PROSPECTORS IN DISTRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2097, 3 May 1894, Page 16

PROSPECTORS IN DISTRESS.

ARRIVAL OF THE S.S. INVERCARGILL. NO SIGNS OF THE MISSING MEN. (Fsom Oob Own Cobrespondent.) Invercargill, April 27. Sergeant M'Donuell received a telegram as follows at 5 o'clock this afternoon from Constable Fretwell, stationed at Orepuki : — " I am just informed by Hugh Erskine, a settler west of the Waiau river, that the three men — Gordon Harvey, Kelly, and Evans — who left Wilson river overland five weeks ago from Orepuki are safe but destitute, and require assistance. Harvey arrived at Henry Treseder's Government survey camp at the Hump last night in a nude state, reporting that the other two men were stuck and starving, on the Wilson river side of the Hauroto lake, on the sea beach. Nothing to save the men can be done unless a steamer or cutter is sent round at once. Mr Erskine has sent one of his horses and a man to fetch Harvey in, when more information will be got, but aa it stands now nothing will save the other two men bub a boat of some kind being sent to rescue the,m from their present position — that is, at the mouth of the Wairaurahiri river." The s.s. Invercargill was to have sailed from Invercargill jetty at 4 o'clock this afternoon, but owing to the low tide, and she having stuck for a little while on a mud bank, Sergeant M'Donnell was enabled to communicate the above information to Constable Burrowes, who was on board as a passenger for Cromarty, and instructed Captain Sundstrom to make search for the men to-night and to-morrow morning. The Wairaurahiri is the river running out of Lake Hauroto to the sea, and about half-way betwen Preservation Inlet and Orepuki. April 30. No news has been received of the missing prospectors on the West Coast. Gordon Harvey, who arrived at Invercargill to-day, states that when fie left his mates they had no tucker and only two charges of ammunition left. On Sunday Harvey stripped, rolled his clothes in a bundle, and started to swim the river. When half-way across the flax holding his clothes broke, and they drifted out to sea — Harvey, after a great struggle, escaping a like fate and landing on the other side with only a hankerchief. For four days he travelled through dense bush and over the rocks that girt the shore, covering himself at night with ferns. The weather was fearfully boisterous and cold most of the time, severe hailstorms falling for two days. Had he not struck Tresseder's survey camp he would almost certainly have perished. Considering his rough experiences he is not in bad condition, and, though his feet are much swollen and his body torn by the bush, he has determined to leave by the steamer this afternoon in search of his mates. The well-known West Coast trading steamer Invercargill, Captain Sundstrom, from Inver-

cargill, via Preservation Inlet, arrived at Port Chalmers at 2 p.m. on Sunday, having since she left the south been in search of the two prospectors, Kelly and Evans, reported as being in distress on the West Coast. Captain Sundstrom, who is perfectly acquainted with every part of the coast on which the men are said to be, has made every effort to trace them, but, unfortunately, without effect. However, he organised and landed a search party, whose efforts, it is to be hoped, may prove successful. We are indebted to Captain Sundstrom for the following details :—": — " We left Invercargill on Friday, April 27, at 530 p.m. Just before sailing we received word of two men being stuck at Waiauruhiri river, in a destitute condition, and we were asked to render every possible assistance. I pushed on to Cromarty, and arrived there at 5 a.m. on Saturday. I kept a good look-out for any fire along the' coast from Sandhill Point toPuysegur, but saw none. Knowing several men who were well acquainted with the country, as they had prospected there for six months, I engaged Frank Heffernan and Alexander Forbes to go in search of the destitute men, in the event of my not being able to pick them up off the beach. I left the inlet at noon, when it was blowing a hard northerly gale, but it was comparatively smooth along the coast. I kept close in all the way, and at intervals sent up distress signals which should be heard seven miles. I stopped some time off the Waiauruhiri, but saw no life or any signal on shore. Being unable to effect a landing I arranged to land the search party at Mussel Beach, a distance of some six miles, as the crow flies, to the east of Waiauruhiri river. In going round Sandhill Point I observed signal smoke well down Tewaewae Bay, and steamed down and found it to ba from a search party of three men from Orepuki, making their way westward. Having supplied our men with all needed provisions to last them 14 days, I landed them, and they joined the Orepuki party, making a strong party of five men and two dogs. Heffernan said before leaving that he expected to be able to make Waiauruhiri river and back to Orepuki in not more than four days. Seeing nothing more could be done I came on to the Bluff, arriving there at 11 p.m., and reported our efforts to save the men to Sergeant M'Donnell, at Invercargill, who had no further need of our services."

A telephone message from Invercargill was received on Sunday morning to the effect that the search party had not then seen any trace of the missing men. The steamer Despatch, chartered by the Government, left Invercargill at midnight on Monday to search for the two prospectors, Kelly and Evans, who are missing on the West Coast. The Despatch has not yet returned from her voyage. Harvey, the man who managed to reach the survey camp, in his account of the trip given to the Southland Times states that the party left Preservation on Good Friday with three weeks' provisions. They had bad weather to start with and took three weeks to reach the Patupo or Big river, consequently their ••tucker" was then nearly exhausted. The river was in heavy flood, and they had to remain on the western bank three days, finally crossing on a raft. The Waitutu, about eight miles to the east, was, after some trouble, also forded ; but the tramp to the Waiaurahiri, through dense bush, and practically without food, took all the " sand " out of the men. The distance is only about eight miles, but they were several days covering it. Their stock of matches ran out and they had not even the comfort of a fire. At the Waiaurahiri Evans and Kelly, who could not swim, would not attempt to cross. Harvey, however, resolved to make the attempt, and in his weak state found the chain width of water a stiff task to negotiate. Iv hauling his clothes after him by a flax line, the line parted and his clothes were carried out to sea. Kelly and Evans promised they would not leave the beach where they were, except in search of shellfish and eggs. They had with them a gun and three carfcridtfos. Harvey left the river on Sunday, the 22nd ult., and travelling along the beach until late in the evening, he reached Sandy Point at the west end of Tewaewae Bay. Here he made a hole in the saud and lay iv it, covering himself up with a tussock. Next day •he only travelled a few miles, his course having run through the bush, which he found most difficult to penetrate with his naked body. That night a hailstorm came on, and he suffered severely from the extreme cold. He sought shelter under a fallen rata, scratching a hole underneath and there doubled himself up. He remained in this position for two days and nights, haviDg been unable to rise owing to his benumbed state. He at last managed to get out, and after crawling on his hands and knees for about half an hour recovered sufficient power to enable him to walk. He then pursued his journey along the beach rather than by a bush track, although the rocks cut his feet badly. Last Thursday afternoon, jus^wben he began to lose all hope of being ' able to secure assistance, he espied a hut in the bush and sought its shelter. He relighted the fire, which was just about out, and eagerly devoured what had been left by the occupants at dinner time. A few hours later Messrs J. Martin and A. M'Gavock returned from their survey work, and as may be supposed were greatly surprised by the sight that met their eyes. Of course they did all that was in their power to clothe and comfort their fellow visitor, and to some purpose, as he was sufficiently recovered to como on to Orepuki on Saturday.