PERILOUS ADVENTURE ON A NORTH AUSTRALIAN RIVER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1479, 18 June 1879, Page 7

PERILOUS ADVENTURE ON A NORTH AUSTRALIAN RIVER.

Tlie Hon. the Colonial Secretary of Queensland has placed at the disposal of the Courier the report of Inspector Hurst, Port Douglas, with reference to the drowning at the Johnston River, on the 27th JMarch, of the three men named J. H. Petersen, Thomas Summerfield, and Barney Ward. From the statement of the survivors, contained m the report, we learn that a party of five cedar-getters -the three men who have been drCTwned, James Corbett, and Heldius Edverdt Johnston — were camped about forty miles up from the mouth of the Johnston, and on the morning of March 27th, started m a flatboitomed boat to proceed to a place called Deadniau's Camp, twenty-five miles down the river. It was raiuing at the time, and there was a heavy fresli m the river, whicli had risen about forty feet. On reaching a rapid about a mile from the camp they had abandoned, the boat was carried by the very strong current against an island, and, coming m contact with a submerged tree stump, it was upset. Johnston dived to get clear of the boat and snag, and-came to the surface m the centre of the stream. On looking, he saw Summerfield and Corbett swimming strongly behind him. Immediately afterwards he heard Stiminerfield call out, "Johnston ! Johustou !" and he shouted back to him to make for the shore. He never saw Summerfield after that. He then swam after the boat, and with great difficulty caught hold of the painter. The current was so strong that he wis several times pulled under water, but he still held on, and was carried about a quarter of a mile down the river, when, feeling exhausted he let go, and succeeded m swimming ashore. After landing he walked up the river bank and cooeyed, and was answered by James Corbett. He then went further up the river, still cooeying, and got an answer, but it was some time before he knew wliere it came from. At length he discovered Barney Ward on the lower end of the island whore the boat capsized. He called out to him to snrim over at once before the island ■ was submerged, and Ward replied that he could not swim. Johnston then , got a long vine, and fastened one end ; of it on the shore, and taking the other : end m his mouth, he tried three times to i swim across to Ward, but was swept ashore each time. Finding he could not : get the vine across, be swam over and commenced to make a raft of bananas and pieces of timber, using vines to fasten it together. After it was finished he tried it, and found it would hardly carry him. He said to Ward that he was a lighter man, and that it would carry him. Ward seemed very frightened, and said he was afraid to try it, but he thought he could get over if Johnston would allow him to put his hands on his hips, and so swim across. Johnston agreed, but said he would first try him m shallow water ; and m so doing Ward lost his presence of mind, caught a tight hold of him, and almost drowned him. Johnston then added another piece of timber to the raft, and Ward got on it, and Johnston, having fastened him to it with a vine, commenced towing it to the shore. When within a few feet of the bank tbe vine broke, and the raft was swept down with the current. Johnston followed, and again succeeded m making tho vine fast to the raft. It broke again. He fastened it a third time ; but the raft had then been carried near another rapid, and Ward, seeing tho position, clutched at Johnston, who had to dive to escape him, and when he came to the surface again tbe raft, with Ward on it, had gone. Johnston swam ashore, and followed the river down about a quarter of a mile, and found Ward standing m a bush m the river. He succeeded m getting him a little further to a tree lying across the river, and partly submerged. Got another strong vine, and Corbett having come to their assistance, Ward tied the vine around him and knotted it, although cautioned by Johnston to only twist it. Ward got along the tree to witliin ten feet of the shore and jumped towards it, but fell m the river about five feet from the bank, the vine broke, and the poor fellow was swept away with the rapid current and was drowned. Corbett and Johnston then, without rations and Johnston naked, made through the busb for a camp 35 miles down the river, having only a sheath-knife to cut tlieir way through the dense scrub They only travelled two miles the first afternoon. The next morning they started at daylight, and it took them three days to cat their way through a belt of scrub and , travel three miles. They camped two nights there, and on the sth day they got to the bank of the river again, where ! it was fair travelling, and made a long ' stage that day. They found some ' wild bananas, which, although not fit for ' food, they ate. On the sixth night they ' camped on a flat up to their waists m ' water, and tbe sixth day they were wading and swimming until they reached bigh • ground m the evening, at a place where i Johnston had previously worked. He

made a hut, and they camped for the night, Corbett being ill with fever. On seventh morning they started and travelled all day, reaching a place called the High Wharf m the evening and camped. At noon that day they found a piece of pumpkin, which they ate. On the eighth morning they were so much exhausted that they could not walk any further, but Mazzlin's camp waa only three miles distant, and Johnston made a small raft for each ; but it was necessary to lash the two together to make them support one man. He asked Corbett to start on it for the camp ; buthe declined, and said he would remain till some one came for him, and m turn urged Johnston to go. The latter did so, and reached Mazzlin's camp after two hours. When he got there the men were breaking up camp, and had already sent the most of their rations away. A boat was immediately sent for Corbett, who was brought to Mazzlin's m a very weak condition. -Both men weie treated as well as circumstances permitted at the camp, where they remained two days, and were then takeii on by boat to Port Douglas. During their journey through the scrub their bodies were lacerated, and they bled profusely ; and, to add to their miseries, tbey were, m passing through the swamps, fastened on by leeches. These tortures, added to , that of hunger, were endured by these brave fellows for eight days. The foregoing is taken from the simple statement of one of the survivors — Johnston — whose conduct throughout the sad affair was self-sacrificing and heroic.