A WALK TO PEGASUS AND BACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 17

A WALK TO PEGASUS AND BACK.

A correspondent writes from Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island, under date January 30 :—: —

It may interest some of the Dunedin pedestrians to know that n young lady has jnst made the overland trip to Pegasus and back. The party consisted of Miss B. Thomson (aged 16) and her uncle, Mr G. Thomson. They left Halfmoon Bay afc midday on Thursday last, and made Mr Train's sheep station (where the Pegasus track beginp) at 4 p.m., had some tea, and started for Table Hill hut, which they reached at about 10 p.m., doing the last part, bard climbirjg, in the dark. To make matters more difficult, the bridges had been washed away by the last flood, and the crossings of th 9 river were necessarily very dangerous.

The next morning, at 8 o'clock, after a sleepless night in a roofless hut, surrounded by the loud-voiced roa, they started for Pegasus, and reached Thomson and Fraser's camp at 4 p.m. on the same day.

• The return journey was made with two additions to the party in the persons of Mr James Thomson (tho discoverer of the Pegasus tin fields) and his son Willie, aged 12. They left Pegasus at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and arrived at Halfmoon Bay at 11.30 the same day. Tbe weather experienced whilst crossing the ranges was very bad, heavy snow squalls from the southward making it hard for the younger members of the party to keep their feet. I have never been to Pegasus overland, but I have seen a good many people arrive here from there, and some of them presented rather a striking appearance — Professor Black among the number. The doctor's coat had been somewhat curtailed — that iB to say, there was no coat to speak of below the back buttons, while one of the legs of his trousers was gone. He had no hat, his nose was all to one side, and one of his eyes appeared to be on the top of his head ; but he was quite happy, and said it was " Grand, mon ! "

To those interested in Pegasue I may say that the veteran Thomson and his party are still slogging away making small wages, but, like old diggers of the right sort, their tails are still up in spite of the difficulties connected with prospecting such a rough place ; and if Pegasus again comes to the front, to them be the praise, say I.

Mr W. A. Donald, the well-known station manager for the New Zealand Agricultural Company for tbe last 14- years, has resigned his position, owing to unsatisfactory health. The North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association's reaper and binder trial for gold, silver, and bronze medals, which attracted nine entries, had practically to be abandoned, owing to the weather. The ground on Wednesday was a perfect quagmire, and as it rained during the night it was no better on Thursday.