WEST COAST EXPLORATION".

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 53

WEST COAST EXPLORATION".

By Thos. STackenzib,

vn. My last week's notes closed with our arrival at the sea coast. That evening our dog began to bark very loudly at some object in the bush. We called on him to keep qniefc, which had but little effect;. Then we urged him to attack the intruder, but he would not go far from the tent. We went out and looked, but the night was too dark to see anything, and vre once more settled down to our yarns. Again the dog began, more violently than ever — we could Hot understand the reason. He finally came back cowering into the tent, and would not go out again. At last one of our party remarked, "There is something about these West Coast Bounds I cannot understand. I have had experiences and so have others, and we cannot satisfactorily account for noiseit in the bush at night, nor for the unusual alarm evinced by our dogs on these occasions. If one speaks about one* experiences he is apt to be ridiculed " We urged him to tell what he had noticed ; meanwhile I told him all Donald Sutherland, of Milford Sound, had to say about noises at night, and about seeing great footprints on the beach Sutheilan^n went the length of naming the animal which used to annoy him «o raach. He called it a Poseidon, and m»ny a night he has ssfc up, rifle in baud, to get a shot at the monster, but was never fortunate enough to obtain a view of the disturber of his peace. To cap Sutherland's yarn I told our mate an incident- whioh occurred to ms wh«n I was a very small boy. - We were out looking for cows behind the St. Clair sandhills, when in the dusk I dropped across a queerlooking monster of a pile whitish colour lying in the long rushes, which had on it a lot of little stumpy armlike projections moving to and fro. How I scampered away almost scared to death, and told my companions what I had seen, which added speed to their heels also. Our mate naid that while he was on the ooaat, living in a hut aloue, every night he heard the met singular noises bahfnd his tent. He thought at first it was some other people from a distance playing tricks on him. Still that would not account for the die^cKul fright his dog used to get — a dog which would seize anything he ever met. At last, one night, in desperation, our mate went forth, gun in hand, shouting to the intruder, " Man or devil, I'll shout you." With that something moved away into the bushes, crunching the branches as it went along. He never could get a Might of it. A married couple who stayed in the bay about a couple of miles from his tent were so suared that they left the place and went to Btay at luvercargill. Referring me to a friend of mine whom I knew well to substantiate some of his more recent experiences, our mutual friend told me that there wore undoubtedly queer noises, which he c-.uld not understand at all.

I am indebted to my old friend Mr A. Fullertou, of Rodney Cottage, Port Cha'mers, for a story which may throw some light on the mystery, although probably Sutherland and our mate might repudiate the idea that the nocturnal disturber was so docile an animal. Mr Fullerton said : " When I was an apprentice aboard the Acheron, upon one occasion when the boat's crew of eight men, under Evans (master), went into a small cove in Stewart Island, after landing all hands — exoept one left in charge of the boat, — they were astonished to see a well-beaten track leading into the forest, up which they went for about 150 yards, when suddenly a huge cow seal jumped up and almost Reared their wits out of them. It floundered quickly down to the sea, jumped in near the boat, nearly killing with f eight the man in charge. It popped its head up about 100 yards out, and then disappeared. It was tbe first seal they bad seen. Captain Stokes waR so vastly amused with the incident that he called the place Fright Cove, by which name it is still known."

