ANOTHER HEW GUINEA STORY.

Inangahua Times, 4 October 1878, Page 2

ANOTHER HEW GUINEA STORY.

Tho Cooktown corespondent of tho Sydnoy livening News writes :— About two months ago a small dockod boat containing tliroo men, from Port ])oualos, including Mr It. A. T. Purdio, late a stoiekoopor, set sail from Cooktown for Port Moresby. Tho party mndu Lizard Island, wlim-o they oat nualior, with tho viow to roploniHh thoir stock of water. Purdio was loft in tho boat, and wliilo his two companions wont inland to recover somo stock stolen overnight by tho aboriginals, ho put out to son in oonsc-q-tonco of an uMnok by tho aboriginals. When his companions roturnoJ ihcy signalled him and ho returned. Next day his companions wont inland, and returning nt evoning B:iw tho boat a lotur distance at sou und ru idly disappearing from sight. Tho two men loft on tho subsistod for six days on crayfish till rcsoucd by a Now Guinea trader, which fortunately put in at Lizard Island for shelter. No trnoo could bo found of Purdio, aud it was thought that ho wns oithor drownod, or had, with rascally cruolly, forsnkou his companions for some hiddon motive. Adi tho fact ho wns known to liavo 600 sororoigns with him, and horo wns plenty of incident for rumor to work upon. A fow day* aajo tho SpUflro, wliilo searching for the whito woman roportod to bo amongst tho blnolcg, touchod at No 8, Howiok Group, and to tho uttor astonishment of tho party found tho mod or n Kobinson Crusoe oumped on tho bench. His story showed that ho hud pnssied throuKU sotuo wonderful adven* turos and hairbreadth escapes. Ho snid tliero was no design in leaving his com* panions unarmod, and without food, among tho savages on Lizard Island. Ho could not help it. Tho boat drifted, and ho waii blown about hero and tlioro on tho oconn for somo days, ilo could not manage tho boat nur stoor. Eventually tho frail bark ran on a xundbink not far from tho mainlind. Tin woathor thon booamo rough, and, tho boat was smashod, shutting out all hopos of oacapo by that inoaosi Tho uppoaranco of tho Spitftro was most ncocptab!o. Ho had no pro*. \ visions and no wuter, and tlioro was no prospoot of obtaining cither otio or other on tho island, as it is burron of vo«ota« lion and animal life. The Spitfire took Purdio on board, and roturnod with him. Ho looks vory thin, having hud a most trying titno, but is otherwiso in good ucultu.