Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 153, 10 May 1864, Page 4

!jnY>'!T \NT PA PKRS T.'KVD AT TTTR OFKIC'KS OF THE IIOYAT, OKOCRAVIHCAL SOC'IKTV KEGARmXn NICSV JSKALAXI>. On the 25th of .Tanuary last, at a meeting of the loyal Oeoitraphicnl Society, under the distinguished li'esMi licv of Hir Roderick Inijiey Murehison, '•C.0.1.i.. two paners were read regarding Now and. The fir-1' was entitled " An Kxpedition to the iVcst f'oa-t of Middle island," by Dr. James Hector. Dr. Hector's party, says the oflicial record of the "ieographicnl Society, were absent from January to March, during which period, after proeeeding up the , alley of (lie \\'aital,i and thence into that of the \huir 111.■ v traversed the magnificent plains across vhieh lies the boundarc-line between Otago and 'anterlnirv, and earned the river i.'lnthi;,. 'I !rs 11 ey 'ollowed up to the \\'annl,i T.ake, whence they lead o push ('■ rward on lightly-pa. ked horses. Tl.ey tow followed the lilatnki-tuki liivcr, wh.e;-" 'lie iead-quarters were lived for farther exploration vest wards. As tliev a'lvaneed they began to seethe ee-pinnacles ofl\ r ount Asjiifing, li beautiful and very ibrujit cone, whi< h dominates over the other lofty •anges of the region. Hereabouts a noble forest, of >eeeh covered the hillsides to a height ot 2,000 lcet, he scenery heing m;e-;nii:eent, with noble ea-ca.les eaping sci'eral hundred feet iloivn the sheer lace ot die precipice (in one instance 1 ,;:00 feet), the water leing dispersed in spray ere it reaches the valley )elow. l'ai'thcr on amid a prolu-'.on of white ilossomed willow-trees, the r:ver enters a dee]) ,'orge, on (tnerping from which a fine view is ibtamed of the glaciers that descend from the flanks >f Mount Aspiring. At this point it was found mpossible to take the horses further, which were hercibrc left at a secure point, while the party idvanced on foot —a most arduous inarch over huge joulders, especially as each man had to carry a pack if 50 lbs., afterwards reduced to 25 lbs. At length, if'ter leaving the wooded belt, which here reaches an devotion of 3,500 feet, they gained the source of this Matuki-tuki, in two enormous old glaciers. At this point close to the north-west boundary line of L'nnterbury Province, they usccnded a saddle-hill, j,500 feet high, overlooking a grand glai ier in the i-alley below, 500 feet thick,andnamcd after Dr. Haast, whileiinniensemasses of pinnacled mountains filled the valley below. The descent on the farther side was so precipitous as to be exceedingly dangerous, and lifter crossing the foot of llaast's glacier they struck !i river named after the same eminent geologist, wlii'di passes through numerous gloomy gorges, Here they climbed another peak (elevation not stated), whence tliey had a view ot the sea 157 miles distant. To the left of the landscape was the glacier of Mount Richards, in which "lie Jackson rises. They now attempted to push on in doing so discovered track-marks, nt first supposed to be made by Maoris, but which Dr. Hector, on minute examination, pronounced to be those oi birds, either extinct or exceedingly rare (possibly Mtas). These never entered the woods, the niagninceucc of which in this region mm-t be seen to be appreciate;!, even ihvj'uc/ixiri and hitii growing into trees with trunks •1 feet in diameter. An inetlectual attempt was now made to descend the Jaek>on ; hut the rain proved an in.-urmountable hindrance,and they lumtostop within eight miles of thcsui. In returning thev suffered jewrclv fioin famine, but. ultimately reached their various eec/V-.v without mishap. Mr.dime- McKcrrow, tr.e district surveyor, also read a paper at the same meeting on the survey of the l.ak- distiicis ofthn province of Otago. Th.s was a survey ol 'I,SN:S square miles, the firitiing physical feature of the country, the very t-udden diilerences of elevation winch diversify its surface, the gorges or valleys being generally tilled by lakes. 'Ihe mountains range from -l,oto to U,ODO feet, the line of perpetual congelation being S,OOO feet. The rangi-s usually run from N.X. E. to S.S.W. directly across the track of the- prevailing winds in 1 lie l'aci:!e, and hence they mati l-ially effect the chn;aU.ioe\ of the island by acting as condensers ol the i apour-laden atmospheric currents, winch but for their interposition might- pass over the island without pari iu n r with their moisture. I'lie snow-linu was higher on the north-west, or windy side of the mountain, than on the other side ; licnee the tlooumarks of the rivers show rises and falls ol almost incredible amount : some of those running into the Te-Anau ami Muuip jri l.alus (which drain a region of hundreds of square miles, and are of themselve.of immense area), showing a difference of level between winter and summer of a.