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EPUB ISBN: 978-0-908329-03-8
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The original publication details are as follows:
Title: The West Coast sounds of New Zealand
Author: Ross, Malcolm
Published: J. Wilkie, Dunedin, N.Z., 1897
The West Coast Sounds of Xew Zealand,
described by Malcolm Boss and illustrated by li. Haucridge.
The illustrations are from sketches made on a tour by
Mr. 1C Haiccridge
and the late Mr. James Wilkie ;
and the book is produced and printed
by J. Wilkie d Co., of Dunedin , Xew Zealand.
Copyright.
All Rights Reserved
Jt\e Wiqds, With Wonder Whist,
the Waters hiss’d,
\X/t\ispeninp neW joys to the rqild oeeaq,
r\oW quite forqot to ra\/e,
\X/t\ile birds of calm sit brooding on the
charmed Wa\/e.
—/fttLjofJ.
UcWma ernharhcd on the beautifully appointed “JaraWera,”
stearned out frorn Port 6h)almers, passed Jaiaroa l]eads, and
nouqded tt)e southern end of the ,South) Island, We find ourseWes,
West Coast Sounds OF NEW ZEALAND.
after a short Vouaae, about to make
acquaiptance With the far-famed \X/est
Coast Sounds of |sleW Zealapd ; apd, as our ship glides sleWlu
into tlpe gateWau of preservation tnlet, upder the st|adoWs
of the great mouptaips, /Hilton's lipes, aboVe quoted, are forcibly
brought to mipd. Jt|ere, arpopa these soupds, all is peaceful
apd calm, rpuch as it Was Wt|ep that iptrepid e/plorer, Gaptaip
Geok, lona before the daWpina of tlpe stecmst|ip era, first sailed
into tt)em. preserVatiop Inlet, With “its islapds and islands Ipere
seen glittering apd shirprperiny ip youpgest apd frestjest-looking
Verdure, With neVer a leafless brapct| or branchless stem,” rpakes
a Viv'id first impression Which) is pot likely to be blotted out
Wt)ile memorp lasts. 0n either t)and the
mouqtaiqs toWer aloft, Wtple, beqeatt) us,
are the ealrq, ur)fatt)orr)able Waters, aqd,
o\/er all, a brooding solitude that is a
straqpe and pleasaqt change after eitp toil
or sipt)t-seeir)p. tslaqds and mountains seem)
to pass us bp as We steam) sloWlp on. Jhere
is porpotten peak, 3,682 feet hiph|; ponder
fleedle Peak, o\/er 4,000 feet; aqd a
host of others, seerqiqp to rise sheer from
the Water's edge. Loqp Souqd folloWs, aqd
tt|en We find a safe aqd oalrq anehorape
for tt)e niplyt ir) Guttle GoVe, a pleasant
concert bu passengers and creW makiqg
tlqe hours flu quicklp till bedtime. Jhe
Uqioq Gompanp t|as tt|oupt)tfullp provided
a quartette of trained siqgers, and a cle\/er
pianist, Whose services are fullg availed of in tt)e
ev/eniqa. fh us passes a Wap th|e first dap intt)e \X/est Coast Sounds.
Oq the monnovV the ship’s boats ape brought into requisition,
aqd fistjiqg, sketching, exploring, and pieqiekiqg papties
are ttqe opdep of tt|e dap. Jhe jgound teerqs v^ith
fist), and patieqce t|epe is not a necessarp Virtue
Iq ttqe /\qgler. 0n slqope, tt|e Botanist, tt|e
Gjeoloaist, and tfqe /ftiqeralogist find tt|emsel\/es
tpaqspopted to a vVoqderland of speeimeqs. +n
ttqe ev/eniqg, vVhen vVe ape all together again,
tt|epe is aq inqpporqptu coqcept, aqd, after that,
We “trip ttqe light fantastic toe” till midniaht.
fle/t dau We find ourselves in the
histopie \Vaters of Dusku SBouqd. f)ere
it vVas ttqat Gaptaiq Gook laqded on tp s
first \/epage round the v7orld iq 1773.
