WANGANUI ITEMS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7964, 7 September 1887, Page 2

WANGANUI ITEMS.

A BOY EIGHT DAYS WITHOUT FOOD.

A boy named Bolfe, who had been taken care of by the Woon Bros, at their farm up the river, was reported a short time ago as being lost in the bush. It was suspected than that the lad had got away with the Maoris up the river, as, though search had been/ made immediately, after he was missed, he managed to evade the search parties. The weather after his loss was particularly severe. First there came oue or two nights' heavy rain, and then followed five very frosty nights. The boy, on being sent for the oows on Tuesday last week, made for the bush instead, and getting two* miles inland, reaobed some old Maori huts in a clearing in the bush. Here he determined to stay, expecting the natives to call there, so that he might have a chance of getting away with them. For eight days, he stayed in the bush, and during that time he had nothing to eat in any shape or form, and water was the only sustenance he took. The trial was at length too much for him, and he gave in, and, like the prodigal son, made for where he would be better off. How be managed to crawl along after eight days 1 starvation is a mystery, but he managed to get within a mile of the homestead when he was found by one of the Woons. His condition then was pitiable in the extreme, and Mr. Woon had to carry him home. The boy left home a fat, plump jouth, but his eight days 1 bush experience had had a terrible effect on him, and he came back in the moßt emaciated condition, hardly reoognisable His feet have been frost-bitten by the exposure. Every attention is now being paid to him, and he is expected to recover, but he says he'll never do it again, and even if he gets the chance he is not lisely to try it. 'It is probable that Mr. Woon may have him sont to the Burnham Industrial School.