-, much as nine feet Surli basins serve in great measure to regulaie tin otherwise overwhelming impetuosity of the streams bv i-onfining them within a regular channel, inste.-u ot prtseating a liierc useless wide shingle-bed to tin very edge of the sea. These f.akes show gcologii a traces of their having been at a remote period o much greater extent- than they are now. At prcscn; thev are supposed to be hliiiurcds id lcet in depth their sides, like those of the sea-ford;, at the lowei end of the north-west side having fueucntly m beaches of any sort, the rocks vising sheer out of tin water to several hundred iect in height, CM t h* countrv surveyed, squaie miks was puslora couutr'vin detached section-, !J5'J was forest. clueiU beech,'pine, and In/.n-n, aiutl,ol>(l barren mountain. i'lic President said that this was the first-time tin jihysieal geography of the southern portion of Nov Zealand hail been opened out to us. The task liai been performed in an admirable manner in boll communications, and the results of the explorat ioi were certainly very striking, considering thi enormous ilifncullies these two gentlemen had t< encounter. Dr. lfector was the well-known natural ist, geologist, and geographer, who accompanie. Captain Palliser in his expedition to the iiock; Mountains, and he was very well entitled to la ruconiniended as the chief of (he present exploration Among other striking features alluded to, I Jr. llccto spoke of certain tracks, which he described as path, that only could have been followed by grea birds, of which a skeleton was to he seen at tin British Museum, and of which we had recently hai reports that some of the species were still living He had also alluded to the glaciers of the country Ur. Hector described a great mass of crratie bloulc and largo moraines that had been brougnt down bi glaciers of still greater extent limn those nov existing there. 11l fact, the whole of the westen coast id' Xcw Zealand was a highly Alpine region The President- further staled that he had rceeivci from Dr. Jlaast, the Provincial Cteologist. of Canter burv, ill New Zalaud, a most, valuable memoir, deserb ing*a map of that province, and illustrated by liunier ous exquisite pictorial skclehcs of mountains am glaciers, which would be read at the nest meeting. Sir. Harper asked to be allowed to point out i route which he took in 1H57, undertaking mercl; from a desire to explore this hitherto unknown par of the island, and tor his own purposes as a sheep farmer. Accompanied by a few natives, he passei across Now Zealand, from Canterbury up tile Hum liui liver to the lakes ill the mountains, and tiiciiv down the river Tcramakau oil the other sido to th west coast and .laekson liay. On t.hatoecasion he Ilia an opportunity of observing the geography of th country. There is a great dividing' range, exteudinj almost right, through the centre ol tne island, Irou norti:-e;iM totne si.uiii-we.-t, aliont iUt) mile.-, iro) the west, coast at the part wiieie lie crossed them, btl gradually trending'to the w i . 1 wnl d - so 1 hat in tl,. Ulago pjie, inci> toe- w..U isnci line w»aild be hardf more ihan tiiiriv mih-s lrom the coiisi-lme-—am terminating in tia-eiif.s sin rouiming- Alilibrd Havel and ilie hold-- to the -cut,!, ilo ascended tlu; water sl.cd aiat slood U;.on tie.' M(tidl<> o|' t ins range, wit i iiiai! ,S|l. wv m-'i:a;..;as and glaciers on hoiii snie.se hi,,; .in, l" ii win :a,a p- ii.t he „,u- the i 1 u.aicliluniag- to i„e e-e-i w.ilii, .aid lie- currespi .luli ng rivi. l U.e Tciaiuah.iH, lunniag- to the westwaid. JJ i.iii..»iiif{ tile 'i ci-anaik--.il dinvu j'loiu its saiircc, a he had ii.-11.-wid tie liuinna n], to i'.s .milice, h avi'ideil the eliliSi.nd toresls winch Dr. 1 fce.toi- me with. 11. took him twi niy-six liays to get. down t the west eolist . A ) all l,g t ll :t t line he was un j>ro\ i del with m ecssary looii, iia\ing only started willtslifli Clout ior u mouth, which they hail to carry on. the; hacks, and much ot' it gut ejieih it from t he difiieti tl; Ih, re w.vs i.i crossing- ami reernssiiig the l-ivcr, wo ioi they had L-i do by f .ruing and swimming', and will their pi o vi si' -us on their hacks, the dense im.pcne liable forest on both sides obliging them to keep a:

