All Night ia the Fern.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2967, 19 August 1878, Page 2

All Night ia the Fern.

A youn^ lady named Miss Macky, daughter of Mr Thomas Macky of Auckland, bad a very unpleasaul adventure on Friday last, which caused very serious apprehensions to a large circle of friends, and the consequences of which to herself might have been fatal. It appears that the young lady in question, being then the guest of the .Rev. S. J. JN"eill, went out about mid-day on Friday last for a walk along the Ohinemuri road. She was seen in Parawai during 'he afternoon, and appears to have taken the r,oad leading down to Kopu landing. Prom this Miss Macky, retraced her steps, and being a stranger it is presumed that she took the turning towards Cerikeri instead of that leading to iShortland. Her absence did not excite any suspicion till late on Friday night, as it was supposed by Mr and Mrs Neill that she had gone to some other friend's house, or to ono of her relations, of whom there a~e several resident here. On enquiry being made, however, no tidings could be learned, and at midnight of Friday the Police were communicated with and preparations made for a thorough search at daylight on Saturday morning. Accordingly on Saturday several parties started off in search of Miss Macky. Her tracks were found leading as above stated, down the Kopu road and back, through Kerikeri, past Omahu and rifiht *o Puriri. Some natives were enlisted in the search, and amongst the gentlemen we have heard mentioned as taking a lively interest in the humane work of the search were the Bey. S. J. Neill, Mr J. Prater, Mr J. McCormick, Constable Scott, Mr Hogg, Mr John Wilson, Captain Moore, and some mill hands, whose names we did not learn. A very careful search was made in the fern and swamps alongside the Ohinemuri road, and in empty wharcs contiguous thereto, but all without success until between five and six o'clock on Saturday, evening, when the young lady was found lying down in the fern near the Soda Water Springs, Puriri, insensible and exhausted, by the party in charge of Mr John Wilson. That Miss Macky was exhausted is not to be wondered at when the heavy rainfall of Friday night is considered, and the fact that she had been out for ab^ut thirty hours, without food, and . exposed to the inclemencies cf the weather. Although Miss Macky had an umbrella at starting, she appears to have lost this on the way, as, when discovered, she had no covering but her clothes and the fern. .The young lady was taken to Mr Browning's at Puriri, and cared for as well as she could be, and yesterday a small steamer was sent up to bring her and some of the search party who had remained there all night down to town/ Considering all the circumstances, the fact that Miss Macky was found alive seems almost miraculous, and credit is due to the indefatigable search party for their efforts, as, if the young lady had not been found when she was, it is not probable she would have survived another night in the fern.