ON THE BOTANY OF TE MOEHAU MOUNTAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9172, 29 September 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

ON THE BOTANY OF TE MOEHAU MOUNTAIN.

No. 11. [HEAD BEFORE TUB AUCKLAND INSTITUTE BY

J. ADAMS, B.A.]

COMMENCING THE ASCENT. During the time I was making a catalogue of the lower ground, I often looked with anxiety to the distant peak of Moehau that sometimes appeared in bright sunshine and at other times under a dense cloud.

The distance 1 had calculated to be about nine miles in a straight line, but as no European had been to the top—and as the Maoris believe that the mountain is the abode of Turehu—there was only the imagination to be relied upon for the difficulties to be encountered. On Friday, January 13, my son was able to arrange that the survey work could go on for a couple of days in his absence ; and so by making an early shirt we got to the south side of Cabbage B iy at 6 a.m.

i'iiis bay we could havo walked across, if the tide had been out; but unluckily it was high water. A boat was at hand, and a good-hearted settler might have pub us over, but such good luck is not experienced by amateur botanists. There was nothing for it, bub to walk round the bay, where roads and tracks are in the most primitive condition. Near the ford where the bay is crossed there is the house of a settler who is also postmaster. This house is cut off from the other part of the settlement by an arm of the bay. Over this inlet a crossing is made by a succession of nine-inch planks that are supported by a number of embankments. Where the water is nob very deep the traveller wades through it. Now, as this is the only means of communication between the settlement and the post office, it appears very judicious on the settlers' part to prohibit, in the district, the use of intoxicating drinks, as it saves the expense of a resident coroner. After crossing the planks the next obstacle in going round the bay was to wade a tidal stream, and then after a little dry walking to cross a swamp. The next stream in our course was so deep that some Maoris put a boat across to ferry us over. There is a good track then to Waiaro, which appears to be an important native settlement, as the whares form a good-sized village near the sea, and there is a wide stretch of level ground. Along the Waiaro stream and in the lower part of the valley the soil is very light over the clay slate; so that the cultivators are on the slope of the hills. The district must have supplied a large quantity of kauri, as there is about a mile of railway and a steam locomotive. There are still some logs to be removed, bub the supply from the hills seems to be exhausted. Along the valley there is no devastation of native trees. The malioe, manuka, ngaio, puriri, kohekohe, akeake, kowhai, karaka, rewarewa, and raukawa grow well and look all the better on account of the abundance of climbing plants and epiphytes that overspread them. The kohia (l'assiflora tetrandra) is very abundant, and hangs down in graceful festoons over the stream, while karioi, mangemange, clematis, and tataramoa twine and intertwine as they unite tree to tree. The karo (Pittosporum crasifolium), broad leaf (Grisilina lucida), and kahakaha (Astelia solandri) grow luxuriantly in the upper parts of the branches. EXCELSIOR. After ascending the valley the top of Moehau and the undulating ridges that lead to it came into view. All the high ground is densely covered with forest, but on the lower part of the range, where the kauri formerly crew, a tire had been raging for some days before our arrival. The steep spurs were black and smoking, and some large trees were still burning ; but the rain that had fallen the previous night and also during the morning had cooled the ground. My son, who was leader of the expedition and carrier of the swag, took a leading spur on the right bank of what had been a driving creek for kauri logs, and after a steep climb of about 1000 feet, we reached the bush that had been touched by the fire. My first impression of the ridge we were now to follow was that it was impassable — Uiekie, mangemange, and karioi twined and intertwined m the. wildest confusion. Any opening between these intertwining

