LOST IN THE MALLEE SCRUB.

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

LOST IN THE MALLEE SCRUB.

A Victorian paper has the following : — It is not often that persons who are lost m the terrible mallee* scrub ever regain the haunts of men again, and tho bones of many poor victims lie whitening m its receßses. Our Kiata correspondent, however, furnishes us with the details of a case which recently occurred m that locality, and which appears not unnaturally to have caused intense local excitement, the victim happily being rescued from the shocking fate of starvation. On Friday week last, Mrs Kennedy, the wife of a selector near Kiata, was lost, having left home at about eleven o'clock m the forenoon. She was not missed until late at night, but a search-party whs immediately organised, and started ofl' with lights, and armed with guns, for the purpose of apprising the unfortunate woman of the neighborhood of a relief party, if, happily, she should hear the reports. Mr Kennedy and his two sons, Mr J. Dean, Mr A. Dean, Mr D. Dewar, junior, Mr A. Mc Phee, Mr H. Bateson, and Mr T. Irvin, searched until near morning without success, though they traversed the mallee and kept up shouting and firing. At daybreak Mr W. Macdonald, of Nhill, was applied to, and with great kindness got men and horses together, and started on the search, while the neighbors were summoned, and a couple of black trackers secured. A good many started away first thing m the morning, and fonnd the tracks of tlie missing woman, and tracked her for three or four miles, when the ground got so hard that it was impossible to track her furtlier. About noon, Mr Macdonald and one of his men started on horseback to run the fences round, one starting on each fence, to meet m the centre. Mr Macdonald ran the fence on the west sido of the paddock, going south, nnd found the missing woman's tracks. She appeared to be going right away from home, haviug crossed the fence three or four times, and walked backwards and forwards for about a couple of miles. She then had gone along the fence to the corner, wliich was situated m thick mallee. t JDuring this time tliere must have been about a hundred men out. The black trackers did not arrive until about four o'clock, and when they came, happy to relate, Mrs Kennedy had been found. She wns found m the corner of tho paddock, at the boundary of the Winiam and Nhill runs, by Mr Macdonald and Mr J. Bateson. The former had a little whisky and water m his flask, together with a piece of bread and butter, and these put life into the poor creature, who was almost exhausted for want of water. Sho had travelled from the time the moon rose on Friday night until she wns found on Saturday, at about four o'clock m tho afternoon, thus having been out about 30 hours. Mr Macdonald despatched Mr Bateson to Nhill, five miles distant, fora horse and trap, but Mrs Kennedy had to walk about a mile, the density of the mallee preventing the vehicle from approaching. She was then driven to Nhill station, whero she was attended to, and thence to her home. Mrs Kennedy is about 50 years of age, and has not been iv very good health, so that it was conjectured that she would never be found alive, but happily these fears wero not realised, to the great joy of all. The greatest praise attaches to all for their kindness manifested m the prompt search.