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good a port as many which are freely entered by sailing vessels and steamers of small size on other parts of the New Zealand coast. It, however, an easy line of route be discovered to the interior of the Province from this point, this district—which is in itself of great interest—will obviously acquire a still higher importance, from its being the nearest part of New Zealand to the Australian and Tasmanian ports, so that in future times it may not improbably be a terminus of mail and telegraphic communication. In that case, for the convenience of large vessels, it would be necessary to have communication with Milford Sound, either by a system of lighters, or overland, by road or railway, and thus render useful one of the most excellent harbors on the coast; the only defect of which arises from its great depth of water and small extent of available land on its shores.

The distance from the Kaduku River to Milford Sound is only 18 miles, and the intervening country, though rough and hilly, is yet traversed by valleys which could doubtless be taken advantage of in the construction of a road; but having only seen this country from mountain tops and from the seaward, I cannot speak positively on this point. The best anchorage ground, which is at the head of Milford Sound, could not, however, be reached by a road, as some parts of the shores of the Sound are absolutely precipitous; while Anita Bay, which is the only other anchorage, and situated on the south side, and close to its entrance, is not only on the wrong side, but is also too much exposed to N.W. gales, so that it would be difficult to find a good site for unloading. However, just within Dale Point, which could easily be reached by land, and where there would be perfect shelter, I believe, by blasting and quarrying, a sufficient extent of wharf frontage might be obtained where vessels might be safely moored, although the water is too deep for anchorage.

Milford Sound is one of the most easily entered of all the Inlets on the coast, for, although surrounded by high mountains, the wind draws through it very steadily, and in moderate weather there is a marked land breeze during the forenoon, and a sea breeze in the afternoon, while the influence of the tide is not at all felt.

The Kaduku River makes three reaches between where it leaves the lake and enters the sea. The lowest, or Kaiyk Reach, is a mile and a half in length, and is only separated from the sea by the sandspit, which is 100 yards in width and 50 to 70 feet in height. This part of the river averages a quarter of a mile in width, and has a wide channel with no where less than 10 feet of water. A sunken reef of rock, however, extends nearly half-way across it from the split rocks which lie on its eastern side, and again at the upper end of the reach opposite to an old Maori kaiyk, a bank formed of snags buried in gravel nearly crosses the river, and is almost dry at low water; but along its eastern side, however, there is a channel 30 fathoms in width, in which there is not less than 11 feet at high water. From the bend of the river a narrow creek navigable for boats extends for half a mile farther along the back of the sandspit, penetrating through dense scrubby thickets, and flowing from a small lake near which the Natives have their present kaiyk and potatoe garden.

Above the Kaiyk Reach the river narrows considerably, its average width being 180 yards. It is deep from side to side, but out of the line of swiftest current there are a few snags, which narrows the channel to some extent. The proper channel varies from twelve to twenty-five feet, and above the bank at the Kaiyk there are no obstacles of any kind to its navigation. The land is elevated considerably above the highest floods, excepting in a few places, where there are swampy recesses extending back into the woods. The banks consist of stratified gravel and sand, with a stratum of clay, full of marine shells of the same species as those inhabiting the present mud flats, but elevated thirty feet above the sea level, the whole being covered with a thick deposit of loam. This deposit proves that there has been an elevation of the land at least to that extent, and that the Kakapo Lake is, in its nature, the same as the upper part of one of the Sounds farther south, but only being cut off from direct communication with the sea by the elevation of the shallow bar which formerly extended across its entrance.

There is at least 4000 acres of alluvial land bordering the river and the lower part of the Kakapo Lake. It is covered with timber of finer quality and of greater variety than I have seen elsewhere on the West Coast, comprising white, red, and black pines, totara, miro, ironwood, moka, birch, ghoa, and others—all of luxuriant and healthy growth. At the angle between the two upper reaches, named White Pine Reach and Lake Reach, are the Alleys, which are two small coves that have an average depth of 18 feet, and form snug little harbours, secure from all winds and currents.

Excepting at the entrance of the river, where the channel is free from dangers is only 110 feet wide, and at the two obstructions which I have mentioned as lying opposite to the kaiyk and the spit-rocks, the river has a clear channel for navigation from the lake to the sea that is not less than 40 fathoms in width, and 12 feet in average depth of water. The proper time for taking the bar is after three-quarters flood, when, unless there be a freshet in the river, the current generally ceases to flow out. At half-flood the average soundings are from 15 to 20 feet, and only in one place on the bar 10 feet, which was probably on the top of a rock.