an elevation of 1498 feet, and measur-
ing 12 miles in length and 2½ miles in
breadth; Wanaka, having an elevation
of 1086 feet, and measuring about 14
miles in length and four miles in
breadth; Hawea, whose elevation not
ascertained, but which may be stated as
the same as Wanaka, measuring about
12 miles in length and two miles in
breadth; Taieri, having an elevation of
906 feet, and measuring 1½ miles in
length and one mile in breadth.

The only swamp of any note is the
Poolburn, measuring five miles in
length and three miles in breadth.

The harbours are:—Otago, the only
one available to large class ships;
Saunders, Purakaunui, Blueskin, Wai-
kouaiti, and Waitaki, available for
boats, and the last only under very
favourable circumstances.

The roadsteads are:—Otago, Wai-
kouaiti, Moeraki, and Oamaru, in all
of which large class ships may anchor
during south-westerly weather.

The climate, under the limited obser-
vations that I can offer, will be best
judged of by reference to Appendix B,
so I will only state my general impres-
sions—that the months of October and
November were unsettled—wet and
windy—while the months of December
and January were warm, but frequently
windy; it must also be remarked
with reference to the latter months,
that where snow showers are registered,
the localities will be found to be at
high elevations; for, where snow falls
on the mountains, during the summer,
rain falls on the plains.

Regarding routes into the interior
districts, I may state that in this part
of Otago province pack horses or
bullocks may be taken anywhere, the
surface being low grassed and free from
scrub, while the creeks and rivers are
hard bedded. After some improve-
ments are undertaken and completed,
the two main dray roads will be by the
Waitaki and Shag river valleys; the
former leading from the roadstead of
Oamaru, and the latter from Waikou-
aiti, or else the Kartigi Beach. The
produce of the Upper Waitaki must be
shipped at Oamaru, and that of the
Upper Clutha may also be shipped at
the same place, while the produce of
the Upper Taieri, Ida Burn, and Manu-
herikia, would be best exported at
Waikouaiti or Kartigi Beach; the
produce of the Upper Clutha may also
reach these shipping places by the
Dunstan pass. The Upper Clutha

may further be made accessible to In-
vercargill by the Wakatip Lake, and
Upper Mataura, but on this point I
cannot speak with certainty.*

FORMATIONS.

The formations of the sea-board are
principally sedimentary, to a distance
inland of 30 miles; in the interior the
prevailing formations are plutonic and
metamorphic.

The most prevailing class of the
plutonic rocks is trappean, graduating
from blue compact rock to light and
drab coloured cherts. These are met
with on the Kurow, Kakanui, Ben
Olfau, Benmore, and Dunstan moun-
tains, also on the Southern Alps. The
most prevailing of the metamorphic
rocks are schist and clay slates. These
are abundantly met with on the Wai-
kouaiti Downs, Rock and Pillar Moun-
tains, Roughridge Hills, and Black-
stone and Raggedy Ranges, in which
the sharp serrated edges of the forma-
tions protrude, giving the country a
most peculiarly tuberous and rough
appearance.

In neither the plutonic nor meta-
morphic formations were any indica-
tions of minerals observed. The sedi-
mentary formations on the sea-board
and adjacent country possess much
more interest by their containing
minerals that may be of practical ad-
vantage to the province—these consist
of coal and limestone; the former, and
its indications, are met with round the
bases of the Kurow and Kakanui
Mountains, and the Horse Range, in
the Waihemo, or Shag river, at Shag
Point, Waimataitai, Waianakarua,
Kakanui, and Waitaki rivers. It is
also reported to exist at the head of the
Upper Taieri plain, on the Kyeburn.†

The latter is met with abundantly in
the Maruwenua, Waireke, Awamoko,
and Kakanui valleys; also at the head
of the Shag river. Excellent flag-stone
is found on the Kakanui, and roofing
slate in the Waianakarua and Ma-
ruwenua. The curious phenomenon
known to all travellers in the northern
districts, viz., the round boulders on
the Moeraki Beach, though of no
utilitarian interest, must not pass un-
observed. They consist of spherical
balls varying in diameter from 6 feet
to 9 inches, and bear a remarkable re-
semblance to huge cannon balls. Their
colour is bluish grey—and they are ob-

• This supposition has proved to be correct.
  † Coal has been found since at the east
  end of the Taieri or Maniototo Lake.