VISIT TO A GLACIER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 January 1911, Page 6

VISIT TO A GLACIER.

MOUNT AP.ROWSMITH

Mr R. Speight, assistant Curator of tli-e Canterbury Museum, has returned ieChristehureh from a visit to tnc•rlaeier afc the head of the South Asii-bu'-ton river, which wa s first visited by Sir Julius von Haast about 1802. i.e was accompanied by two students, and the party spent an interc'in" time examining tL'<? physical features of the district. He states that the glacier has evidently been retreating, but it shows signs of a slight advance recently. Although ii ; s "not long, it contains a very fine ice-fall, beautiful ice .pinacles, and blue crevasses. lower portions are considerably encumbered with moraines. The- district presents seme interesting problems in regard the action of slacier s in cutting up a plateau region and effectint' clvangcs in river drainage. It seems to throw a good deal of l ; ght on the capacity of glaciers to erode riverbeds. . Advantage wa s tal<en of the visn Lo examine the plant beds which were discovered in tlie Clent Valley bv Sir Julius von Haast. with the object specially of obtaining material fo:- the two' American students who are Investigating certain features of fossil botany in New Zealand. The plant remains, however, are probably of little value to the students, although interesting as a means of giving some idea of the rich vegetation in former times. • At the n'ead o* the Ashburton Ki<.«r there is Mount Arrowsmith which is over 9770 feet high, and is the highest mountain in Canterbury outside of the Mount Cook district. T- .stands far to the east of the main divide and the mountains in the main divide' behind it are considerably lewer. It is in this country that the basins of the Rangitata,. Ashbur; ton and Rakaia Rivers meet. Up to the present time Mount ArrowSTfiith has not been climbed, but it is understood that an attempt will he made soon to conquer its fastnesses. The district 'is distinguished lay the absence of timber. Mr Speight hardly found sufficient to afford fuel to boi the billy. He describes it as the most treeless country he has- ever s een. The only tre"e that grows there is the ribbonwood. The range that divided Ashburton from ; the neighbouring valleys is called. Ribbonwood. but the quantity of wood it, bears is small. \ , , Very little/ animal life of any.kmo v/as seen ."A ipair ofkeas vras met with) but bird" life is scanty.