468

These
mountains
extend
to the south
for at
least
20 miles,
bounding
the valley
of the
Kakapo
Lake by
a straight
abrupt slope
which,
however,
is not
precipitous.

The Bryneira
mountains,
to the east
of the
valley
of the
lake, constitute
a much
larger
group,
extending
as far as
the sources
of the
Jackson
River, Matakitaki,
which
flows
to the
Wanaka
Lake and
the Dart
River,
which
flows
to the Wakatipu.
Two ranges
belonging
to
these
mountains,
both of
them at
this
season
covered
with
snow,
lie between
the Awarua
Valley
and
the Kakapo
Lake,
from between
which
the Iokuri
stream
flows
to the north,
and separated
by a low
saddle
from a
third
large
lake which
as yet
I only
know of
by
report,
and
termed
by the
Maoris
the
Wawahiwuku
Lake, the
drainage
of which
is
effected
through
the Kakapo
river
that flows
into the
upper
extremity
of the
Kakapo
Lake.

Before
leaving
the summit
of the moun
tains,
we put
up a pile
of stones
for the pur
pose
of afterwards
ascertaining
its exact
position.
The lower
part of
the mountain
bordering
the lake,
is composed
of porphyritic
greenstone,
like
that at
Milford
Sound,
but
overlaid
by
granitic
gneiss,
consisting
of
laminæ
of felspar
and quartz,
with
flakes
of
pearly
mica irregularly
dispersed.
The rock
sometimes
passes
into a rose-tinted
or white
quartzite,
with
layers
of mica
and felspar
ar
ranged
in very
fine laminæ.
They
are the
same
rocks
as are
met with
on Black
Peak,
near
the Wanaka
Lake.

On the
18th we
sailed
to the
upper
end of
the lake
and made
the schooner
fast in
Warp
Cove.
The upper
end of
the lake
is in
latitude
44° 31'
41"; that
of Gravel
Cove,
where
we were
last anchored,
44° 23'
40",
and the
lake is
about
10½ miles
in length.

About
the 15th
the barometer
fell as
low as
29" 08,
but without
any remarkable
change
in
the weather
following.
In the course
of a few
days it
rose to
30 inches,
when a
violent
storm
set in on
the night
of the
18th, accompanied
by a rainfall
of 6 inches
in the
thirty-six hours
that succeeded,
but during
which
time the
barometer
continued
to rise
steadily.
The
frequency
with which
this anomaly
occurred
shows
how little
the indications
of the baro-
meter are
to be
trusted
in these
deep moun
tain
valleys.

JAMES HECTOR,
Provincial Geologist.
Dunedin, 19th Oct., 1868.

HOLIDAY.

BIRTHDAY OF HIS ROYAL HIGH-
NESS THE PRINCE OF WALES.

H IS Honor
the Superintendent
directs
it
to be notified
that on
Monday,
the 9th
day of
November
current,
being the
birth
day of
His Royal
Highness
the Prince
of
Wales,
the Provincial
Government
Offices
will not
be opened.

THOMAS DICK,
Provincial Secretary.

on Skipper’s Range, which lies along the east
side of the lake, a splendid view of the moun
tains and surrounding country was obtained
from a height of 4,000 feet.

The ascent was very steep but not difficult;
no view was obtained until we were clear of
the woods, which ceased at 3,400 feet, at which
elevation they have their upper limit, as all
the mountains in this district.

As they give way to the open grassy top of
the hill, the birch, which is always the highest
tree, becomes scrubby and stunted, and covered
with dry crisp lichen. Shrubs not seen lower
down also appear, some of which I had only
previously remarked on the Pigeon Hill on
Jackson’s River. The bush is replaced by
coarse grass and large tussocks, with scattered
bushes of stunted shrub heath (Dracophyllum),
several species of Calmisia, and other sub-alpine
plants.

The sky being without a cloud the view
from the summit was magnificent.

To the westward the sea bounded the hori
zon from below Milford Sound to the north of
the Awarua Bay, but the shore line was con
cealed by low wooded ranges so that its form
could not be observed excepting at a few points.
The Awarua Valley was very distinctly seen at a
distance of 6 miles trending to the S.E., and
from 2 to 4 miles in width. It has a level
bottom partly occupied by a lake, and partly
open and grassy; but there it is probably
swampy. No large river could be seen, but a
considerable quantity of water must, I should
think, be discharged through the valley from
the snowy mountains, where it originates.
This lake, I afterwards learned, is known to the
Maoris as the Waihuna Lake, and the stream
flowing from it to the sea, the Awarua of the
chart, by the same name; the only Awarua
which they know being, as I have previously
mentioned, a river flowing into the north end
of Jackson's Bay.

From the Waihuna Lake a valley two
miles in width, tolerably level and not ele
vated more than a few hundred feet, leads
through to the Kakapo Lake, so that the two
larger valleys are connected by a tract of
available land.

Turning towards the interior, the large
groups of snowy mountains could be dis-
tinguished, separated by the great valley
which runs to the S.S.E., and is partly occu
pied by the Kakapo Lake.

The Darran Mountains, which are the group
to the west of this valley, are those that
cluster round Milford Sound, of which Pem
broke Peak is the most remarkable from the
seaward. It is not, however, the highest, as
Tutoko Peak, which is a lofty conical moun
tain, having a shape similar to Mount Aspiring,
and occupying a central position between Mil
ford Sound and Kakapo Lake, is higher by
probably 1,000 feet.