387

The Kawarau.

The distance in a straight line from the most remote source of the Arrow to its mouth is 15 miles, the course by the river will be a few miles more, and in general direction is S. by E.

The Oreti rises in the Thomson Mountains; for the first 22 miles of its course it runs parallel to the Mavora Lakes and the Mararoa River, at a distance from them of two to four miles; for the next five miles of its course it runs nearly due south, when, being joined by the Windley from the Eyre Mountains, it enters Southland after a course of 27 miles in Otago. The latter 17 miles being through a well-grassed valley.

The Wakaia takes its rise by several tributaries from the Rocky Mount and the Obelisk. It enters the Wakaia forest, and after flowing through it for 8 miles, it enters a fertile well-grassed valley, through which it meanders for 18 miles in a S.W. direction. During this part of its course, the Wakaia receives on its south side the Argyle burn from the Umbrella mountains; and on its north side the Gow, Steven, Steeple, Dome, and Garvie burns from the Garvie mountains. After receiving the Garvie burn, the course of the Wakaia is nearly due south for 7 miles, to its junction with the Mataura. The total length of the Wakaia will be upwards of 40 miles. At its confluence with the Mataura, it is nearly of equal volume with that river.

Pasture.

From table A it will be seen that there is 1635.8 square miles of pastoral country, of which 778.5 square miles belong to the country drained by the Waiau and Upper Oreti; 552.3 square miles to the Kawarau, and 305 square miles to the Wakaia. It occurs in detached portions, and under a variety of circumstances that render a detailed description necessary. Beginning with the Waiau District,—the country on the west side of the Waiau River will have to be noticed firstly. The extent is 86 square miles, and consists principally of terrace flats along the banks of the Waiau, which yield natural grasses abundantly, the nutritive qualities of which were very evident from the prime condition of the stock depasturing on that side. On the south banks of the Monowai, and up the valley of the Lill, this district is diversified by the undulations of low ridges; these are much overrun with scrub that generally will yield to the clearing effects of burnings off. There are, however, at the head of the Lillburn, several square miles covered with dense prickly scrub and bog pine shrub that will be almost impervious to fire, owing to the want of grass below to carry the flame along and through it. The Waiau River is a great hindrance to the traffic to and from this district. There is considerable risk in swimming cattle over, and as for sheep, they have all to be boated across. This disadvantage is compensated, I think, by the quiet so desirable in sheep-farming, and isolation from the contagion of epidemic disease. During the survey, while the stockowners on the east side of the Waiau were in the greatest dread of their flocks becoming contaminated by contact with a diseased flock in that district, those on the other side of the river had no apprehension from the same cause. Another advantage worth notice is, that the river and bush outline so fence in these runs, the one from the other, that the duties of shepherding the flocks are very considerably less than in open country. The small park-like patches of clear on the west side Waiau, near its exit from the Lakes, although, apparently of little consequence from their smallness, are much valued by the stockowners for the paddock accommodation they furnish to the male portion of their flocks at certain seasons of the year. The clear at the base of Paddock Hill is peculiarly valuable for this purpose on account of its being bounded on the north side by the sluggish part of the Waiau, so that there is no difficulty in crossing and re-crossing that river at this place.

The remaining part of the Waiau district comprises 692.5 square miles of pastoral country, of which 429.5 square miles belong to Otago, and 263 square miles to Southland. The Southland portion lies between the Takitimu Mountains on the east, and the Waiau River on the west, and is south of the boundary line between the Provinces. The Otago portion is wholly to the north of the same line, and embraces the Te Anau Downs, the Upper Oreti, and Mararoa Valleys. The surface is diversified by the descending spurs of the Takitimu Mountains by several extensive flats along the courses of the rivers, and of low undulating ridges over the Te Anau Downs. It is all very well grassed; blue tussock is the prevailing sort of grass, and oatgrass, unise, and other herbage is frequently met with. Excepting the higher parts of the Takitimu Mountains, a very considerable part of this country is under the elevation of 1000 feet above the sea level. The Te Anau Downs may be stated as having a mean elevation of 1100 feet, and the Mararoa Valley rises to 2000 feet at Hamilton’s station. Around the north side of the Te Anau Downs and Mararoa Valley the forest covers the spurs of the mountains, so that the pastoral country is almost all under the highest of the elevations just named; it therefore may all be considered as free from snow during the whole course of the year, so far as the safety of stock is concerned. It only remains to be mentioned, that under this