It is ttqe largest of the jßouqds, being of
coqsiderable breodtlq, aqd tWeqtu-tvVo
nqjles iq leqgth. \X/e steanq
slovVlp up the past
nurqerous islands, and at the foot of great mountains, amid
eVer-et|anaina scenes. Rt length), IqaVing drunk cur fill of the
Wonderful sceneru, We return doWn thje Sound, aqd pass out
through) /\cheron passaae, between Resolution tsland aqd tt)e
mainland, to fiqd an anct|oraae for the qiaht in Jacket /\rrq.
11ere, after dinqer, We haVe aqott|er entertaiqmeqt, and all aoes
rqerru as a marriaae bell.”
OF pAGG’S JSOUND (PROM THE OCEAN I
Earlu oq Sunday morniqa We up aqchor and leaVe for
Doubtful Souqd aqd Smith) Souqd. Doubtful Souqd, With its
maqu-Wiqdiqa arrqs aqd Varied sceqeru, proVes Woqderfullu
attractive. Smith's Souqd is simplu a continuation of Doubtful
Soliqd. aqd at its t|ead stretch avVau If all's /\rm and Deep GoVe.
beyopd w't|ieti, amopg the
meuntair) fastnesses, leads
the pass oVerto/f\anapouri,
discovered by the Writer serge
feW years ago. )t Was here,
among the mouptaiq tops
near tt)e summit of
the pass, that
ope of the most tragic ipeidepts in
connection Witt) West Soast C/plora-
tiop the loss of professor^ftainWaripg
BroWn, of the otayo
Up i y/ersity —occurred.
He Wapdered fortlp ope
day ip December, 1888,
frorp his corppapions in the
tent, and from that day to this t(as pe\/er
been seen or heard of, though eVery effort Was made to
trace him, botlp by his corppapiops, by /Messrs. itctp e 11, Barber,
apd /Aurrell, apd subsequeptly by tlpe “ Gtago Daily Jirpes ”
,Search E/peditiop. I|e must either hay's rpet With seme
aecidept or lost his Way arpopg the mouptains and perished
Ip a terrible spoW storm Whiet) came on shortly after t|is
leav/ing tlpe camp. /\ srpall oairp and a rude Wooden cross noW
mark tt|e spot Where he Was last seep, and Ip ip her up, some-
Where among the snoW-capped mougtain tops, near beautiful
lakelet Which bears his name, he has go doubt found a last
resting place argid tlge Wild and Wonderful seegerg of tt|at
unexplored regiog —ig Surgmer, musical Witt) a score of npphgg
brooks agd goisg Waterfalls, and beautiful Witlg all tlgat is loVelg
ig Rlpige flora; in Wigter, rgore eXquisite still ugdcr a pall of
Virgin sgoW Witt) all the streams Igeld silegt in the cold, leg grip
of K' n 9 F^ost.
But We oglg get a distant glirgpse of these mountain tops,
and our good ship “JaraWera” steargs on argid ttje eVer-changigg
seeges. V/e pass through Jtiorgpsog
Joougd and along tt|e coast to Reorge
£ound, Wt)ere tlge “ JaraWera ” Regatta
is held. Specially-built boats are pro-
Vided for a Ladies’ Race, Wlgietg gegerallg
proVes to be an interesting agd eXcitigg
eVent. Jt|e Regatta is held in tlge
rgorging, ieaVigg tlge afternoog free for
picnickinp, Wtple i p ttpe e\/eninp
there is tfpe Ball, at
Which the prizes are presented to
the Winners of the boat races.