croapers was occupied by Gahnia lacera and A.'iteiia grandis. My guide, however, took no notice of these obstacles—where there was no way over, a passage could be made under, and by crawling sometimes very close to the ground, and sometimes by walking on partly fallen trees, some distance above the ground, progress was made. I was more than once advised to crawl on my hands and toes, and nob 011 my hands and knees ; but although I have no doubt the furnffcr is the correct way, yet I feel sure that it is acquired by long practice only, so that I had to do as well as 1 could on hands and knees. We advanced for a couple of hours in this way, when we reached the main ivnge. The way was now more open, and there were signs of a survey party, at some distant time, having been on the ridge, and shortly afterwards we reached the trig station, which has an elevation of 205 4 feet. The plants that I observed here were those that occurred with more- or less frequency afterwards on the ridge, as we advanced towards the summit. They are : Drimys axullaris, Melicytus ramiflorus, M. laneeolatus, Eleocarpus Hookcrianus, Quintinia serrata, Iverba brexioides, Wemmannia sylvicola, Myrtus bullata, Fuxhia excorticate, Alsenosmia macrophylla, Coprosma robusta, C. foutidissima, Senecio glastifolius, Senecio myrianthos, Dracophyllum latifolium, Rhipopogun scandens, Astelia grandis, A. rinervia, Pteris incisa, and Polypodium rugulosuni. The two last named had, no doubt, arrived since the trees at the trig station had been levelled. The largest trees on the range are : Tawhero (Weminannia sylvicola) and puketea (Laurelia Nova; Zealandite). The ridge leading to the peaks, though it appears from a distance to undulate gracefully, was found to be very irregular. A steep ascent was followed by a steep descent, and then succeeded a broad saddle, on which supple-jack, kiekie, and mangemange grow in surprising luxuriance. On these saddles it was often doubtful what was the real summit of the ridge until another ascent and a favourable opening revealed the highest peak looming in the distance. CAMPING. When sunset was near, we followed down a dry watercourse for a couple of hundred yards, and found a waterhole. We camped near it for the two nights we were on the mountain, and I was surprised to notice, as we left the place, that the mere requirements for beds and fuel had so exhausted the number of trees and ferns that the camping-place looked like a clearing. The Gahnia Freycinetia and Rhipopogon that grow so densely on the ridge do not flourish 011 the clay slate that is in loose shingle 011 the sides. The scanty bush covers what for ages had been extensive shingle slopes. The ordinary plants are : Melicytus ramiflorus, Schetllera digitata, Brachyglottis repanda, Areca sapida, Hemitelia Smithii, Aspidium aculeatum. Polypodium pennigcrum grows very large and stalked. I saw Lomaria nigice in two places, but I looked in vain for Loxsonia Cunninghamii and Lomaria elongate. AT THE TOP. The next morning we followed up the dry bed of another watercourse that brought us nearer to the peak, and, on reaching the summit, our work began. In addition to the undergrowth chat was experienced before, Alseuosmia and Coprosma fcrtidissrnsa formed dense thickets on the ridge, and, of coarse, there was no such thing as walking; we had literally to thread our way. If the explorer be regarded as a long needle, his progress past the vegetation will closely resemble darning. The dense tangle appeared to get worse and worse, when wo suddenly struggled on to a mass of Metrosideros albinora, and there, close at hand, was open ground and the rounded peak covered with stunted vegetation. Several large Hat rocks, hoary with Racomitrium moss, were close to the dense bush, and on these was growing in great profusion Celmisia incana in full flower. Every step in the open ground not only showed that the vegetation was a contrast to that on the ridge, but also that it was unlike that of any other high peak on the main range throughout the peninsula. I could scarcely believe my eyes as each fresh plant that I saw seemed to show that 1 was on the top of one of the mountains in Nelson province. There are patches of Oreobolus and Carpha Alpina studded with the mountain form of Ourisia Macrophylla. Tufts of Pentachondra and Cyathodes empetrifolia are conspicuous on the little mounds of peat; and then the largest part of the surface of the ground is carpeted with Lycopods, the Alpine forms of Gleichenia dicarpa, and of Danthonia semiannularis.

