TRYING ORDEAL

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 262, 1 August 1929, Page 8

TRYING ORDEAL

PIG-HUNTERS "BUSHED” HEART-BREAKING JOURNEY ALONG RIVER-BED Dominion Special Service. Auckland, July 31. To be hopelessly lost in a desolate unpopulated country, drenched to the skin, and without food, was the plight of a’party of pig hunters, consisting of Messrs. Stewart List, L. Carpenter, Llndsav Hall, an<f Donald Lee. Leaving Pongnkawa at 4.30 a.m. on Sunday, the party went into Crown propery in the upper reaches of the Otoromarakau Valley, between Lake Roteohu and Matata. After a four hours’ journey through trackless country, they came across some wild pigs. A long chase led them into desolate country, thickly overgrown with fern and undergrowth. Several pigs were secured with the assistance of the dogs. Turning homeward, the party, upon mounting a ridge, were alarmed on discovering that they had lost their bearings. For four hours they made their way with game, rifles, and dogs to the Otoromarakau stream, crawling and climbing through the roughest of rough country over razorbacks and precipices. Finally the river was reached. Then came the trying ordeal of travelling along the bed of the stream, frequently sinking knee deep and sometimes waist deep in icy cold water. Many stops had to be made, since one of the party was subject to cramp. Unable to leave the stream on account of high precipitous cliffs, the weary men made slow progress, doing only two miles in four hours. After being bushed for 15 hours till 12 o’clock on Sunday night, the party located a Maori whare. Upon reaching their camp two of the hunters collapsed from exposure and exhaustion, but were revived with brandy before a fire. Te Puke was reached at 7 o'clock next morning. The party on several occasions gave up hope of reaching civilisation.