having seen n man lying in the fern. Mr. Morris immediately' returned, and. leaving Mr. Cash in the gig, commenced a search. A human head was easily diseeniili I .' from the gig, but, owing to the thick fern and other undergrowth, it was some lime before Mr. Morris' search was rewarded, then lie discovered a- Maori woman crouching in the fern, with her head pressed between her knees, which she clasped with her arms. She was almost nude, her apparel consisting of a man's nllirt and a slmvf in/>L-nt o«/l

snin anil a snort jacket, and she was evidently half dead from exposure and sfarvatinn. lier extremities swollen with the cold. Mr. Morris immediately sent off to rnglewood for Constable Dttddy. The messenger informed Mrs. Morris, in passing, that the woman had Wn found, and she hastened hack. Arriving on the scene, she stripped oIT some of her own apparel and soon lmd the poor wretch wrapped in warm clothing. then she busied herself in preparing some food from tho contents of the gig, and eased the pangs of hunger. Uie unfortunate woman expressing her gratitude with her eyes, for she had not yet recovered the power of speech. Another messenger went off to tho farm- : houses near the radius line to get some spirits, hut only some light blackberry ivine was available. This revived the 1001' creature a little, and she was able io give her name, l>ipi. 1

After waiting for some time far Constable Duddy. a message was receiver] tliat owing to his services being urgently required in Inglewood lie could not go out, and he advised Mr. Morris to take (lie sufferer into New Plymouth. Tliis lie proceeded to do, and the unfortunate woman was during the afternoon admitted to the Hospital, where at a late hour last night she was reported to be doing "fairly well."

Mr. Morris says that from inspection of tile surroundings he is of opinion that the woman must have been about the spot for two or three weeks. She had evidently made her home for some time in a hollow tree. How she got there, and why, are matters for conjecture.