TE ANAU AND THE SOUNDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 54

TE ANAU AND THE SOUNDS.

A correspondent who sends occasional notes from Te An&u writes as follows on the close ef the tourist seasoa : — The bulk of the traffic through to Milford Sound this season was during January and February. February was specially favourable, being so warm and dry. March has been rabher stormy and fewer people seem to be travelling — anyway the numbers finding their way over M'Kinnon's pass were not so great. With the approach cf winter, and the nights growing loDg and chilly, 1 suppose we may consider the season at an end, especially as the overland mail is now stopped for the winter. Compared with previous seasons the numbers show an increase, and it only requires greater facilities for gettiDg over the lakes, &c, to make this one cf the most popular resorts in New Zealand. So far as I can learn the road party working ais Lake Ada are to continue there till June, by whirh time they ehould have a good stretch of \ tbe track completed, bub the old and new tracks will nob be meb bill about the end of another season. Then visitors will be able to go over- | land to Milford Sound from the head of Lake Te Anau without haviDg to brave the dangers of Lake Ada. Ife the diecovery and naming of the Sutherland Falls, an account of which wag given in | some articles descriptive of the lakes and Milford recently, it is probably worth correcting the reference therein, and stating the exact circumstances under which the falls were discovered and named. They were first seen by Sutherland on November 10, 1880. Three years afterwards tbe falls were again visited ; tbe party, consisting of Harfc (photographer, of Hart and Campbell, Invercargill), Morbon (artist, of Invercargill), and Sutherland, (oak three days to reach the falls from Milford Sound. Hart had photos from about Lake Ada and other places on the way up. He first photographed the falls from about half a mile off, aud gob other views from various points. Having got the negatives he required a name, and called the falls Sutherland Falls after the discoverer. At the suggestion of the other two it was agreed to call the mountain between M'Kinnon's Pass and the falls Mount Hart. The Mackay Fall, opposite the upper boat landing on the Arthur River, was named by Sutherland after his mate in the exploration of the valley. At the time tha fall was named a lot of seeds of EDglish trees — oak, asb, &o. — were sown on | a slip at the foot of Mount Hart. The native plants now cover over the slip, but some of the other seeds sown may have taken root also, and by-and-bye people will wonder how they got there. The seeds were supplied by some of the Invercargill seedsmen. The Itev. J. J. Lewis returned last week after an absence of 12 months. The cathedral at Napier on the 7th could nob accommodate all who desired to be present at the wedding of Miss Watt (eldest daughter of the late Mr James Watt, and step-daughter of Mr J. H. Colemaß) to Mr T. H. Lowry, of Akawa. Mr and Mrs Coleman afterwards entertained aboub 300 at their residence. As a medicine for cure and relief of coughs, colds, and any throat complainbs, Bonnington's ,Ihish Moss still stands to the fore. Those who have nob tried ib for an annoying n^ld—Dld or young— should do so.— Aclvfc.