THE PAHI FATALITY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14512, 19 December 1912, Page 8

THE PAHI FATALITY.

fDUFAUR TURNS UP. GREAT HARDSHIPS IN THE BUSH. A REMARKABLE STOR _. '"BESS ASSOCIATION TKT ,_Cm*M.l AUCKLAND,-December 18. After llirco days and three nights of hiding in the bush David Dufaur reappeared at Paparoa last evening. He had undergone much hardship in that brief period, and was in a thoroughly j t xhaustod condition, bordering on ooU , lapse. No coherent account can be yet obtained as to his strango actions, but probably more light will bo thrown on tho matter '* at tho adjourned enquiry on Monday into tho circumstances surrounding tho death of Sayors. Dufauris still in bed. and will have to remain j o,uiet for a fow days. \ Although details are meagre, it can bo gathered from tho few scraps of conversation uttered by tho patient that ho experienced great hardships duringahis sojourn in tho bush. His memory, appears to bo almost blank at . present in regard to the recent Jbap-• penings. It appears flint he must \ havo como back to the Pahi Hotel soon after tho fatal accident to his fnend, but owing to tho great shock ho had received, he was apparently unable to . indicate to anyone what had happened, j After speaking to ono or two peoplenear tlw hotel on Saturday night, it can be gathered that he went to i'ahi wharf, which is only a few hundred yards iron, the hotel. When Dufaur got to the wharf he placed his set of keys just above the steps, realising that they would bo required at the bank. Then, he states, his hat blew off into the water ' Thinking that if : his hat- wis found floating it might be taken as evidenco that he was drowned, Dufaur, who is a very powerful swimmer, jumped fully clothed as ho was from tho wharf with tho object of recovering his head gear. The hat eluded him. and he swam to the wharf again, and during most of the night kept wandering about in the vicinity of tho hotel. Before dawn of Sunday morning broke, he mado for the oush. From thi» point no particulars can as yet be gleaned. Ho must have hidden m the bush, which is very dense, throughout Sunday and either that n'ght or on Monduv evening made im vay to Pararoa. Xo food passed tho unfortunate man's lips during the period of his absence, and he could only find salt water to drink. This, taken with the fact that he slept on tho ground in his damp clothes, combined to bring about the pitiable plight in which ho was found. Dufaur wis hiding in the bush last evening when he saw a light shining from the bank window. It dawned on him that ho could not pass another bight oi exposure without diro consequences, and ho mado up his mind to seek assistance, with the result alreadyrelated. ,