THE FATE OF MR WILLIAM QUILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1935, 26 March 1891, Page 16

THE FATE OF MR WILLIAM QUILL.

A FALL OVER A PRECIPICE 2000 ft HIGH.

From Mr Thomas Quill, brother of the missing man, we have obtained full particulars of the circumstances which led to the death of William Quill, and the long weary search 'by the two brothers which eventually led to the discovery of porbions of the skull of the missing man. John and Thomas Quill, it appears, were working with a survey party, whose duty it was to survey a road from the Greenstone valley, Lake Wakatipu, to the Cleddau valley, Milford Sound, by way of Homer's Pass. William Quill had just returned from Milford Sound, when on January 12 he was despatched to place a flag on Homer's saddle, overlooking the Cleddau valley. The two brothers were absent at other work at the time William Quill received his instructions, so do not know whether he volunteered to go alone or not. In any casa they think he should not have been allowed to go alone, in the face of the arduous duty he had to perform, and the difficulty of carrying his tent, blanket, gun, and five days' provisions through that rough country, with no better road than a blazed track.

It was a Monday morning when he set out, and he intended returning on Friday or Saturday. It rained one day through the week, so that the brothers allowed him till Sunday*, and when he did not return on that day they resolved to go to his relief next day ; but as the day was very wet they were not able to start till Tuesday. Tom Quill and one of the survey party named Barber constituted the search party. On Tuesday they made good progress, but on Wednesday the Hollyford river was in high flood, and they were compelled to throw a bridge across it, which delayed them half a day. On Thursday they found Quill's tent, andpalso saw the flag he had planted on the saddle. From his diary which they found in the tent they learned that Quill had set off to have a look at the Gertrude saddle, which also overlooks the Cleddau valley. He had oi»ly taken bis compass, billy, and a little oatmeal with him, his gun and other things being left in the tent. Tom Quill and Barber were compelled to keep to their camp for three days by wet weather. On the following Sunday they proceeded in the direction of Gertrude saddle, and found tracks in the snow, showing that the missing man had gone on to the saddle. They climbed to the top of the saddle, but could find no further tracks. They returned to headquarters' camp and reported to Ross, who was in charge in Simpson's absence. Thinking that Quill might have made his way down into the Cleddau valley and to Milford Sound, a telephone message was sent by way of Qaeenstown to Invercargill to make inquiry. On the return of a steamer from the sound, it was learned that Quill had not reached Milford Sound. The two brothers, in company with two others, again set off to Gertrude saddle, and on the second visit found tracks proceeding towards the edge of the precipide overlooking the Cleddau. The last track appeared as though he had tried to dig his heel in firmly so as to obtain a better view down into the valley, bub the soft peaty soil had yielded, and he had apparently slipped over the edge. The brothers are quite satisfied that he never intended making an attempt to descend the precipice, but that in trying to see as far over as possible he unfortunately slipped, and so fell over. Subsequent search showed that any attempt to search the ledges of the precipice by means of a rope from above would be of no avail* as the height is at least 2000 ft. The party tt\en returned to headquarters, and the brothers, accompanied by Simpson and Thompson, members of the survey party proceeded to Invercargill, and sailed on February 12 for Milford Sound. On the 15th the two brothers sefe off up the Cleddau valley to continue their sad labour of love, this time without any companions. It took them two days to get up the valley to the foot of Gertrude s«dle. They attempted to scale the precipice to reach a ledge about half-way up where they thought their brother!s body might be lying, but they found it impossible to get up. They searched about the bush at the foot of the preoipice till their food gave out, when they returned to Milford Sound for freßh supplies. On February 23 they again reached the saddle, and- in a little water course about 700 ft up from the level of the valley they found a few fragments of their brother's shattered body. These consisted of the lower jaw, broken in two, and the pieces lying some distance apart, the frontal portion of the skull, and a portion of the scalp with the hair attached, by means of which they were able to identify the melancholy remains as portion of their brother's head.

Finding all further search fruitless, and having satisfied themselves that their brother' was dashed to pieces in falling over the terrible preoipice, Tom Quill came home to tell his people of the sad tidings. The story of the search by the two brothers is very touching — how for 42 days without intermission, through danger and difficulty, often short of food, and often in imminent peril of their liven, they continued their labour of love. On one occasion, on the Gertrude saddle, an avalanche swept the track they had shortly before crossed, and had it caught them in its descent they would have been hurled into Lake Gertrude, where no trace of them would have been found: Utterly worn out in mind and body with their long search, the brothers have resolved to give up the dangers of the West Coast for a quieter and less adventurous life at home. William Quill was a splendid young fellow, whose only fault was that he knew not fear, and had he lived he would certainly have done the colony good service in helping to open up the unexplored parts of the West Coast. He possessed a considerable degree of intelligence, and in spite of few opportunities for education, by dint of study and reading, of which he was very fond, he had pushed himself ahead in a very creditable manner. As he was his parents' righthand man he will be sadly missed in his own home. His melancholy fate should act as a* warning to those who desire to penetrate the wild country of the West Coast Sounds.