The soil in this district is of a good quality, being formed by the decomposition of basalt and limestone, both of which rocks crop out along the base of the Longwood Range.

The limestone is the same impure sandy deposit which forms the upper member of the older tertiary series in the Oamaru district, to which this country bears a strong resemblance, excepting that it is both better wooded and enjoys a moister climate.

The basalt which overlies the tertiary limestone is of a light bluish grey color, and contains zeolite crystals, and cavities filled with earthy chlorite.

On the 29th we continued to skirt the Longwood Range for nine miles, crossing low irregular spurs, that are terraced towards the valley of the Aparima (Jacob’s River), and which appear to consist of dark sandy clays, capped by a stratum of limestone. These strata have often a considerable dip, which varies irregularly in its direction, probably resulting from disturbances during the protrusion of the basalts of the Longwood Range.

We crossed that range of hills by a low saddle, called Raymond’s Gap—the highest point passed over being about 270 feet above the level of the sea. The country continues everywhere well adapted for settlement, as the soil is rich, and the hills are clothed with abundance of good timber.

We had left the North Road at the Orantau River, a few miles after starting, and since then had followed a very good bridle track, which, however, it would be an expensive work to convert into a dray road, as there are a great many creeks to be bridged.

Soon after, striking a stream that flows to the Waiau River, we reached Mr. Austin’s station. After dinner, that gentleman kindly volunteered to guide us to the Waiau River, as there were many bad creeks in the way, the crossing places of which were difficult to find. In the deeply cut channels which traverse this district, the flats are seen to be composed of brown ferrugenous clay shale, like that at Moeraki, covered by a reddish friable loam.

After crossing a range of low, smoothly rounded hills, we reached the valley of the Orawea River, which is remarkable for its fine pasturage. At a few miles distance from the north the limestone strata were observed to form a range of hills, scarped towards the Takitimo Mountains, and the strata dipping at a high angle towards the S.W. Between these hills and the higher mountains, I am informed that brown coal has been discovered, so that it is very probable that we here have the same succession of formations as occur from the Kakanui Mountains, N.W., towards the coast of Moeraki.

The Limestone Range trends round to the west, so that after rising from the river in that direction, we traversed it in the direction of the strike of the strata in following down the limestone gorge to the Waiau River, where we arrived at sunset. The limestone here dips to N. 25° W. at 20°.

The Waiau is a fine clear mountain stream, bounded by extensive terraced plains of shingle, the records of Lake action at successive levels during the slow erosion by the river by the run of limestone, which at one time crossed the valley, and which now forms a picturesque cliff on each side. Turning to the right for a couple of miles, across a level grassy terrace, on which there remain several clumps of bush, we reached Mr. Cuthbertson’s station, where we were hospitably received.

The next day was stormy, with rain, and occasionally showers of snow, so that we could not make our proposed examination of the caves. In the afternoon, a short lull enabled me to examine the terraces that skirt the river, and by a rough measurement and levelling I found, as I conjectured would prove to be the case, that they were formed by the river erosion of a pre-existing deposit, the surface of which had a more regular and gentle slope.

Early on the morning of the 31st, we crossed the Waiau River to Mr. Atkins’ station, which is, therefore, in the Province of Otago, as this river forms the western limit of Southland.

The swift current of this river, especially when flooded, renders it necessary to use great caution in crossing; and already, I am told, there has been one fatal accident. There is nothing, however, to prevent a proper skow-punt, running on a strong wire rope, being placed at this place, if it were necessary. Its width is about 130 yards.

In the limestone cliffs I found sufficiently distinct fragments of fossils to enable me to identify their strata as being of the same age and relative position as the upper tertiary limestones of Oamaru and Caversham, which is probably a deposit analogous to the white crag of the English tertiaries.

It is an impure sandy deposit, consisting really of fragments and debris of shells, cemented along with a varying proportion of quartzose sand, and sometimes containing a large quantity of argillaceous matter. This rock, in some cases only, sets hard like a mortar upon being exposed to the air as a surface, or to the percolation of water in lines of fissure.

This causes it to weather very unequally, so as to form ruinous cliffs and broken precipices, which, when grouped with dark green foliage, as along the Waiau River, gives rise to the strikingly picturesque scenery peculiar to this formation.

In following up the valley of the river, the limestone was found to be overlaid by a series of marls, ferrugenous sands, and clay, contain-