A TRIP TO DUSKY SOUND

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 96

A TRIP TO DUSKY SOUND

By “ Old Colonial,” in the Field of Nov. 27. The idea of an expedition to Dusky Sound, on the south-west coast of New Zealand, had been occupying the minds of some friends and myself for the whole summer, and at last, the autumn being well on and the era when ducks vould call themselves “flappers” having expired, we set about making our arrangements for visiting that outlandish and never-to-be-forgotten sound. It was a difficult thing to- get there, unless we chartered a ‘ small fore-and-after, which would be very expensive, and, in addition to this, she would have had to come back again in a month to pick us up. _ This would not do, so we made special arrangements with the small mail-boat which carried the mails round the South (or, as it is properly called, the Middle) Island to drop our party there and call again a month hence on her return journey. Our party consisted of four, and in addition we engaged the services of an experienced boatman, whom we found invaluable, and also a cook, who was no s.art-hly use at all; moreover, it afterwards* transpired that he had never occupied anything above the position of an assistant steward on board a wind-jammer. The boat wo were to take could not be a very large affair, otherwise the mailooat could not have accommodated her on dfrek. A 25ft whaleboat, however, was purchased —a -heavy boat to pull, as we afterwards discovered —fitted with a spritsail and jib. Two tents for accommodating us during the trip, all the necessary paraphernalia for fishing, four dogs and three guns, a barrel of salt junk, bags of flour, tea and sugar, currants and raisins for making “ duff,” some barrels of bissuits, two bags of potatoes, and one bottle of brandy for medicinal purposes completed our outfit. Our ideas were partly sporting and partly commercial. For myself, I was quite satisfied with shooting and fishing, two others were for starting a fish-curing station and prospecting for minerals, timber, etc., and the fourth would be pleased with anything and A c ;uvived at our destination on a pouring wet afternoon. By the time we had loaded up the boat it was nearly dark, and as the only clear space we could see was a shingle* spit, cutting off a large lagoon from the bay of the sound at the back of Five Fingers Peninsula, we made all haste, and had barely pitched camp when darkness set in. The rain poured incessantly, and that night we passed on wet “bungies” (fern trees) underneath ns, with the water trickling down between them. This did not give us a very favourable impression of Dusky Sound. We were camped on a large and lofty island called Resolution Island, cut off from the mainland by a very deep channel called Acheron Passage, named after H.M.S. Acheron, which surveyed the sound many years before. The bush rose as far as the eye could see, from the water's edge to an altitude of 3000 ft—in fact, as far as the snow limit, and was in most places impenetrable owing to the rocks and holes, in many places very deep. Some days were occupied in unceasing rain in fixing up the camp, building impromptu huts for stores, etc., and then one fine morning we started out to shoot anything eatable by way of fresh meat. In Goose Cove grey duck, teal, and pidgeon rose in great flocks, and it was not long befere we had good sport and a welltiled larder. That wary bird, the Pa-ra- ■ : »e duck (sheldrake), was not to be had , ) suddenly, and, indeed, we found that ■ i always required stalking. The wari- > :-s of this bird was remarkable, cons dering there was no living being for ; bout a hundred, miles either way, and < nite 60 inland. The next thing to do was to try what the fishing was like; but this was not so easy, for, owing to the great depth of water, we were obliged to drop anchor by the chart. In most places we could not touch the hottom with either anchor or fishinglines. The bltte cod abounded wherever we cast line, but, alas! it was soon evident that all idea of a fish-curing station would have to be abandoned, for the whole sound for miles up literally abounded with sharks, both large and small. The smaller ones played havoc with our lines, and tried our patience to the extreme. Looking about one. day to see if we could find places to set “graballs,” we came across a small island, the entire centre of which was a round pool, with an entrance only just large enough to let in the boat. This should have Been an excellent place for fish coming in with the tide, but no sooner had we massed the entrance than we could see in the clear water a monster shark. We made no noise, but landed as quickly a-s possible. No doubt this was the home of the brute when the sea was rough and he wanted a rest. Catch him we could not, for we had no shark hook with us. Inshore the smaller fish, such us red mullet, moki, and John Dory, were nlentiful. This red mullet was a particularly pretty fish of a very bright red, and, moreover, excellent eating. The John Dory was the happy possessor of such a huge mouth that the boatman was constrained to remark one day when we hauled one in that “when he opened his mouth there was not much of his face left.” Very fine crayfish crawled about in the rocky places inshore, but we never landed even one, for the moment they came to the surface off they dropped. What would w.e have paid for a landing net, for by all accounts they were a delicate morsel. This sound, like all the sounds on this coast, was the most weird place to live m. Extending to a distance of 26 miles h’lland, one had literally to go from one place to another, either on island or the mainland, in the boat. The travelling was awful, the whole surface of the ’vand being such a mass of huge rocks and -stones that one could hardly understand

