THE FATE OF MR WILLIAM QUILL.

Western Star, Issue 1548, 28 March 1891, Page 2

THE FATE OF MR WILLIAM QUILL.

From Mr Thomas Quill, brother of the missing man, we (Qtago Daily Times) have obtained full particulars of the circumstances which led to the death of William Quill, and the long weary search by the two brothers which eventually led to the discovery of portions of the skull of the missing man. John and Thomas Quill, it appears, were working with a survey party, whose duty it was to survey a road" from the Greenstone valley, Lake Wakatipu, to the Cleddau valley, Milford Sound, by way of Homer's Pass. William Quill had just returned from Milford Sound, when on January 12 he was despatched to place a flag on Homer's saddle, overlooking the Cleddau valley. The two brothers were absent at other work at the time William Quill received his instrnctions so do not know whether he volunteered to go alone or not. In any case they think he should not bave been allowed to go alone, in the face of the arduous duty he bad to perform, and the difficulty of carrying his tent, blanket, gun, and five provisions through that rough country, with no better road than a blazed track.

Tt was a Monday morning when he set out, and be- intended returning on Friday or Saturday. It rained one day through the week, s> that tbe brothers allowed him till Sunday, and when he did not retti"n on that day they re?olved to go to his relief next day; but: as the day was very wet they were no h able, to start till TVs lay. Tocu Quill and one of the survey party named Barber constituted the search party. On Tuesday they had made good progress, hut on Wednesday the Plollyford river was in hi"! flood, and they were compelled to throw a bridge acoss it, which delayed them half a day. On Thursday thev found Quill's tent, and also saw the flag he had planted on the saddle. From his diary which they found in the tent they learned tln f 0.-vll had sot off to have a look aM' ' !la which also overlooks buu vallev He bad only taken his comings, billy, and a

little oatmeal with him, his gun and other things being left in the tent. Tom Quill and Barber were compelled to keep to their camo for three days

by wet weather. On tlis following Sunday they proceeded in the direction of Gertrude saddle, and found tracks in the snow, showing that the missing man had gone on to the saddle. They climbed to the top of the saddle, but could find no further tracks. They returned to headquarters' camp and reported to Boss, who was in charge in Simpson's absence. Thinking that Quill might have made his wav down into the Cleddau valley and to Mil ford Sound, a telephone message was sent by way o£ Queenstovvm to make inquiry. On the return of a steamer fmra the sound, it was learned that Quill had not reached Milford Sound. The two brothers, in company with two others, again set off to Gertrude's

saddle, and on tbe second visit found tracks proceeding towards the edge of tbe precipice overlooking the Cleddau. The last track appeared as though he bad tried to dig bis heel in firmly so as to obtain a better view clown into the valley, but the soft peaty soil had yielded, and he had apparently slipped

over the edge. The brothers are quite satisfied that he never intended making' an attempt to descend the precipice, but that in trying to see as far over as possible he unfortunately slipped, and so fell over. Subsequent seirch showed that any attempt to search the ledges of the precipice by means of a rope from above would be of no avail, as the height is at least 2000 ft. The party then returned to headquarters, and the brothers, accompanied by Simpson and Thompson, members of the survey party proceeded to Invercarcill, and sailed on February 12 for Milford Sound. On the 15th the two brothers set off up the Cleddau valley to continue their sad labour of love, tliis time without any companions. Tt took them two days to get up the valley to the foot of Gertrude saddle. They attempted to scale the precipice to reach a ledge about halfway up where they thought their brother's body might belying, but they found it inpossiblo to get up. They searched about the bush at tho foot of tbo precipice till their food gave out, when thev returned to Milford Sound for fresh supplies. On February 23 they again reached tho saddle, and in a little water course about 700 ft up from the level of tho valley they found a few f'ra -merits of their brother's shattered body. These consisted of the lower jaw, broken in two, and the pieces lying some distance apart, the frontal portion of the skull, and a portion of the scalp with the hair attached by means of which they were able to identify tho melancholy remains as portion of their brother's head. Finding all further search fruitless, and having satisfied themselves that their brother was dashed to pieces in falling over tho terrible precipice, Tom Q-iill ctHic home to toll his pooplo of tho sad tidings The story of the search bv the two brothers is very

touching—how for -12 days without intermission, through danger and difficulty, often short of food, and often in imminent peril of their lives, they continued their labor of love. On one oc easion, on the G-ertrude saddle, an avalanche swept tli3 track they had shortly before crossed, and had it caught th-in in its descent they would have been hurled into Lake Q-artrudo, where no traco of them would have been found. Utterly worn out in mind and bodv with their long search, the broth3iv have resolved to give up the dangers of the West Coast for a quieter and !c;s adventurous lite at home. William was a splendid young fellow,

whose only fault was tin. he knew not fear, and had ho lived ho would cerlainlv have done ihe oniony good service in helping to open up the unexplored parts of She WostCoa*t. _ Ho possessed a considerable degree of in-t-oliigonco, and in spit.; of few opportunities for education, by dint ohdndy uid rending of which ho was wi y T .'id, he had pushed himself ahoad in a ernrtitiible minner. As h • wnx his

pirents' righthand man ha will be ad!y 'nissed in his own home His melancholy fate should act as n wir ir»g to those who desir- f/> p<' JBirate the, *viid country of the West Coa.«t Sounds.