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over, a mud foundation, and not macadamised. The drive from the Bluff to Invercargill occupied 4¾ hours, the distance being a little over 20 miles. Horses are changed at the Moko-moko.

At this time the streets of Southland capital quite rival the state of those in Dunedin in its muddiest days of last winter. Previously they were remarkable for their dryness and firmness under foot, but they were mere gravel walks quite unable to carry the increase of traffic which has been suddenly thrown upon them since the discovery of the Wakatipu Lake diggings. Being built on a high terrace on a clearing still surrounded by heavy bush, and from having wide rectangular streets, it reminded me greatly of some of the young thriving towns of the Western States of America.

While I remained at Invercargill for the two following days, I had much interesting conversation with the Superintendent, Dr. Menzies, and with Mr Heale the Chief Surveyor, respecting the many important public works in prospect, such as tramways to the North, the railway to the Bluff, telegraphs, water and harbor works. Opinion seems much divided as to whether the Bluff or the New River will be most easily converted into a good seaport for large vessels.

It appears that the Bluff has many serious defects which it will be difficult to remedy, otherwise I could hardly conceive how a bar river port could ever compete with it.

The remains of three wrecks are on the shore here; but as one of them—a large brig, which has been driven ashore in a very exposed position—has been able to withstand the surf for two years, this would seem to indicate that it has not much power to break her up.

27th May.—Being very kindly supplied with one of the horses from the Survey Department, I started at 1 p.m. for Riverton, having completed my business in Invercargill. After a few miles the road strikes through the bush, and is only a narrow “corduroy” track in bad repair, forming the very worst bit of made road I ever took a horse along. There is, however, a good road to Riverton, but it involves a circuitous route by Wallace Town. After about four miles, the track emerges on a swampy plain that extends to the Oreti River—successive concentric reaches of very dense thicket bounding it to the Eastward. All this plain may one day be easily drained, and will form very valuable land, equalling that of Inch Clutha.

The Oreti, which is crossed by an incredibly slowly-moving punt, worked with a chain, is a deep sluggish stream in this part of its course, resembling a canal in appearance, and might doubtless be used as one. After passing for a couple of miles over broken sandy hills, the track leads out on a splendid hard beach that extends for ten miles, and ends only at the mouth of Jacob’s River.

This beach, which is composed of quartzose and felspathic sand, has a very gentle slope, so that a heavy surf rolls in with the slightest swell.

On arriving at Riverton, I found the Yacht just entering the harbor, having crossed the bar in the forenoon. She lay in the Bluff Harbor, where I left her on the 25th, until the morning of the 27th, during which time there were fresh Westerly winds. On that morning she left at 7 a.m., with a light breeze from the N.E., and reached this place in ten hours.

The pilot came on board at once, and remained in charge of her during the night. When she crossed the bar this morning, in 8 feet water, it was quite quiet, the wind being light from the northward.

I lost no time in delivering my credentials to Messrs Surman and Crerar, to whom Captain Thomson had previously written respecting the engaging of a Maori crew. I found that nothing had been done, as all the Natives were away mutton-birding on the Islands in the Straits. The mutton-bird (Tee-te) is a species of puffin that builds in holes in sandbanks on sea-girt islands. They are very fat and rich, and greatly prized as food by the Maoris, who preserve them in great numbers by salting and smoking them, trading any surplus they obtain, beyond what is necessary for their own consumption, to the Natives further to the northwards, in which case they are packed in bags made of kelp. The mutton-bird harvest is therefore of great importance to them, and the first party of Natives there only just returned from it, reporting that they had this year been very unsuccessful, and that the remainder of those belonging to this Kaik would arrive in a few days. As this deficient harvest of mutton-birds would render them anxious to proceed to the West Coast for the sake of getting seals, I anticipated no difficulty in getting a crew.

As nothing further could be done for some days, I was able to avail myself of the offer of Mr Francis, of the Te Anau Lake, to accompany me on a visit to the limestone caves on the Waiau River, and having left directions with the skipper regarding the work to be done during my absence, I started with that gentleman in the afternoon of the 28th May. We followed the north road, which is in process of construction to the Wakatipu Lake, and which joins that from Invercargill at the elbow of New River. As it rained heavily, the road was soft, but there did not appear to be much traffic upon it at present. After passing over twelve miles of fine rolling country, dotted with clumps of bush, and having the extensive forests of the Longwood Range at a short distance to the west, we reached Dr. Hodgkinson’s shortly after dark, and remained his guest for the night.