SUCCESSFUL PENETRATION to the WEST COAST from LAKE WAKATIPU.

Otago Witness, Issue 600, 29 May 1863, Page 4

SUCCESSFUL PENETRATION to the WE S T COAST from LAKE WAKATIPU.

The following interesting report has been placed in our hands for publication by the Government : —

(copy.) Prospecting Tour to the West Coast from the Shotover. To the Secretary for Gold Fields. Sir,— Seeing the interest taken in the exploration to the West Coast, and being returned from a prospecting tour of three months, during which time 1 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 f*old 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 tipper station, to a gorge on the Western Creek, 15 miles from the Like 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 tying 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 that I could only see a short distance. I descended a steep mountain side covered with timber and scrub, and at the base stnick the east bank ef a rapidly flowing river, about the size of Waipori Eiver. This river I called the " Hollyford." I followed it down, prospecting the creeks and beaches, until the sth 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 boulder?, over which the water came tumbling, forming a succession of rapids. This T call Pyke's Creek.

Next (lay 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 my provisions on the Western Creek— crossing the mountains over Pyke's Creek, and dea° cending 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. Ilalf a mile from the bay 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'g Lake. The Hollyford flows iato 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 exception of some small patches on the flats. The mountains west of Hollyford are very remarkable lor their conical shape. Between the cones stands a tall pyramid, and at the base a broad field of ice, which delies 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 lake 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, b<it I found a great deal of black sand. The creeks and river were in a very flooded &tate.

The scrub being very thick, had 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 alonrj the course of the mountain, caused no doubt by some subterranean agency. Leaving a tent, &c, to return to, I crossed at the head of a small lake or pool, on Greenat n2 (a tributary of Wakatipu), 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 aud narrow gorge 1,000 yards long by 10 broad, and having such a precipitous inclination as to preclude any attempt at s uface travelling. Seeing a chasm between the glacier and the slate side, which was so narrow, that by leanins one hand well muffled on the ice. and the other on the side wall, I moved along in a suspended position by shifting han.ls altera* ately, until, the passage getting wider, I went down, and found the ice to be twelve (12) teet 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 map, I was for 3. time in doubt. Getting provisions at the station, I ag«iu started, crossing the Lake in one of Mr Bees 1 boat? to Greenstone. I followed up that cr.<£k ,to my camp, near L#ke

Morton. On the 4th March, taking a week's provisions, I started for the sea, keeping above the timber 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. I crossed Pyke's creek, three miles from its junction with the Hollyford, and scaled a thickly wooded mountain, between Pyke's Creek and Martin Bay, and the east side of L-;ke McKcrrow.

On the evening of the Bth, 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 provision?, made me feel very uncomfortable. Seeking the thickest cover, I camped on the hill side over the bay without lighting a fire. Next morninotaking advantage of the thick fog and a light drizzling rain, I descended 'to the beach, following down a small scrubby creek, leaving to ray left, or between me and the hut, a low and remarkable looking hill, dear 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 flix, 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 creeks flowing down the side. On the opposite side, the mountains are high, rugged and having glaciers resting in the gorges, and on the higher ledges. I returned to my 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 mustcall ■ Maori rabbits. Again I descended to - the Hollyford abeve 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 lying in heavy, nuggets.

This river has a resemblance to many of the creeks and rivers flowing Irom 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.

Ia 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 5 vvoodhens are scarce.

Ia returning from the Hollyford, I turned south, crossing the head of a creek flowing iato Te-Aaan Lake. The mountains' being too rugged, I turned ea3t and struck the head* of the Mararoe River above the Marooa Lakes. [ crossed over a low mountain to the Oreti River and back again to the Maroroe at Hamilton's, following it down to the Takatimo Mountains. Plere, 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 hardship 3 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 Mountains ; 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. Caples. Nokomai, 3rd May, 1863.