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by veins of carbonate of lime. The wind still continued adverse next day, and as we were exposed where we lay to a heavy swell, though sheltered from the wind, we stood across the Sound to our old anchorage in South Port. The beauty of its shores appeared to me to be even more charming than on our first entering this harbour, since which time more than a month had elapsed. In the afternoon, when re-examining the western side of the bay, I recognised the conglomerate beds which I had previously observed as belonging to the upper part of the carbonaceous formation of Preservation Inlet, so that it is not improbable that coal may be found contiguous to this fine harbour. The following is a rough classification of the land in the neighbourhood of Chalky and Preservation Inlets, which, thought only estimated by the eye, with the aid of the Admiralty chart, will, I believe, be rather under than over the truth.

First, under 200 feet elevation and nearly flat, around South Port and Price’s Beach .................. 2000 acres.

From 200 to 1200 feet elevation, but moderately level and of good quality, on account of the nature of the subsoil ................... 1500 acres.

Coal Island (an elevation 500 feet), (treat Island, Passage and Chalky Islands (elevation 1500 feet) ................... 2000 acres.

Between Chalky and Preservation Inlets (inferior quality, average elevation 1000 feet) ................... 5000 acres.

South of Preservation and towards Windsor Point ................... 15,000 acres.

Between Chalky and Dusky Sounds ................... 20,000 acres.

In this district there is therefore about 3500 acres of the best quality of land, and 43,500 acres which is higher and less available. The whole of this land, like nearly every spot on the coast which is not absolutely precipitous and below 3000 feet, is densely wooded.

The subsoil of the low land is mostly shingly or sandy where derived from the carbonaceous strata, but is always covered by at least one foot of dense vegetable mould. On much of the higher land the rock is very close to the surface, but even where barest there is often a growth of large trees which cling to their places by inserting their roots deeply into the fissures and rents of the rock. The amount of disintegration of the mountain slopes caused by this simple agency is very considerable, and, as I have previously remarked, appears quite sufficient to account for the piles of large angular fragments with which they are often strewn. Early in the morning of the 22nd, we got a south-east wind, by which, with the aid of the current down the Inlet, we were able to weather Passage Island, and get out to sea through the channel that lies between it and Chalky Island. I have not, as yet, had an opportunity of landing on Chalky Island, although I have passed close to it at various times. It appears to present abrupt and ruinous cliffs to the sea on all sides, excepting at its N.E. angle, where there is a comparatively low and level promontory, upon which, Henry says there were at one time a few white men, who lived there and cultivated gardens. They were probably a party of sealers or whalers. This promontory appears to be of granite overlaid by conglomerates and coarse sandstones, and again by clay and light-coloured chalky looking beds; the whole dipping to the S.W., but rising again towards the opposite or seaward side of the Island. Its N.W. angle is formed of rugged pinnacles of conglomerate, that form dangerous reefs, upon which we found the sea breaking furiously. The wind continued fresh, so that we had no difficulty in weathering the formidable reef which runs out for more than a mile from Providence Head, which forms the northern boundary of Chalky Inlet.

It occupied 2 hours from the time we left Southport till we had this reef between us and the land, after which we began to think that we were at last fairly out of these Sounds, in which we had spent the last five weeks. Excepting a few days after our first arrival, there has been no weather until this date; by which, if we had wished, we could have got out to the northwards. The S.W. swell rolls right into these inlets, and as the only wind blowing out of them is from the N. or N.W., there is always a great difficulty in getting out with any wind from the opposite direction. In making an offing of 4 miles, and opening up the West Cape and the entrance to Dusky Bay, the course was changed to N., leaving the wind, which moderated as the day advanced, right behind us. Coasting along at the above distance, I got a good view of the coast—although the distant mountains were quite enveloped in clouds. The country is more level than I expected: the shore is bounded by rocky cliffs, a few hundred feet in height, from the summit of which there is a gentle slope for a distance of six miles to an elevation of about 1500 feet, backed by smooth wooded ridges—the summits of which are 3000 feet above the sea. This slope extends from Chalky Inlet to Dusky Sound, but is divided by the valley of a stream that enters the sea at the West Cape, which has its rise apparently from the west side of Stopper—a lofty mountain at the head of Edwardson’s Sound. The dark woods which cover this slope are occasionally broken by patches of yellow, where there are open grassy spots, and its uniformity is broken by a few sharp cones—not unlike those on the seaward slope of Saddle Hill. I have no doubt, however, that a close inspection would prove this surface of the country to be far more rugged than its appearance from the seaward indicates. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, we were off the south entrance to Dusky Bay, where the Maoris had doubtless arrived by this time, as we observed they had left their camp when we passed it in the morning; but I was so desirous of getting up