Rambles in the Interiors.

Otago Witness, Issue 1559, 24 September 1881, Page 22

Rambles in the Interiors.

THE FIORD COUNTRY.

In response to inquiries made by the Daily Times of Dr Hector regarding the unexplored country on the West Coast, about which Mr Smythies has recently written in our columns, that gentleman has courteously furnished the following interesting information :— Colonial Museum of New Zealand, Wellington, September 9tjj,,1881. I have perused the letter of Mr Smythies on the unexplored country in the south-west of Otago. If you are passing the Museum, take a look at the large map which I made in 1864, hanging over the fireplace in the library, and you will see there is no such great blank as has been stated. My smaller physical map of the country between Milf ord and Wakatipu is also in the Musuem, and shows no blank in that quarter. In 1863 1 explored to the source of nearly all the streams that fall into Milf®rd Sound, except up the Arthur River towarda the Te Anau Lake ; and Captain Hankinson working from the lake, and Messrs Sutherland and M'Kay from the Milford, have cleared all that up. These two men have just returned, subsidised to a small extent by Government, to continue their prospecting. They have traversed the country in many directions, and have blazed over 80 miles of tracks up the valleys from Milford during the last two years. The unexplored country to which I alluded in my remarks on the Notornis to the Otago Institute on 6th April last, as reported in the Otago Daily Times, is not in Lake County, but in Fiord County, and lies between Manipori Lake and the head of Dusky Bay. It is, roughly speaking, about 20 miles wide and 30 miles long, and only remains unexplored because of the greater facilities afforded by the ramifications of the sounds and lakes for exploring the other parts of the district. The country to the north, between Te Anau and the sounds, haa been traversed in various directions by M'Kerrow, Hankinson, Cox, myself, and othera ; but so far as I know, our information respecting the above area ia only derived from distant views from mountain tops. I don't suppose there will be much difference in the geology or botany from that of the surrounding mountains, but I have always anticipated the discovery of mineral lodeß iti the higher parts of these great mountain masses. The wonderful manner in which they are intersected by profound valleys, laying open sectiona of the earth to depths far beyond the reach of ordinary mining operations, should greatly facilitate proapecting. The mass of the mountains is formed of the moat highly metamorphosed rocks, from the upper aurface of which spring the mineral lodes that intersect tho less ancient rocka in other parts of New Zealand. Take, for instance, the north-west of Nelson, Reefton, or the Upper Shotover. If the mineral lodea were there followed down below the aurface, the crystalline rocka of the Fiord mountaina would be encountered under the same conditiona which they present — not at the lowest, but at the highest levels of tho West Coast rangea. It might be expected that the outcrop of the metalliferoua rocka could be easily traced along the eastern flank of the crystalline rocka, but attempts to do this have not as yet proved successful, owing to the existence of a great fault that brings the Devonian rocka (my Te Anau series) in direct surface contact with the crystalline schists, thus cutting out the mineral-bear-ing rocks. The investigation of these important structural features ia kept steadily in view, and worked at when any member of the very limited geological stafi can be spared from other work at the proper season. The chief requisites for exploring among the West Coast ranges are patience and sufficient auppliea to last over the long spells of wet weather when bush travelling is impracticable, With respect to further exploration, the position is this :— l. For minerals, the whole of the West Coast rangea require prospecting and more detailed geological survey, not merely the unexplored portiona. 2. For settlement or land-survey purposes, further exploration is not at present a pressing want. 3. For botanical and zoological studenta these mountaina afford a splendid field for holiday rambles, as there will be a chance of finding novelties, and the charm of exploring untrodden hills and valleys to give zest to the excursion.

There have been many prospectors at work in some parts of the ranges, both in the' east and west, inland, but I have had no communication with any except Measrs Docherty, Sutherland, and M'Kay.— l am, &c,

James Hector.

In reply to the above Mr Smythies subsequently wrote as follows in the Daily Times :—

Sib,— You certainly deserve the gratitude of your subscribers for obtaining from Dr Hector the very instructive and interesting communication published by you in your issue to-day. lam especially grateful, because the information corroborates in all essentials what I advanced in my letters to you of the 3rd and Bth inst. respectively. We have now the highest authority for stating that there is a large tract of country- 20 miles by 30 miles —between Lake Manipori and Dusky Bay quite unexplored, for " distant views from mountain tops" cannot be called exploration. This is the very part which I suggested should be first prospected, into which I penetrated a considerable distance" in April, 1876, and where, near the top of a high mountain, I saw the traces of very large birds. The fact that Dr Hector anticipates " the discovery of mineral lodes in the higher parts of these great mountain masses" is very encouraging, and will be of immense advantage to prospectors by leading them to search at the right altitude. It is very gratifying to hear that prospecting has been done towards the extreme north of the Fiord County, but it would be still more so if the results were only made public ; and as the prospectors are being assisted by the Government, it seems but just that the public should know what has been discovered, for the sake of encouraging others. The central position I sugtrefeted should be taken up would be over 50 miles from where Messrs Sutherland and M'Kay aie at work, and I believe that Mr Docherty is engaged upon the shores of the sounds. My object is to prospect the interior between Manipori and Dusky Bay. With regard to the blank space, even in Dr Hector's map there is practically a very large blank space, for although the main range is sketched in, it is admitted that the data for much of the sketch consisted only of distant views. But I alluded more to the maps in every-day use, compiled from data in the Survey Office ; and I ask your readers, most of whom possesß one of these maps, if there is not on all of them a large blank space, and there it must remain until proper survey lines arc run. From the particular instructions which Dr Hector gives you, Sir, for finding his map, "hanging over the fireplace in the library " of the Museum, it is evident that this map is not easily seen by the general public. This ought surely to be an excuse for not having seen it. The great encouragement that Dr Hector gives to botanical and geological students should md uce many to join the proposed party. In conclusion, Sir, permit me once more refer to the great boon a railway to Dusky Bay, or one of the other sounds, would be. There seems to bo every probability that in a year or two we shall have lartre steamers plying direct between England and this Colony. Will they be able to enter the Dunedin harbour ? True, the best dredge ever built may shortly be expected for the purpose of dredging the bar, but sand is a treacherous thing, and who can foretell with certainty what the result may be ? If, unfortunately, it should prove a failure, or meet with an accident coming out, what an immeiiße advantage it would be to us Otagons to have another port -and that such a magnificent one -to fall back upon. But before we can use it the railway must bo made.— l am, &c

H. W. Smythies.

Dunedin, September 15th.

Mr Gordon Bennett intends having the largest steam-yacht in tho world, and ia building one of 800 tons. Tho lament English steam, yacht ia the Wanderer, 750 tone, now on v voyage round the world. Mr Stewart's Amy in the next largest nhe being 600 tons. In order to remove all doubts as to the qualificatioi a required f>>r th* decoration of the Victoria Owee, a lioyal warrant states that tLey Bhaii be " conspicuous bravery or devotion (o the countryjin the presence of the enemy,"