/\t dapliptjt on the folloWinp rporninp We are out
of the jßoupd apd stearpipp rperrilu alopp the coast lipe, en route
for yiMlford ,Soupd. Jhe Wonders of /Aiiford £ound haVe beep
dipped ipto our ears sipce the comrpepcerpent of ttpe trip. /\fter
all We ha Ve seen, We can scarcely believe that tt>ere is anptt|inp
prapder ip store for us, but, as someone t|as fittinplp rerparked,
“the epd croWps the Work.” t\s We pear tt)e JBound all is
e/pectaneu. jooon We are steamipp slcWlu tlprGuph the eptranoe,
Where ttje prim sentinel rocks keeppuard op either tjand, lookipp
as rugged and praqd as they no doubt did at
sorqe period thousaqds and thousaqds of pears
back \Vhen the great subsideqce forrqed
these deep souqds took place. /V\ilford is smaller
thaq rqost of the other Souqds, being oqlu nine miles long
and narrow'iqg dovVn at oqe point to about fWe huqdred uards
in \Vidtt|. Vet vVittpq this corqparativ'elu srqall corqpass, and
at the head of the Sound, there is more \/arietu aqd grandeur
of sceqeru than is to be rqet w/itt) in so small an area iq aqu other
part of the \Vorld. Jhe sceqerp of Milford Sound is arand uqder
almost anil cireumstaqces, but it is perhaps iq tt|e Rummer or
A ut umn, after heavfu rain, that it is seen to greatest advantage.
Th e mists becjin to rise praduallp, piVinp us a better VievJ of th|e
precipitous rpouptaips
that flapk tt|e Jsound.
/\non thejj Wreathe therp-
seWes about the
corppletelu obliteratipa tt|e
gaunt precipices, or occa-
siopallu repdipa them selves
asupder_to repeal ttje snoW-
capped toWers that feed a
t|updred Waterfalls. Th' n Wt)ite
falls, like rpere threads of siWer in
tt|e distapce, corpe streamina doWn here
and tt|ere, While others of larger size, brought into ■ suddep
life bu the copious rains apd ttpe rpeltina spoWs, rush doWn ov'er
precipices tWo apd three thousapd feet t|igt). /ftanu of tlpese,
are pot perpetual falls, and Danish after a feW Weeks’
fine Weather. Opce We are fairlu past tt|e eptrapce the stearp
w'h)is+le is sounded —a Wild, Weird shriek at first, but We lister)
e/pectantly aWt|ile, and theq, from far up tt|e rqountaiq side,
ttjere corqes a splendid echo, clear aqd loud, While inqrqedlately
afterWards other hills take up the souqd aqd carry it oq aqd on,
steep calliqg to steep, and gleq to glen, till echo rqiqgles Witt)
eet|o, aqd at last ttqe rqusic dies rqelodiously far up oq tlqe
shoulders of the distant mouqtaiq Iqeialqts. Slowly our Vessel
a puqu thing compared vVitlq the fastness arouqd us —glides up
the Souqd, qeW Woqders rev'ealiqg thenqseWes on e\/eru haqd,
aqd all the Wtple the capricious mists are plauina
faqtastic freaks oq the sqoW surqrqits.
Jt)ere is the “ ghost of a cloud,” of
vVtpch usU i n Writes, sailiqg bu
uoqder clump of trees, “ not stealiqg
by tt|erq but tjauqtina therq,
vy/reathiqg around ttjerq ; qoWfalling
iq fair vVa\/e liqe like a vVomaq’s ;
novV fadiqa, now/ gone, till sorqe stroqg
eqct)aqter charrqs it iqto foqd returning, or biqds it fast \Vithiq
the bars of bough. ’ Ifigher up, ttqe rqists form aqd
reforrq, repealing sorqe jagged crag or snoW-clad
slope glearqiqg in ttje nqorniqg ligt|t. 0q the
left is tlie £tirliqg pall, 500 feet higtq, tt|eq the qoble
forrq of the Lioq ” comes into vhevV, and begoqd
tt|at again vVe catch a glimpse of Perqbroke Peak,
6,710 feet Iqigh, Witt) a fine glacier corqina doWq
alrqost from its surqnqit. /\head, on ttqe starboard
side, is tt|e strangelu-st|aped /Aitre peak, 5,560 feet
abo\/e us; and still farther ahead, oq ttqe left, ttqe
great foaming BoWeq Fall shoots o\/er a cliff into
a basiq scooped out of the solid rock, from) w'h)ich)
it issues agaiq iq graceful cur\/e, makiqg oqe
loqp leap to the rocks at tt|e tjead of the ,Sound.
