THE ALPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12696, 30 December 1901, Page 2

THE ALPS.

EUROPEAN AND COLONIAL COMPARED. Professor A. Heim and Dr Hundhausen, of Zurich, returned to Christchurch on Saturday from their first visit to the New" Zealand Alps. ■ They cam© to the colony .to inspect the internal structure of these mountains and to compare them with the Alps of Europe. They-,went to Springfield', Castle Hill, Arthur's Pass, Otira-, Kumara, Hokitika, Greymouth, and Brunnerton, and came back by the same route, So far as they have seen, the Alps here are quite different from those of Europe. They are much simpler in structure, as, instead of thirty or forty formations, they appear to have only four or five. The formation is much more uniform, nearly all the strata being vertical. A great "deal of difficulty has been experienced in making geological researches, on account of the mountains being heavily wooded, and of the prevalence of shingle. What struck the visitors most was the difference in the colouring of the flowers. "Neavlv all your Alpine flowers," Professor Heim said to a reporter, " are white or yellow, but in the European Alps we have an abundance of many colours, sometimes blending together and making 3, magnificent sight. The flowering of your Alps v. is very sober, like the grave ; in Switzerland we have an enormous variety of colours, and the effect is a merry one." The roads were in good condition, but were somewhat difficult to traverse at times. The various stations were much admired for their picturesqueness. The drawback experienced was in the want of bridges across the streams, a good deal of delay being caused by having to wait for the .coach, and to fit in excursions with the timetables. The visitors speak highly of the treatment they received everywhere they wefft. They wjll make another visit to the Alps before' long, and will also spend some time at the southern sounds.