Death of Docherty, the Explorer

Southland Times, Issue 13410, 23 March 1896, Page 2

Death of Docherty, the Explorer

Writing on Friday our correspondent ab Cromarty says:— -"A very sudden death occurred here about 2 p.m to-day just as everyone was busy cloMiig correspondence and completing business in anticipation of the speedy departure of the stenrn-r. The deoensed was Mr William Docherr.y, a very old identity on this coast, who will no doubt he known to many of your reaclcrß. For some thirty years he has been engaged in prospecting and various miniDg opci arsons, and for several years resided alone in Dusky Sound, looking after a copper lode there. Some months ago he came to Preservation Inlet and has resided here since. He haa lately been on Coal Island looking after a reef there, but spent last week apparontly prospecting alone up Long Souad. He had been talking with various acquaintances and expressed a des ; re to lie down for a nap and entered the parlour of M r Sherlock's hotel for that purpose. He sat down on a chair but was soon afterwards observed to fall from it, and on being raised from the floor his appearance was Buch aa to lead to the belief that he was dead. He was immediately lifted to a sofa and several of the bystanders commenced*' chafing his limbs, but the general opinion was that he was dead when tirst seen on the fl^nr, A boat was immediately dispatched to the steamer for Captain Sundstrotr, J.P., and Constable Walker, who was on board. These gentlemen proceeded to hold a short enquiry into the matter, taking the ?tat«meots of tlv S3 who were present on ihe occasion. It has been decided to leave the body here to be buried as decently a3 possible. The deceased had endured many hardships lately and was probably very much enfeebled by them."

William Docherty has died as he d«>Bired, unleßS, perhaps, that he would have preferred to have lain down to die in one of the Jecluded spots among which he had lived for so many yeara. Whether his knowledge of minerology was as profound as his conversation would have lei one to believe may be a moot point-, but o-f poor Docherty ! a earnestness ; of the hardships he endured ; of the solitary unnatural life he was willing to lead in search of minerals there can be no question. He was one of tho9e strangely constituted beings to whom solitude is their one pleasure, and following his peculiar benfc he found his way into every nook and corner of the?e western sounds and Preservation Inlet. Many times he believed himself to have made discoveries of value and on the strength of his reports a considerable amount of money was from time to feime invested. Hie last find and one which promised substantial results was asbestos, of which he brought a quantity to Invercargill and demonstt ated its utility by tipplying it to steam boilers as a non-conductor. Further investigation, however, proved that I the mineral was not of a sufficiently fine quality to warrant working it out :tor shipment. Unfortunately Mr Docherty waa one of those to whom the pen is not a servant : he leaves not a line of record of his years of exploration. Such men aa he are rare and in their lifetimes undervalued. They pave the way for others, and dying leave behind nothing but a memory. The deceased was a Glasgow man and retained the accent that) distinguished the citiz°ns of St. Muogo half a century ago more readily than in

these tiims. Docherty was not communicative, or, rather, it may be Baid that bis references to himself were of too fragmentary a character to unable one to piece together a narrative of his life. He seemed to take particular interest in exploring new country and had endured extraordinary privations and suffered many hardships in so doing. One of hia excursions that was famous in its day was made along with Mr George Haesing, now headmaster of the Bchool at Heddon Bush, when the adventurous pair crossed the Southern Alps in the north of Otago, being the first white man who had done so. Although, as was to be expected, his reading wa9 desultory, Docherty was well informed on many subjects and had formel strong opinions, p'oubtless the result of years of solitary communing. When last in Invercargill he showed signs of breaking up and waa scarcely fit to return to-fche rude scenes and laborious occupations of the best years of his life, but.as with so many of his class, the search for gold or anything of value hid away in the bowels of the earth was alluring and indeed, was the only occupation for which he was fitted. It is to be f ared that he had recently suffered privations which were too much for a man of three score ; more especially for one whose life had been of the " feast or famine " order. Dncherty'a career was a typical one; that he ever " struck it rich" there seems to be no record, jet he stuck to prospecting and exploring like a sleuthhoand, and, still pursuiDg fickle Fortune, died. fThe value of his work as a pioneer must have been considerable, and it is to be hoped that his bones will not reat in an unmarked grave.