how trees grew amongst them at all. In many places the land fell away in sheer precipices hundreds of feet down. Resolution Island must have been severed from the mainland by some terrific volcanic force in bygone days, the soundings in Acheron Passage being as much as 250 fathoms. The scenery was, however, magnificent. After a tremendous downpour we one day counted upwards of 40 cataracts, large and small, pouring down from the mountain sides into the sound. Having satisfied ourselves that commercially the trip was a failure, and from a sporting point of view a decided success, we made up our minds to take the boat some 25 miles up the sound, and then ascend one or other of the spurs of the main range to see what the country was like, taking it in a bird’s-eye view. The chart showed that at the end of the sound there were many Natives in the- time of Cook, but beyond that nothing was known. From this we conjectured —and rightly so, as, it proved—that after leaving the sound we would be in country never trodden before by the foot of white man. One of our party did not relish the journey, so we left him behind with the cook, or apology for such, and, sailing the boat as far as we could by the chart, we commenced to pull slowly and steadily till we passed Cooper Island, and came to what was evidently fresh water, and therefore practically the- end of the sound. Here the “ manuka ” scrub (tea tree) was growing in the water in the very spot where the Maoris must have had the (9' encampment. In front of us was a long and steep cataract, over which the water fell with a roar from a river leading up to the main range. This river was marked on the chart, but with no particulars as to length, depth, etc. We decided to go up as far as we could with the boat, and then, ascend one of the smaller spurs running down from the main range until we were clear of the bush, and, should we have time, to reach the top of the range itself. It was now a question as to how the boat was to be hauled up the cataract; but our boatman was good for the occasion, and making fast one end of a block and tackle to the tree nearest to the bank of the river, we started her on the way; she, however, stuck on the stones. Nothing daunted, we cut down long poles and shoved them under by way of skids, and then by sheer force “boused” her up inch by inch till she landed on the top. Pulling up half a mile or more we came across another cataract, and farther on still another; but as these were small affairs compared with the first, no great difficulty presented itself, and up she went over both. After this the water began to shoal rapidly, till at last she would go no farther. We now had to take the bull by the horns with a vengeance. Making her fast to a tree, we divided the tents, swags, etc., into packs and carried them on our backs till we arrived at nearly the head of the river, where it ended, so far as we could see. suddenly against the face of the cliff running down direct from the top of the range. It was nearly dark, so we camped for the night, with not very comfortable accommodation, for the ground was reeking with wet. The next morning soon after daybreak, snatching a frugal repast, we started on a day’s journey which none of ns will ever forget. To our left the range took a curve, and from that a spur ran down almost opposite to the camp, ending abruptly with a flat between it and the river. The roughness of the country in that flat had only to be seen to be realised —huge rocks and stones, fallen trees, scrub, and pitfalls full of decayed vegetation. Sometimes we had to haul one another out of a bole, and sometimes to surmount a stone slippery with wet moss, till at last we came to an impenetrable stockade of “supple jacks” (canes), through which we had to carve our way with the tomahawk, taking turns, for we had only one with us. This obstacle being overcome, some distance farther on the end of the spur appeared in sight. Imagine our surprise and chagrin, when we found that the end of the spur broke off short and presented the face of a perpendicular piayripice, though not very high. This had to be explored before we could find a place with the slightest chance of enabling us to reach the top. The end of the cliff hung over like an umbrella, with, however, a huge vine creeping up it. Up this vine rve went hand over hand, at one time with our backs towards the ground, until we reached the top. It was now 12 o’clock, and after boiling the billy and having a snack we determined to return. According to the aneroid, we reckoned- we had travelled all told a little more than one mile. We had fancied that the return journey would be much easier, but in this we were greatly mistaken. It was fortunate for ns that we bad taken the boat’s lantern, as darkness set in before vve reached camp, so that it must have taken us nearly 12 hours to go and return one mile. So much for travelling in Dusky Sound. Next morning we bad all our work cut out to get the boat off and fairly on the way, for, the rain having ceased, the river fell so rapidly that had we delayed we never could have got her down to the sound, and I fear might very easily have lost the number of our mess. We were out off absolutely from our island by the Acheron Passage, and no one lived for goodness only knows how many miles either way. The exertions of our previous day’s trip had taken it out of us so much and the commissariat ran so short that we actually had to camp that night at no great distance from our own head camp ; but we were dead beat all round, with nothing left but a few potatoes, which we roasted in the fire. Next morning our arrival was announced early at the camp by a great barking of dogs, of which we had four. Our friend and the cook were delighted at our return, for they were anxious lest we had met with a mishap. Here I may say that the dogs might just as well have been left behind in Dunedin,

