SUCCESSFUL PENETRATION TO THE WEST COAST FROM LAKE WAKATIPU.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 449, 29 May 1863, Page 5

SUCCESSFUL PENETRATION TO THE WEST COAST FROM LAKE WAKATIPU.

The following interesting report has been placed in our hands for publication by the Government:— Prospecting Tour to the West Coast from the Shotover. To the Secretary for Gold Fields.

Sin, —Seeing the interest taken in the exploration to the West Coast, and being returned, from a prospecting... tour of three months, during which time I reached the sea, and prospected on a river flowing into Martin Bay. The routes I took, and the landmarks seen, may lessen the labors of any prospector going in that direction. I and party had a dissolution of partnership (3rd January), on Stoney Creek, Shotover; after which I crossed the dividing range to the Dart River, prospecting in that neighborhood until the 23rd, getting coarse in several places, which encouraged me to go further west. On the 24th I started to cross the Glacier mountains, without gun or map, taking three weeks provisions from Mr Rees's upper station, to a gorge on the Western Creek, 15 miles from the Lake. This creek is much larger than Tuapeka River, and flows into the Dart River west, six miles above the Lake.

Leaving some provisions in a cache, a day's journey of steep and rugged travelling brought me to a flat, three quarters of a mile square, evidently the dried up bed of a lake. Here the creek has two branches, one to the north, the other west.

Following the west branch (which forms a succession of rapids, past which I had to climb), the evening of the second day brought me to a lake on the mountains, surrounded by glacier crested pinnacles, giving it a magnificent appearance. This lake is half a mile square, in form somewhat like a heart, and from the total disappearance of vegetation and the number of glaciers lying around, I believe the height to be between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. It is remarkably deep, and from its high position I call it Lake " Harris," after our present Superintendent—both being: high in Provincial situations. To avoid this Lake I passed over several glaciers, in which I had to make steps with a shovel. The most curious of these lay in a gorge, on a small creek running into Lake " Harris." This glacier is 50 yards long, 10 yards broad, and 8 feet thick, having an arch four feet high. I went under this arch as being the best passage. It exhibited 'every appearance of a high flood, rising in the narrow channel, and cutting its way through the ice. The 27th was so wet and cloudy (hat I could only see a short distance. I descended a steep mountain side covered' with timber and scrub, and at the base struck the east bank of a rapidly flowing river, about the size of Waipori River. This river I called the ll Hollyford." I followed it down, prospecting the creeks and beaches, until: the oth of February, without obtaining anything but black sand; the travelling being over level flats covered with thick scrub, and timber in patches, leaving but few spots of clear land. I then came to a large creek flowing from the eastward; the channel being filled with huge boulders, over which the water came tumbling, forming a succession of rapids. This I call Tyke's Creek. Next day I picked up two coarse specks of gold in a soft quartz vein, on a hard slate bottom, exposed between two boulders. The two following days I could not obtain the color. I returned for the remainder of in}' provisions on the Western Creek—crossing the mountains over Pyke's Creek, and descending the northern branch of the Western, which was much lower, but more difficult than going by Lake Harris. On the 14th February, I again came to Lake Harris ; and the day being clear and cloudless, I obtained a magnificent view by shifting my position on the pinnacles and glaciers. I could plainly behold the sea where the Hollyford River joins it. Half a mile from the biy and a hundred yards from the river, on a flat, smoke was issuing through the trees. Two miles from the bay there is a lake about eight miles long, and one mile broad. This I call M'Kerrow's Lake. The Hollyford flows into Martin Bay, N.W., and after the first 20 miles, turns with a horseshoe bend to W.S.W. The"flats average a mile wide for the first twenty miles. As far as the eye can reach under the timber zone, the country is covered either with timber or scrub with the cxc 'ption of some small patches on the flats. The mountains west of Hollyford are very remarkable ior their conical shape. Between the cones stands a tall pyramid, and at the base a broad fleld of ice, which deties the petrating rays of a summer's sun. A remarkable mount lies between Pyke's Creek and the Western, in form like an armchair, and on it sits a circular glacier. Next morning, I again saw the smoke at a quarter to eight, as if from a newly-built fire. I descended the river, and followed it up for three days, when I came to a lake 5 miles long and half a mile broad, which I call Lake Morton, after Inspector Morton of Queenstown.

On one of the branch creeks, below Lake Morton, is a small lakp .or pool 500 yards square, remarkable for the number of glacier fragments and detached masses of rock which fall into it from the perpendicular mountains on each side, giving forth a terrific crash, causing the echoes to be heard for several miles. From Pyke's creek to this lake I could only obtain the color, but I found a great deal of black sand. The creeks and river were in a very flooded btate.

The scrub being very thick, hail acted in such a manner on my clothes as to exceed my ingenuity to keep them together, and falling short of provisions I was forced to take the shortest route to the station. Hollowed th spure of a mountain, over the east side of Lake Morton, thickly wooded and with large granite boulders cropping out from the sides. On this a very curious rent appears along the course of the mountain, caused no doubt by some subterranean agency.