"dfcHv destitute before they got to the.-oast, and had .o live on nativu l'irds, which he brought down with "a? 1 "' melius on the tOth instant, Sir Roderick j Miueli.'son also in fho chair, Dr. Haast, piov.ncia i 'ei, 1-tgi t, read a nap-r "On the Southern Airs o ; LV.ntcr'uiry," in wli.fli the author b:-mi..v siimtaa-.5... Lhe rcMiltn of his numeiuus 18{n-C2-(i;s. r . .. This mntmiHeent simw-elad range, from w mch leeeud enormous alacleiu, reaches in tms province 1.» greatest elevation': forming the eiihnin ding- pomt of the gnat ba.cl.'-bono that runs throu.. oo.'i irom noi-th-ca . Lto south-west, woici is only i.io„c,i through at Cviok'-v Straits, and rises in toe m,nil Island to 'icaks almost- as loity, such as the wi H-known ,-ona of >.loiint Kgmont. The pyramidal form is everywhere the marked feature of the huge ma--;, iimnl.ers of Which exceed ; w .ii,;, , Mount (,'«•«.k, the ldghe:,t summit ot all, in 1-«' (| ' I iVi-i and about thirty miles irom tlie west coa..c. - 1 let ween eaeii mountain-system, as_ it were (erne ol j which, however, run for'many miles without any j tracesof a cut), occurs a pass of varying uitii.udi, i.lmoi. always nearly inaccessible, seme as mgn as feet "to about K.OOO feet; mid these intervening' | iletiressions form the waterslied of rapid and. lormtdai.lo mouiitiiin-torreiiU which fall into the. ucean ; (.11 the west coast. The eastern Hunks are drained m like manner by glacier-streams, which, however, having a longer distance to run ere rcaclnng the ca-t .-oa.-.t, and encountering huge lakes which their fiow to .some extent, make this siileof tiie range eniincntlv suitable for ail emigration field. Nothing can exceed the beauty of the tints both of sky and vegetation, or the singular glacial anomalies that pie-cut themselve.- on some of the glaciers ; i s, tor instance, that of the l'iver Godle\, win o , two waterfalls falling from its eastern edge i.oo two dee]) gorges, only separatf ii by a buttress oi roek, as depicted m one of the .-.piiited sketches malleoli t!ie upot, where exhibited at the ne-eUng. lie'.wc-n .Mount Cook and Mount Stokes (in immediate proximity and ahno-.-t as !olt\ as t-i.e fol'iiier) there is a deep veiv ahnijit cl"it, as it'woie, constituting u.n/ 7,h00 leel above Vol ; beyond which the chain again l-i:-..-, but is now bil'uicuteii as it jnocc-cds touth-west, till a singular gap (.r break occurs — not above I,<JOO ieot hifhT with a sv/amp on- the summit, emptying in both directions, and presenting physical ieauues which it is believed, ale without a parallel in any other portion of tho globe— through which alone it is possible to reach the west coa-t from the eastern noition oi the province. This pass will probably no ere lung made available for p(>nie:s at lear-t. Beyond this singular pass the two chains reunite, as they upproach Mount Aspiring on the froutier-hne between Canterbury and Otago. A. 11 the valley- oil either side of the* chain are uviversally dmsely Clothed with forest trees ; but while tho chain on its western aspect has the appearance ot an undulatiuglampurt, on tlio east there extend numerous lofty chains running north unit south, or at right angles to the main" back bone," as it as been aptly termed. This configuration necessarily leads to there beingan enormous amount of glacier surlace, the moraines on which are unsuiilly clearly defined and plentiful. Tiie Tasman Glacier is twelve miles long and lower extremity one and three-fiuartcrs wide. 1 races everywhere present themselves of many of these glaciers having at no remote period extended so vend hundred feet farther than their present limits ; and in the course of explaining the drawings, retereiico was made to several indications conlirmatory ol received theories of the mode of progression of glaciers under vaiious physical conditions. The President "pointed out the admirable manner in which the author had shown how intimately connected are the subjects of nhysioal geography and "■eologv. Tiie illustrations he laid already alluded to showed that New Zealand was in that intermediate state Which all geologists were, agreed was foinicrly the condition of tho northern part of Scotland, covered with snow and glaciers; and ill this point of view the phenomena brought belore them was most interesting. Tim President aNo related the circuuistanccs connected with the death oi -dr. iiitcon.i"-, the explorer, who was drowned at tho mouth oi flic Tarauiakau River, in consequence ol liis canoe being swamped hv the break-els, Mr. Cooksi'ti, a gentlemen from New Zealand, pointed out- on the niap the localities of various geUi ..iteiiis in tho . i.e of (Jtago, as also a \ sin-erior coal district at tne inout'ief the Oie\ Ri\ei. which forms the boundary-line between CauterbiUA and Nelson Provinces.