The Moehau peak is a rounded mass of augitic andesite, intruded between the slate formation of which the mountain is composed. It rises about 200 feet above the ridge in a gradual slope, and there is no part of the sides or summit bare. The open land around it may be about 100 acres, and it is distant from the lower peak about one mile. On the flat and rounded top the tallest plants are stunted neinei (Dracophyllum latifolium) and clumps of Phormium Colensois while Gaulthcria antipoda, Corokia buddleoides, Coprosma Colensoi are very stunted, and grow little higher than Glichenia dicarpa, Lycopodium varium, and L. scariosum. In a sheltered part near the summit Dacrydium Bidiwilli, Phyllocladus glauca, P. Alpina, P. trichomanoidis, and Podocarpus invalis grow well. The following is the list of plants that I observed on the peak : Fucho excorticata, Panax Sinclairii, P. Colensoi, P. Edgerleyii, Corokia Buddleoides, Coprosma lueida, C. Colensoi, Celmisja incana, Gaultheria antipoda, Cyathodes empetrifolia, Pentachondra pumilia, Dracophyllum latifolium, Myrsnie salicina, Ourisia macrophylla, Phyilocladus glauca, P. Alpina, P. Trichomanoides, Dacrydium Bedwillii, Podocarpus nivalis, Dendrobruin Cunninghamii, Thelymitra longifolia, Astelia linearis, Arthropodium eirrhatum, Danthonia semiannularis var Alpina, Gleichenia dicarpa var Alpina, Hymenophyllum multifidium, Trichomanes reniforme, T. venosum, T. rigidum, Lomaria lanceolata, Schizcea fistulosa, Lycopodium varium, L. volubile, L. densum, L. Billardieri, L. cernuutn, L. scariosum. Some of these plants are not found nearer than the top of Hikurangi on the Ruahine Range, viz., Celmisia incana, Pentachondra puiiiila, Ourisia macrophylla, Phyllocladus Alpina, Dacrydium Bidwillii, Podocarpus nivalis, Danthonia semiannularis var Alpina, Oreobolus Australia, Carpha Alpina, Gleichenia dicarpa var Alpina. At the base of the peak on the borders of the thick forest Panax Sinclairii, Corokia Buddleoides, and Metrosideros albiiiora are very abundant, but I did not see them anywhere else on the range. The Metrosideros albitlora was the only rata I saw on the mountain. On the day we reached the top there was no wind, but, as all the shrubs had the ground hollowed out at the base- of the stem, it is evident that a calm is a very unusual tiling at the summit. The appearance of Ruahine plants on the summit is the more remarkable, as Matnapuke Kaitarakehi and To Aroha are respectively -00 or 300 feet higher, and it appears to me to prove that Moehau is the oldest land formation on the Cape Colville peninsula. THE VIEW. From the top of the elevated dome, with its dwarfed vegetation, the view over the forest that covers the mountain is quite unimpeded. The sharp ridges and deep valleys are clearly visible. There is no open lino or even break in the vegetation, but the eye wanders over an ever-varying prospect of sombre green. From the outline of the ridge by which wo ascended other ridges constantly diverged to the right and to the left, showing plainly that the return to our camp was no simple matter. Looking to the south, the whole main range was visible to Mamapuke, which appeared just on the horizon. The deep gulf forming Coromandel Harbour, with the islands and islets near it, were distinctly visible. Then the eye could follow the irregularities of the coast to the survey camp at Torehina, and could look into Cabbage Bay, the Otautu settlement, and the Waiaro Valley, through which we had ascended. On the east coast, a large portion of Port Charles was visible, while, further south, Mercury Island and the islets near it were quite distinct. To the north, Barrier Island was clearly defined, and, away to the west, every island and islet in Auckland Harbour were distinctly outlined. RETURNING. We did not reach our camp that night, but, sorely against our will, were forced to explore the eastern ridges and deep mountain gullies. We lost and found the main ridge over and over again, bub soon ib became too dark to move, and, after a

frugal supper of nikau and water, we sat uneasily on the loose shingle by a fire, and waited for daylight. Not a sound was heard in that lonely forest, except, at long intervals, the sharp noise produced by the weta and the continuous muffled sound in the distance of falling water. There is nothing upon the mountain to support life, neither bird nor beast, so there was no inducement for the ancient Maori to ascend it, and, as no kauri grows there above the level of 1000 feet, there is no attraction for the gumdigger. So that, after a few expeditions have been made to fully explore the summit for plants, To Moehau will probably bo left undisturbed except by the wind.