ristchurch was without incident save one, worth
mentioning. This was where we were both nearly drowned crossing the
Lindis in a flood.

Moorehouse, I believe, sold his interest in the Wanaka district for a
song.

CHAPTER XVIII.

DEATH OF PARKER--ROYAL MAIL ROBBED BY A CAT--MEET WITH ACCIDENT
CROSSING RIVER.

During our absence a sad occurrence took place, which I will record
here. A Mr. Parks, a Government surveyor, and well-to-do sheep farmer on
the Ashburton, had been engaged during the previous year in making
surveys on the Rakia and Ashburton, and on his staff was a young man
named Parker. This lad was another instance of the ideas some home
people entertain, that for a youngster without intellect, energy, or
application sufficient to obtain him entrance to a profession in
England, the Colonies are the proper place. In their opinion he must get
on there, or at any rate, he will be got rid of. The latter may be true
enough, but as regards the former, the proofs are few indeed.

Parker was a weak, good natured, feckless lad, about eighteen or twenty
years of age, and the only thing he appeared to be able to make anything
of was playing the fiddle. Wherever he went his violin accompanied him.
While fiddling he was happy, but it was pitiful to watch him trying to
work at or take an interest in any employment which he could neither
appreciate nor understand.

The survey party had proceeded up the gorge of the Rakia, and were
absent about a fortnight, when Mr. Parks, requiring to send back to his
station for some instrument he had forgotten, and Parker being the least
useful hand on the survey, he decided to send him. The distance was
twenty miles, and the route was across the open plain leading for a part
of the way along the river. He was to go on foot, and put up the first
night at Grey's station, about half-way.

Between the Camp and Grey's the path led along the bank of the Rakia,
which was here very steep, upwards of a hundred feet perpendicularly
above the riverbed, and occasionally subject to landslips.

A week passed without the return of Parker, and Mr. Parks, getting
concerned for the lad's safety, despatched a messenger for information,
when it was found that Parker had not appeared either at Grey's, or his
own station, and for another week inquiries were made for him in every
direction in vain.

At about the end of the second week from the date of Parker leaving the
survey camp,