SIR GEORGE GREY IN TROUBLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3682, 21 July 1886, Page 4

SIR GEORGE GREY IN TROUBLE.

A name since distinguished m the annals of Capo Colony and New Zealand is intimately connected wtih tho history of exploration and discovery on tho bleak, burnt up north-west coast — namely .that of Sr Georgo Grey. In October, 1837, when ho waa simply Captain Grey, of tho 83rd regiment, he conducted an expedition which sailed from tho Capo m the schooner Lynhcr. It consisted of twelve men, with thirty-one sheep, nineteen goats, and six dogs. On the 2nd December they reached Port George tho Fourth, and anchored at sunset off Entrance Island. Actuated with tho enthusiasm of youth, and m ntter ignorance of the character of tho country, Groy was eager to commence his explorations. The next day they wore bocalmed, and he proposed to tho enptain of the schooner to land him with a, few men and somo dogs and await his coming ot the lower end of the bay. For the following graphic account of his experience I am indebted, as for my preceding quotation, to Rev. Julian Woods' interesting history of Australian exploration : " Scarcely had" tho boat returned when he found out his mistake The day was olear and hot, and tho sun threw down a scorching heat upon the fiery red rocks around them. Cooped up m a vessel for many months as thoy had beon, they could not walk far m a temperate region ; but hero where Iho stones and sands wero so hot that one could scarcely ■walk upon them, where not a breath of wind freshened tho air, nor a singlo tree gave them shelter, one can oasily imagine what their Bufferings soon wero. But this was not all. Tbe m-face was the red sandstone, so cracked and broken, so fissured and piled that it was like climbling a ruin, and amid tho stone grew tangled brushwood and spinifex grass, hiding the crevices bo that men and dogs fell into them at every step. It was easy to see that this could not continue long. Grey discovered his mistake too late, and now the schooner was out of sight and hearing. All ho could do was to make towards Eome shady spot, ond there rest until evening. But such a spot ho could not find. Meanwhile the heat began to tell upon thorn terribly as soon as the scanty stock of water was exhausted. First tho dogs gavo m; some disappeared mysterioußly m tho cracks and others dropped down dead. Then the men also began to drop behind. With the greatest difficulty they we: o brought along to a little pool of water m a picturesque valley and thero the party rested for a while. But their difficulties were only commencing. When they attempted to movo on again the men were so enfeebled that they could only advance at a rate •which would" take them nearly three days to reach the vessel. This would never do for their lives depended on their reaching the anchorage that night. Every resource was tried. They plunged into the sea and tried every other meanß m vain to refresh themselves. It was of no use. At last Grey started m advance with one companion, intending to send out assistance from tho schooner. Here a new obstacle aroso. At a mile and a-half his progress was stopped by an arm of the seaahout 600 yards wide, out of which tho tide was sweeping like a torrent. What to do now Grey was at a complete loss to know. He had never thought of such dangers beforehand, and the madness of his project enme very reproachfully before him. His companion could not swim, and for Grey to go alono seemed very hazardous. To Bay nothing of tbe danger from sharks and alligators, there was a native perched upon the rocks on the opposite sido and where he was more might bo. But Grey's resolution was soon token. Ho must render assistance to his companions, so he resolved to cross. He stripped to his shirt, and, with his military cap upon his head, and a pistol m his hand for defencp, he plunged m. All the protection tho pistol was likely to afford was soon destroyed, for the current was so impetuous that it became a struggle for lifo with Grey, and tho weapon was abandoned. Then the cap caught so much water that the chin strap would have choked him had he not abandoned that too. After a fearful struggle the waves thre whim upon the opposite shore. Wounded and exhausted he clambered up the roi'ks with nothing m the world about him but his shirt, and just m timo to hear the war cry of tho savages close to whero he lay. Fortunately it was nearly dark. He managed to secret himself m a crovice, not daring to show his head or to look round to sco where his companions or the schooner might be. His position was a trying one, but nature could bear no more, and m spite of his danger ho foil asleep upon the rocks — ajery -different spectacle from what . presented when he started m tbe morn3hg. From this position ho was rescued by a boat from the schooner about ten at night, and thus terminated his first adventure m Australia."