for had one of them attempted to enter the water in that sound he would have been promptly gobbled up by a shark. My commercial friends being quite satisfied that there was no pecuniary benefit to be gained, we devoted the rest of our time to fishing and shooting. The ducks were much more wary, and therefore afforded superior sport; A very excel • lent bird was a black oyster-catcher, with red legs and red beak, and also a black and white oyster-catcher, which flew much like a woodcock. These were very gamey birds, and delicious eating. The bird which excited our curiosity, however, was the apteryx, or kiwi of the Maoris. Of these we caught several, but, being of no use for culinary purposes, they were set free again. It is a curious creature, which runs with great swiftness, and our dogs had great work to catch them, or, rather, round them up till they ran under a rock or . into a hole in a tree stump. The surprise of our dogs the first time they saw this bird was quite ludicrous. The day previous to the arrival of the steamboat on her return voyage we packed up all belongings, except the tents and our blankets, ready to go aboard. Here I must relate a rather thrilling personal experience which might have ended seriously, perhaps fatally. Some friends of mine in Dunedin had asked me to bring back some paradise ducks should we come across them. All the time we were here we had never shot one. Lately, howover, we had noticed one flock, consisting of the old drake and duck and about 10 youngsters, flying overhead and alighting to feed along the banks of the lagoon at the back of the camp. I made up my mind to lay in wait for them and stalk them. Taking the boat, I rowed into the lagoon through the narrow entrance between it and the sound, and, making her fast to a tree, waited patiently behind some scrub till I beard the cry of the old drake, and soon after they alighted, fortunately on my side of the lagoon, and proceeded to gradually feed up towards me, the old drake and duck going on as an advance guard and acting sentry whilst the young ones fed. As they came round a small point I walked out of my lair, and. waiting till they rose, bagged two with my right and one with my left. Elated with my success, I proceeded to return triumphantly to the boat, when, to my horror, she was high and dry. The tide had been ebbing, and so eager was I after the game that I entirely forgot the fact. There was nothing for it but to wade through the mud and return to my friends at the camp, though I tried in vain to get the boat off. She was too heavy for one man. The mailboat was due early next morning, and the boat must be got somehow, or they might go off without us, thinking we wore not going back that trip. A council of war was held., and eventually I said that I would take all risks and swim for the boat as soon as the tide was high enough for her to be afloat. It was bitterly cold, so it was not a pleasant job in itself, but that was nothing as compared with the terror o f being attacked by a shark, for •they came into the lagoon with the tide and went out again with it. We all adjourned to the end of the spit, ami there I took a header, kicking my legs and making as much splash as I could, my friends throwing in stones all round me to frighten any brute that might attempt to take me under. But it was not to he; they were either not there that tide, or we had frightened them off. Quickly reaching the boat, I paddled her across, to the cheers of my friends. A good rub down before a huge bonfire, and I was soon myself, though very numbed with the icy cold water. Almost before we had time vo get the boat loaded the steamer announced her arrival with a loud whistle. It seemed like going to another world to meet strange faces after the weird solitude and rough living in a place no one could ever possibly forget. The scenery of this sound would linger in anyone’s mind for all time, and the stillness of the bush in places was positively sepulchral. A pleasant ionrney to Invercargill and then to Dunedin ended jin experience not to be met with every clay.