MELANCHOLY DEATH BY DROWNING.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3871, 18 January 1870, Page 3

MELANCHOLY DEATH BY DROWNING.

At 11 o'clock on Sunday morning last, Mi", John Abbott, merchant, of ParneJl, received a telegram from Whangamarino to the effect that Miss Mary Coultas, aged 13 years, the only daughter of Mr. John Coultas, proprietor of the Whangamarino flax mills, Waikato (late the property of E. J. Cox), had been drowned in the creek. It appears that Mrs. Coultas resides in Parnell, and Mr. Coultas, who had been staying at the mills for some time, started for Auckland on Friday night last, at about half -past 11 o'clock. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and Miss Coultas, after having taken leave of her father, determined to bathe in the creek before retiring to rest for the night. Accompanied by her little brother she proceeded to the creek, and whilst indulging in a bath she must have been suddenly seized with cramp, as she disappeared from her brother's sight almost immediately. He at once gave the alarm, and a number of the workmen instantly instituted a search, but unfortunately without effect ; and, until yesterday at noon, although the search had been diligently prosecuted, no trace of the body could be found. It is, therefore, surmised that the body must have been carried into the Waikato river. Mr. Coultas had only been in Auckland half-an-hour before the telegram narrating the distressing occurrence was placed in Eia hands. The unfortunate deceased waa quite an accomplished young lady for her age, having frequently, we are told, conducted Divine service on Sundays for the benefit of the workmen engaged at the flax mills, with whom she was an especial favourite. The bereaved parents have the condolence of a large circle of friends in their great loss.