UP EGMONT PROM MANAIA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1575, 15 March 1887, Page 2

UP EGMONT PROM MANAIA.

(By Alpine Stock.)

During the last we-k or two, several parties have ascended Mount Egmont by way of Manaia, aud a few notes of the trips will be interesting, perhaps, to some who wish to spend a holiday on the hill.

The first party was made up of about half-a-dozen young ineu aud boys, who all got to the top without any trouble.

On Thursday morning, a party of six ladies and nine gentlemen, from Manaia and Hawera, left Manaia at about eight, o'clock and reached Dawson's Falls iv the afternoon. Here a couple ot tents were pitched, and the party, after their six mile walk and fifteen mile ride were glad to rest for the night in preparation of the big climb before them on the morrow. The evening was enlivened by music, the only accompaniment to which was the dull roar of the falls, which in the moonlight of the advancing night wore an enchanted appearance m keeping with the animated enchantment around the camp fire.

At; about a quarter to eight on Friday morning, the party were again on the move, following Captain Dawson along the leading ridge between the Kipuni and Kaupokonui stream. After about a mile through the bush, which rapidly assumed more stunted proportions as we passed along, a descent was made into the bed of the Eapuni. The water being low, travelling was easy, not even wet feet being in any way necessay. The first thing which strikes the tourist here is the total

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE KAPUNI for a considerable distance. From what 1 can learn there has been a great change in the bed of this stream, even during the the last year or so through the downward progress of a huge glacier the tracks of which were easily traceable along both banks, whilst the huge boulders aud mass of smaller stones and scoria in the middle of the valley bore unmistakeable evidence of the immense forces at work in the disintegrating process. Here aud there were to be seen pieces of rock as large as four-roomed cottages, 6ome of which had been even since last year turned upside down by the irresistible power of the winter torrent. But I mentioned just now the fact that the Eapuni disappeared for a cousideraule distance. The cause seems to be that the original bed of the stream — using the term original, of course, in a comparatively recent sense — has been filled up by huge boulders Drought down by a glacier, between which the water quickly percolated, continuing its course in two main channels underground, the oae p&ssicp tfavough deposits of iron and reappearing strongly discolored, whilst the other was unchtiQged ; and iv reuniting with the other considerably modified its color, which by the time the water reached Dawson's Falls l*ad quite disappeared, giving place to the dull bluish hue of all snowfed streams.

GIBSON'S PINNACLE.

Just below Kendall's Cascade, a pillar of rock, about 40ft high and a few feet in diameter, stands boldly out from all rocks, aud in contour and loneliness weais a weird aspect, but broken by or rather, more or less enveloped in the one grand sublime background of frowning stone and ice of E^mout. This solitary rock is in the general alignment of the solid mass above and below, and there seems little doubt that there was once a continuous stratum filling up the now levelled parts. This rock Mr. Dawsou named Gibson's Pinnacle. A few minutes more and

kendall's cascade is reached, and well repa3's anyone who has even but one eye for the beautful. for all the trouble in reaching the spot. Away in the backgrouud is seen the dull sombre color of the main peak " picked out" with stripes of suow here and there with snch inimitable effect, whilst reaching down by rapid flights the rushing water fonuis and glides by tarns over the smoothest of wnterworn rock. The solid lock is being gradually chiselled out by the agency of the water, and in the course of two or three hundred years if I am exploring in that vicinity I expect to be able to give the readers of the Star a graphic accouut of what will then probably be Kendall's Canon, as by that time the water will have cut a narrow course fur down below its present course.

echoes !

Getting on the hill above this cascade lurfjo rocks were sent rolling down bill, which 'reached the bottom of the cascade after some tremendous crashes. With

attentive ears we were able to distinguish foni- or five distiii3t echoes of sounds made by some of the party.

fantham's peak.

To Miss Fantham, of Hawera, belongs the honor of having been the first lady to gain the lower crater on this side of the main summit, and, as tbe peak bad not yet been named, the gentlemen who reached it at the same time with three ringing cheers proclaimed the above name to tbe world, and drank the lady's health in the scantiest bumpers ever indulged in, as one of tbe flasks — of water, of course — had been accidentally spilt Another lady from Manaia shortly after reached this peak. The crater in this peak seems to have been active after tbe main crater had ceased. The outside lips are easily traceable, but the glaciers and avalanches have worn away the inner part of it, so that there is nothing to show the exact spot where the lip of the lower crater joined the side of the main hill. Tbe deposited scoria here is altogether different in appearance to that of the higher crater

A LAKE DISCOTERED

Mr. B Dive, of Hawera, noticed from tbe top peak what he thought was a sheet of water at the foot of tbe lower crater about in a line with the Auroa road, which runs up from Otakeho, and, on a further and closer examination through the telescope, it proved to be a beautiful little lake, estimated by those present to be of an area of from ten to twenty acres, and apparently considerably above the level of the Oeo stream, which runs within half a mile of it. It has been suggested tbat, as Mr. Dive seems first to have discovered this water, although others have seen it and taken it for a bank or wall of rock, it should be called after his name. A party has alrealy been formed to proceed up the Oeo stream, and explore the foot of the mountain there, so tbat move particulars of tl.is lake will probably be shortly forth coniiucj. If no fresh claimant for tbe honor of having discovered this lake turns up, the name of Lake Dive will certainly attach to it.

(To be Continued.)