TERRIBLE PRIVATIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4211, 6 September 1892, Page 3

TERRIBLE PRIVATIONS.

A Strange Tale, (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Invercargill, September 5. A digger named James Philips, of Colao Bay, arrived at Orepuki on Saturday in a fearful plight, after Buffering terrible privations, Some anxiety had been expressed for the man's safety, but it, was allayed by the statement that there wits plenty of ahadoned provisions at the place where he was last seen. Philips went Jts Price's .Boat Harbour, about sixty |Hcs west of Orepuki, in February, and worked there with a niato till earlyin June, when the pairaeparated, On the 19th June Philips' provisions gave out, and he decided to shift to Wilson's Eiver, further west, where the Coal Island diggersare now mostly located. Crossing a river on the way, he wab nearly drownod, Ho lost bis swag and 9oz of gold, and reached the bank he had started from with nothing left but Lib drawers and a singlot, He made his way back to Price's and refitted from (he old clothing about the ( camp, but appears to have wandered in his mind, and dots not remember bow be lived until about three weeks »go. On coming to his senses he found be bad been subsisting on shellfish and birds, ol course eaten raw, He would have remained at Price's in the ' hope tbat a boat would call, but seemed to bear bis children calling to him.to cotno home, and making up a rough Bwag started along the coast for home, His misfortune continued, for in crossingariverbewaswashod down ~UO the surf and lost all his belongings again. Getting ashore in his underclothing and without his boots he ' for days struggled on almost famished, until Thursday night when he lay down on a bare rock on the beach, hoping he would not wake again, so f great was hiß misery and exhaustion. I During the night what he took to be a rat hit his foot, and he kicked at it. i It proved to be a penguin which had been knocked over, and before it could got away the famishing man secured p and ate it raw. This renowed his a strength, and on Friday at midnight he managed to reach the house of Mr °' H. Erekine on the west bank of the Bl Waiau, He was hospitably received 8I and cared for, and Mr Brskine feriiod I him across the river and brought him to Orepuki on horseback. Phillips is ?' in a terribly emaciated state; "