'f/e are in tlqe land of the vVaterfall- of tt)e
“mountain and the flood.” 0q either side
foaming torrents corr|e dovVq ttje steep slopes —
not the little meandering strearqs frorq ttje
“tjaupts of coot apd l|erp ”
but strong apd lusty, springing
frorp the iey abo\/e the
alpine floWers, and leapipg out
With a rpad plupge oVer bleak
black rocks, through raVipes apd o\/er
huge boulders, on past tlpe eidelWeiss
apd the more beautiful ranupculus, then
elott|ipg tlpe stones With rare ferps and
mosses, till, loWer doWn, they laVe the
beech-tree roots, and, singing softer music,
disappear into ttje quiet deep Waters of
the great £soupd. /\t last We fipd ourselVes at
the apchorage at the t)ead of the £soupd ; apd as tlpe stearper
rerpains here tWo days, the more adVeptureus of tt|e eVcur-
sionists t|aVe ample time to proceed up the Valley of the /\rtlpur
to the great Sutherland palls, \Vt|ict|, n eaplu 2,000 feet h'Ph-
vVith ott|er falls ar|d rapids aboVe this, rpay justly be reckoned the
Richest Waterfall iq tt|e World. scenery along the route
is Wonderfully beautiful. Jtje rWer Winds doWq the Galley,
t|ere iq a series of foarqing rapids, tlqere iq quiet reaches, arqid a
Wealth of Virgin forest, Wt|ile on either t|aqd tt|e giaqt mountains
toWer sky Ward. jSorqe feW miles up is Lake /\da, With tjere
and tt|ere the tree trunks of a subrqerged forest Visible its
placid Waters —a lovtely lake,
Withdrawn amor\q hills;
tts depth of Waters flanUed as With a Wall,
Built bg the giant race before the flood.
Jt|e scenery becomes rqore remarkable as We
proceed, /\t oqe poiqt We get a glimpse of
ttje upper part of tlqe palls,
aqd, early iq the eVeniqg, We fiqd
ourseWes at tlqe palls tt|erqsel\/es,
sorqe seventeen miles distaqt from
the head of tlqe Sound. Jhe pall is
fed from the glaciers beyond the /\rtt|ur
Valley. It is seeq issuiqg betWeeq tWo mouqtains.
each oVer 6,000 feet high- and it descends With) aWful roan in
ttjree leaps oVen a precipice 1,904 feel in heipt|t. ,So preat is
the rust) of ttje Waters that a stropp Wind is caused, sepdinp the
sprau some distance from the foot of tt|e pall, Wtple
Pnorq side to side, beneath the qlittering rr\orq,
Iris sits.
It takes some time to realise tt|e preat tjeiaht of the pall,
but araduallu tt|e eue bepips to appreciate its rpapnitude and the
Wonderful prapdeur of the surroupdinps. par aboVe (it canpot
be seen from the v/allep) rises a preat mountain placier, croWped,
apd here, at the foot of a Wall of perpetual ice, are borp the
Waters of the Sutherland palls. DoWp frorp the ice, oVer tlpe
rocku sides of the rpouptain,
theu oorpe in a series of
rapids, eVeptuallu
aatlperipp tlpem-
seWes toaetlper
Ip a srpall lake
aboVe tlpe dark precipices as if to prepare for their first lopg leap
of 815 feet. If iah up on tlpe face of tlpe cliff theu tunpble into a
basin Worp ip the hard rock, spouting forth) agaip in another
gigantic leap of 751 feet, apd e7eptuallu falling Witt) aWful roar
ipto a cauldron at the foot of tt|e great precipice. Jhe palls are
at their grandest in the Spripg apd Sumrper Whep the spoW is
rpelting, or after a Ipea7u fall of rain, Wlpen the Volunpe of Water
is largelg ipcreased.