My reference to Sutherland evoked the observation from one of our party " that Sutherland told some very queer stories. " Yes, that is the case," I remarked; "otill I am sure he was quite serious about the Poseidon." He even took us down to Lake Ada to show us his Poseidon's footprints on the shores of the lake. They were like the marks a young elephant would make, but strange to say in their location no s^em was shewn. My own opinion, was they were hoiei made by wild ducks puddling." Of course Sutherland had a stock of yarns he used to toll for the edification and mystification of "athphalters" (city people) and "shadow catchers" (photographers), one of which stories he gave to us one night as we were sitting round the camp fire near the Sutherland Falls. Sutherland had with him at that time a bright-faced waif from the Induntriai School. The get-up of the youngster reminded me of Mark Twain's description of Huckleberry Finn's .attire. The boy was pale-faced, redhaired, and equiuted. He wore an old soft felt hat, well ventilated, which fitted him like a candle extinguisher, leaving only the eyes and lower part of the face visible. He had no shoes or stockings : a man's paget coat with sleeves turned up did service for upper garments, while hisbraeks, like Huckleberry Finn's, "hung low down and contained nothing." When Sutherland began to lead up to his story, he remarked that he had made "wonderful discoveries"; that people would like to know of tome of them, but he would not enlighten them. We all agreed with his aeutiment, endeavoured to look impressed and to mutely acquiesce in his -policy of silence and masterly profundity. Becoming more confident, and looking around to see that no one was within hearing (Sutherland's nearest neighbour was Dooherty, about 150 miles away), he balf whispered, " I've found diamonds, but they are not easily reached ; they are away up these wild mountains 5000 or 6000 feet. Tbe only difficulty about them is " At this moment Huckleberry interjected insinuatingly, "To pick 'em up, eh, Sutherland ? " A boot at his head, which was smartly dodged, was the only notice Sutherland deigned to take of this irrelevant interjection. But we never again heard of Sutherland's diamonds.

We had some amusement with that lad upon another occasion. When the chief surveyor was round there he had laid in a stock of camphor, ginger, and marmalade, and the lad had been sent down to the place where these delicacies were left to bring up some things. It was discovered afterwards that both marmalade and ginger had been broached. One of the surve3or's hands, with sandy hair, who had joined us, thought to chaff Huckleberry. He asked that precocious youth how the marmalade market was. Quito undisturbed by the question, and giving his head a commercial tilt, Huckleberry replied, ♦• Marmalade I Let me see. Ah ! yes ; for qualities fair to medium, market shows a hardening tendency — chiefly due to the recent tariff." (The tariff of 1888 had just become law.) The surveyor had one more shot at Huckleberry. "And how is ginger?" Huckleberry eontstnpUted the surveyor for odo moment, then said, "Well, sir, jtou should know how the mar brut-, stands, as

j you were not behind the door when ginger was goiog.' r

And so with yarns like these the evening passed pleasantly away, and we turned in at 10 o'clock on our patent spring mafctresie?. Next morning began our waiting and watching. The tenth arrived, but no Hineino*. We made a large signal with our sail aad a piece of red calico to let tbe Hiaemoa know where we were. During the morning we went fishing, and very soon had more than we required, so that we smoked some of them. The fish common to the sound are blue cod, groper, trumpeter, moki, flounders, royal king fish, bnttor fish, and many others. Where we fished our lines were no sooner down than we had fish on.*Unfortunately our lines were not afcrong enough, and the larger fl-^h were constantly taking away our "hooka. We should have had them attached by wire. Mr Henrycatches a most delicious fish in his net, which Dr Hector calls mendos. It is closely allied to the trumpeter. The spot we selected for fishing was under a high cliff, where a lot of broken rock had fallen into the sound. About such places the fish bunt for food, as they fiad shelter and hiding among the broken rocks. Occasionally a school of grampus would come along, when the fi\h would scamper away and would not reappear for a considerable time. Oar fishing ground was not a j quarter of a mile away from the outlet of the river, so that the presence of fresh water evidently did not interfere with the fish.

