LOST IN THE BUSH.

Western Star, Issue 833, 9 April 1884, Page 3

LOST IN THE BUSH.

The ‘Lyttelton Times’ has been furnished with a lengthy account of the experiences of Alexander Whitehead, a Bruce Bay miner, who was lost in the bush on’the West Coast. Luring the sixteen days he was in the bush be ate nothing but half-a-pouud of sugar, some raspberries, and the pith of a native plant. He was on the tramp the whole of the time, and swam stream after stream in his endeavours to strike the trail. Whitehead thus describes his efforts to find the track, after he had managed to strike a hut near the mouth of the big Wanganui Eiver :— c ' Camped here, and next morning, through deme bush and with , great labor up the latter river at out a | mile and a half, spending all day in [ accomplishing the distance. A.t tcis stage I got so weak and that I had to lift my legs with my’ hands over the fallen trees and logs, my toenails being completely blackened in the efforts I made. In all this, 1 kept as close to the river as the country would allow, as I knew it was a guide lo me, and though often I could not see it, I never let it out of mv hearing. That night I camped in the bush, and on the next morning, having come to an old crossing, I afterwards struck an old bush track. I stuck to this, in the hope that it would lead me lo some habitation, but, mv dear sir, you can imagine my dis-. appointment when at about four or five in the evening I found it brought mo back to the little Wanganui. I then followed up the river for about a mile till darkness compelled me lo camp for the night. While here I pondered deeply what the track I had followed could be, and after deep thought I came to the conclusion that this track must be the one for the old crossing over the big Wanganui, and that if I followed he track right up I should yet be saved. Acting upon this resolution, about noon on the day following I reached an empty house abandoned by its owner, and belonging, I believe to Mr P. Hendy. Here, to my great comfort, I found raspberries in the garden, somewhat spoilt by the rough weather, it is true, but stiil like manna to me. I then continued on up the river for about four miles, and there camped till morning, then on again, till towards afternoon I came across an old rash-grown track leading to the range. This I followed till, by God’s providence, it brought mo on to the proper mail track, by following which I reached a house of Mi Died rich’s, and there was supplied carefully, and sparingly at first, with fond, and received kind attention and sympathy. You can conceive what my feelings were when I first saw the men near the house. From here I subsequently arranged with the mailman lo pack me to Boss. During all this long time I fully preserved my reason, and I never failed, night and mo mi ns - , to offer up niv fervent prayers to God for deliverance. Strange as it may appear to you for me to say so, I can truly say that I never doubted that 1 should be restored through His providence ; nay, when I reached Dicdrieh’s house, and saw the men, I was nearly as cool and collected as I am now.