The West Coast sounds of New Zealand

Ross, Malcolm, J. Wilkie, Dunedin, N.Z., 1897

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EPUB ISBN: 978-0-908329-03-8

PDF ISBN: 978-0-908331-99-4

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.