Leaving a tent, &c, to retitm to, I crossed at the head of a small lake or pool, on Greenfet n; (a tributary of Wakatipn), crossing the second branch, I ascended the mountains between that and the western creek. . On reaching the top-glaciers, it had such an inclination as to compel me to cut steps up. it, with a sharp stone. The top being gained, the glacier still continued down the opposite side, through a deep and narrow gorge 1,000 .j'ards long by 10 broad, and having such a precipitous inclination as to preclude any attempt at s irface travelling. _ -t '•■■' Seeing achasm between the glacier rind the slate side, which was so narrow, that bj^leaning one hand well muffled on the ice. and.the other on the side wall, I moved along in a suspended position by shifting ban-is alternately, until, the passage getting wider, I went down, and found the ice to be twelve (12) feet thick. In groping my way through, several hundred weight of ice and stones came tumbling down on the glacier from one of the steep sides, making a terrific crash, and a rumbling noise as the fragments rolled down. I made the station on the 22nd, where I got clothes and provisions. I saw Mr M'Kerrow, and that gentleman kindly showed me his Provincial map, but seeing no coast river flowing into Martin Bay on the imp, I was for a time in doubt. Getting provisions at the station, I again started, crossing the Lake in one of Mr Kees' boats to Greenstone. I; followed up that creek to my camp, near Lake Morton. On the 4th March, taking a week's provisions, I started for the sea, keeping above tjjmber zone, over the mountain side, on a ledge or terrace^ covered" by numerous peat pools, and cut up into gulches and table-lands by the numerous small creeks that come" down from the mountain. The travelling was very bad, but much better than the thick scrub. 1 crossed Pyke's creek, three miles from its junction witff the Hollyford, and scaled a thickly wooded mountain between Pyke's Creek and Martin Bay, and the east side of Lake McKerrow. On the evening of the Btb, I came within view of the bay which was only a few miles off, and reached a prominent point of the hill whence I could distinctly see the outlines of a rudely constructed hut standing on a thickly wooded flat,, close to the river, and [near the beach.

This circumstance, and the day being wet, and having only two day's provisions, made me feel very uncomfortable. Seeking the thickest cover, I camped on the hill side over the bay without lighting a fire. Next morning taking advantasje of the thick fog ~and a light drizzling rain, I descended to, Jhe beach, following down a small scrubby creek, leaving to my left, or between me and the hut, a low and remarkable looking hill, clear of timber on the face, but scrubby around, the base, the only exception around the bay. On the beach I picked up some chopped pieces of wood and some knotted fl-ix, which made me so uneasy, as to return without pushing curiosity further. It is easy for a person to find courage when he has law and assistance at his back, but let him be alone and beyond any assistance, near the camp of savages, he will find how fleeting courage is. ' The morning of the 10th cleared up, and being a considerable distance out of sight, I felt more at ease to examine the bay. On the eastern side is a steep but sloping mountain range, three miles long, with a curve to the head thickly wooded, and three small j creeks flowing down the side. On the opposite side, the mountains are high, rugged and having glaciers resting in the gorges, and oh the higher ledges. I returned to ray camp on the 14th, being four days without provisions^ except what I obtained by thinning the ranks of a numerous and destructive race of little animals, which (to modify the name) I must call Maori rabbits. Again I descended to the Hollyford above Lake Morton, the river passing through long narrow flats, clear of timber or scrub. Here the river is only a good sized creek, but it being still in a flooded state, prospecting was useless. I left the river believing the gold to be very scarce, or tying in heavy nuggets. This river has a resemblance to many of the creeks and rivers flowing from the Australian Alps, presenting the same difficulties to prospectors, and it may take a dozen different parties, before one may be successful. Granite, quartz, sandstone, and clay slates are to be met with. Granite, and a hard rock, better known as the greenstone, are more numerous. There are five different kinds of this lock.

In the lower portion of the Hollyford and Pyke's creek, the bed rock is a hard blue slate; intersected by vertical quartz veins. The upper portion of the river has for its bed rock a hard brown slate. Mountain ducks, ka-ka's, and minors or blue birds, are very numerous; woodhens are scarce.

In returning from the Hollyford, I turned south, crossing the head of a creek flowing into Te-Anau Lake. The mountains being too rugged, I turned east and struck the head of the Mararoe River above theMarooa Lakes. I crossed over-a low mountain to the Oreti Elver and back again to the Maroroe at Hamilton's, following it down to the Takatimo Mountains. Here, granite, quartz, and white marble prevail. Again I came to the Oreti, following up the Winalay Creek and crossing to the Wentworth; and on the 6th April I came to the Nokomai to take a considerable •' spell," after having carried a swag for three months through some of the most difficult country that can be imagined. The hardships endured from the rugged nature of the country, were not equal to that felt from the want of provisions. It would go, beyond the object of" this communication to mention any irrelevant matter, not connecting a link to the new chain of country lying beyond the Glacier Mountaius; and throughout I have kept in view brevity and perspicuity. I enclose a map of the Hollyford River, &c. I have the honor to be, Sir, Yours, &c, P. Q. Capi.es. Nokomai, 3rd May, 186.3.