Looking up at tlpe dizzu heights beside the pall ope Would
pe7er tipink tt|at tlpeu had e\/er been scaled bu map, get suet)
is tlpe case, a uouna rpan
pamed Quill IpaWpg twice
rpade the perilous ascent.
11 e subsequeptlu lost Ip is life
duripg sorpe further explore-
tions frorp tlpe V/akatipu side,
through rpissipa his footipg
apd fallipg oVer a fearful
precipice into the Valleu of
the Gleddau.
some little
distance to tt|e beech hut,
and folloWinp tlqe Valleu
to the left, tt|e tourist finds
hirqself oq the track te
Lake Je /\nau, aqd, pro-
Vided he is qot afraid of
sorqe rouph Walkiqp aqd
tt|e someWt)at prirqitiVe
accomrqodation afforded
bp ttje Iquts alonp ttje route,
he Will be amply repaid
for all t|istoil and trouble.
Th e pass, Which) reaches
an elevation of about 3,000 feet, Was discovered onlu a feW uears
apo bp /Ar. aq intrepid \X/est Coast explorer. ,Since
its discoVerp a rouat) track hjas beeq forrried and a number of
huts erected at convenient tjaltinp-places, so tt|at it is qoW
possible for ladies, Wh© are good
pedestriaqs, to accomplish the
jourqeu. Jhe seeqerg all along
the route is iqdeseribablu graqd —rqouqtain, glacier,
Waterfall, riVer, and lakelet alternately claiming the
attention ; While frerq /Aouqt Ballooq aqd sorqe of the
higher peaks near Which the track Wiqds, the rumble
of avalanches mau be coqtinuallu heard. Jhe track
passes close bu /Aount Ballooq, Wt|ich mau be easilu
asceqded if tlqe tourist is desirous of obtaiqina a good
VieW of the surrouqdiqg rqouqtains. /\t ttqe head of th)e Pass
tt|e seeqerg is of tJqe Wildest deseriptioq ; /Aouqt Jer\/ois, With
tt|e Jer\/ois Qlacier, frorq Which), in Warrq Weather, there is a
coqtiqual fall of aValaqehes, beiqg a prorqineqt feature iq the
landscape. tt|is point the Botaqist is offered a fine field for
research) aqd iqVestigatioq arqong tt)e alpiqe flora, w'l'iich is seen
to great advantage in the jßurqrqer tirqe. polloWing tt)e track
some spler|did spoW-capped n-|our)tairis are passed,
/Aoupts /Aitchelsop apd /Mackenzie beipp particu-
larly noticeable, While loWer doWp still, ttpe
scenery of the Glintop With its beautiful
forest prirpeVal ” stretctpnp aWay op eitlper side, oppresses the
atteptiop of tt|e traveller. Jhen tt)ere is the sail doWn Je /\pau,
Wt|ieh is World-famed for ttpe prandeur and beauty of its scenery.
But it is impossible, in suet| brief compass, to pWe any-
thipp like ap idea of tlpe prapdeur and beauty of ttpe scenery
VieWed during ope of the Soupds C/cursiops. CVen photoarapt|s
and paiptipps piVe but a poor idea of the
reality, and ttje best thinp tt|e Visitor cap do
is to come apd see for hirpself. l|e Will t|ere
tjaVe a ten days’ picnic, suet) as cannot be
obtained in any other part of the World.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/books/ALMA1897-9917503923502836-The-West-Coast-sounds-of-New-Zea
Bibliographic details
APA: Ross, Malcolm. (1897). The West Coast sounds of New Zealand. J. Wilkie.
Chicago: Ross, Malcolm. The West Coast sounds of New Zealand. Dunedin, N.Z.: J. Wilkie, 1897.
MLA: Ross, Malcolm. The West Coast sounds of New Zealand. J. Wilkie, 1897.
Word Count
2,686
The West Coast sounds of New Zealand Ross, Malcolm, J. Wilkie, Dunedin, N.Z., 1897
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