Many of the sea birds are differentff rom those on oar coast, ' particularly a Urge gull with white feathers under the wing. There were also a good many penguins. By the way, writing of penguins reminds me that the lady psngains have ! made considerable progress with the question of the equality of the- sexes, which should be a console ion to some of those matrons who wore recently in Christohurch deploring the dreadful slavery and fearf ul bondage of the unfortunate married women. The lady penguin always lays two eggs, and she insists upon the gentleman penguin sitting on one egg while she sits on the other, and I believa he is never per* mitfced to leave that egg until chicken penguin shoves his inquisitive beak into this world. The male gattnet ha» also to do his *qtaal share of inenbntion. So that soms of the feathered and amphibious tribe are teaohiog their brutal, bad husbands that they must take tbeir share of responsibility and work. After re»d>ng some of the Chritfcchurch speeches my soul is amazed to understand why any girls can be persuaded under any circumstances to marry men at all. Yet, strange to say, they do. After dinner we scaled a face to obtain a view of the surrounding features. We saw away towards the east some fine, kindly oountry — round hills and grassy, with timber up to aboub 2000ffc. lam frequently asked whether the country is of any value for agricultural or pastoral purposes. The only good soil is that found along the river bank, which is all a rich alluvial deposit. Its extent is very limited, ranging from a few yards to half a mile back from the river, Borne of it frequently subjeot to flooding. The land on the hilla and inlands is all covered with a mass of decaying vegetable monld 2ft and 3ft deep, whioh is really useless for anything. If the toil below that could be reached something might be grown, but it will never pay for the co*t and trouble. The forest runs up the faces 2000 ft and 3000 ft, comprising ohifcfly birch, some red pine, and rata. Above that most of the tops are covered with a yellowgreen tu<s>ick of a slippery, wiry nature, which is more difficult to travel over than ice, and the traveller requires the closest vigilasoe and stoutest alpenstock to save his neck. The vegetation, from a botanical point, is most interesting. Celmiaiao, veronicas, and ranunculi are most abundant and in Bumerou* variety^ Of course many of the higher mountains are bare rock and snow. Many of the tops would make excellent rammer sheep country, but owing to the entire abisnce of suitable low land no winter feed could be had. Cattle conld live all right and do well, bub could never be got out again, and owing to the abrupt nature of the country many would ba killed. The whole conntry should be kept and used for tourist purposes. The heights should be stocked with deer— red and fallow— and ch»mois, the rivers with trout, and, if possible, salmon. This fa a subject I have kept before the Government, and I S»B g lad to say that instructions have been given to Csotain Fairchild to purchase 50 fallow deer* anu liberate them in the western sounds. During my subsequent trip in the Hinemoa Captain Fairchild and myself selected the places whioh *c thought most mitable for letting them away. The Government are procuring the deer from Auckland, and have arranged to get them. In 1888, when Mr W. g. Pillans and I went exploring from Milford to Te Anau, we took round 1200 fine trout fry, 200 of which were liberated in the Cleddau and 1000 in tbe Upper Arthur river, and a diffionlt job we had carrying these cans through the bush in addition to our then unuiually heavy swagt of fully 701b each. Mr Fillans's care and attention to secure tha safe distribution of the fish is deserving of the highest praise. ' We heard that come very fine specimens were B«en when the prisoners Were at Milford. The Government for many years have been offering to lease over-half a million acres of that county at an annual* rental of £80, but 10 times that revenue could be derived £som selliDg deer licenses and' fUhing licenses. The long indentations and fiords would be a great aid to opening up the country fcr sportsmen. The arms of our inland lakes reach to witbio 10 to 20 miles of all the sounds, tracks could be cat up the leading spurs, and the sportsman could easily reach his hunting ground almost at any point. The capabilities of New Zealand for developing this tourist business are practically unlimited. lam persuaded that, great as has been the advantage to New Zealand of her goldfields, ft greater permanent revenue in tbe future will be derived from her wealth of scenery and the curative properties of her waters. Iv Switzerland the whole coat of government is paid by the tourist traffic. New Zealand is destined to become the sanatorium and health-recruiting country bf the world. Every improvement in shipbuilding, every increased mile obtained in marine speed, brings our wonderful land closer to the teeming millions of the old and new world. We are unconscious of our wealth. The marvellous efficacy of our mineral waters and muds is yet unknown ; the glorious scenery of our western sound",- inland lakes, and snow-clad peaks; our glacial - rivers of travelling ioa 20 miles in length, miles in width, and of unfathomed depth; and our mighty waterfalls and raging cataracts, are pracfcicillrunknown. Nowhere in the world can be found so much that is wonderful and sublime within so small a compass as-- can. be found in New Zealand. Of course I have made no reference to the mineral wealth which may lie hidden there. Before that is kuowa tracks must be cut for the miner and supplies of food be available.

(To be continued.)

A man named Orr, who was drowned at Opbir the other weak, held a uoliey of £1000 on his life.