[Appendices]
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THE DEATH OF CONSTANTINE DILLON as related in the Nelson Examiner, 23 April 1853.
It is our melancholy duty this week to record the death of the Hon. C. A. Dillon, by drowning, which occurred on Saturday evening last, in attempting to ford the Wairau river. The circumstances which attended the lamented gentleman's death are as follows:-- Mr Dillon, accompanied by his son (a lad about ten years of age), N. G. Morse, Esq., and a young gentleman named Pasley, reached the Wairau river, opposite Manuka Island, on Saturday evening at sundown, on their way to Nelson, the three gentlemen on horseback, and Master Dillon on a small Timor pony. In order to enable the child to cross the river safely, Mr Dillon placed his son on his own horse, and sent him across with Mr Morse, and determined to ford the river on foot and lead the pony, but taking the precaution however of laying hold of Mr Pasley's left stirrup iron. To this arrangement Mr Morse objected, and offered to return with Mr Dillon's horse after taking over the boy (as he had done before at the Branch river), but Mr Dillon insisted on crossing as we have described, saying, that he had a change of clothes, and did not mind getting wet. After entering the river and walking a short distance, Mr Dillon requested Mr Pasley to stop while he put the bridle over the pony's neck and let him follow of his own accord, and then, on proceeding a little further, Mr Dillon asked Mr Pasley whether his horse was swimming, saying at the same time, that he was 'off his legs'. On this the deceased seized the stirrup leather higher up, and attempted to raise himself, which caused the horse to become fidgetty, and as they had by this time incautiously approached the edge of the fall, and Mr Pasley having slackened his rein
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DEATH OF CONSTANTINE DILLON
in endeavouring to render Mr Dillon assistance, the horse and both gentlemen were rolled over the fall together into deep water. Mr Pasley rose above the horse in the stream, and tried to reach the bank by swimming, but not succeeding, he was carried down to the horse, which he laid hold of, and was brought on shore by it. Mr Dillon's arm was seen raised only once by Mr Morse, who saw nothing of what was occurring until the unfortunate gentlemen were being precipitated over the fall, and although he ran down to the bank of the river, such was the force of the stream that he could render no assistance, nor even see the slightest trace of the body. Mr Pasley was very severely bruised. The body of Mr Dillon was found on Monday morning by G. Duppa, Esq., thrown on the shingle, nearly two miles from where the accident occurred.
The body was conveyed to the Waimea, where an inquest was held upon it on Wednesday, in the house of Mr Kerr. The verdict given was, 'that Constantine Augustus Dillon was accidentally drowned in attempting to cross the Wairau river on foot'.
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