FROM EAST TO WEST AND WEST TO EAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 65

FROM EAST TO WEST AND WEST TO EAST.

SOME FINE DOMINION SCENERY. (By G. Fenwick.) NO. 111. Before us stretched the pine trees' sombre miles, Soft lay the moss, like furs upon the floor; And through the trees appeared a enowy gleam Of lonely peak and spectral mountain-head. And gulfs that nurse the- glacier and the itream. Mysterious forest! In this humming city I seem to hear thy music-breathing tree; Thy branches wave and beckon me in pity To seek again thy hospitality. —Anne Glenn* Wilson. ROSS TO HARI HARI. At Greymouth we took our seate in the tiSiin which was to take us to Ross, where we were to stay for the night, and on the following morning commence our journey by coach, for two days through South Westland to Waiho Gorge, thereafter to proceed by horse to Karangarua, and thence to the Copland River, after crossing which our horses were to be taken back to Waiho, and we were to commence the arduous part of our journey—the climb up to the Copland Pass and the descent into the Hooker Valley. Ross was reached late in the afternoon, but sufficiently early to admit of our paying a visit to the Mont d'Or Company's sluicing claim. Unfortunately, work had been temporarily suspended owing to a shortage in the water supply, but we saw the great claim, with its well-constructed tail-race, paved with complete sections of the trunks of trees, looking for all the world like round flat stones, and with the giant nozzles of the pipe lines in position—those engines of destruction which tear down the gravelly hillsides as effectively as they would the sandhills of the seashore. We made our way to the Ross United Company's shaft and buildings, underneath which there is known to be a rich store of gold in the deep leads yet to be tapped. The company has in the meantime exhausted its capital, and is undergoing a process of reconstruction, but hopes when additional capital is available to show that its confidence is not misplaced, and that its shareholders will reap a rich reward for their perseverance and enterprise. After dinner we present a letter of introduction to a prominent resident, and with him stroll round the quiet little township and learn much of its history, and of the richness of the field in its early days, and of the vast treasures that are believed to still lie in the deep leads below our feet.

We are astir betimes in the morning, and, having the privilege of box seats, we take our places beside the driver of the coach, prepared for an interesting day in our drive through the luxuriant bush of the West Coast. The first river which is crossed is the Mikonui, a typical stream of the series which flow east or west from the great mountain chain we had crossed on our way to this land of hospitality and kindlv greeting, of mysterious forest depth's, of ever-changing mist and cloud, of sunlight and shadow and weeping skies. The Mikonui is on this occasion a shallow stream, with its grey shingle bed mostly uncovered, and we cross it to enter the beautiful forest, fortunately here preserved as a scenic reserve. The eye dwells with never-tiring interest on Ihe wealth of vegetation which mile after mile discloses itself on either side of the narrow roadway. Its edges are heavily fringed with ferns of the common varieties, interspersed with luxuriant patches of lycopodium, the long tendrils of which droop in graceful festoons of copper and green. On and on we go through these charming scenes until we. reach our first stopping-place, TJrquhart's Hotel, 13 miles from Ross, where we have an early luncheon. Two miles further, and a CHARMING LITTLE LAKE is reached —it of the classical name Tanthe. \\V> have approached it through a splendid piece of forest, where the fine timber trees and the luxuriant smaller growth is interspersed with magnificent tree ferns, the great fronds of which stretch out in splendid growth from the heads of the rich brown trunks that rise from a wealth of greenerv at their feet. The day is not one of brilliant sunshine, and we do not see in the dark waters of lanthe wonderful reflections of leafy branches and distant mountains which on brighter days add to its quiet charm. But with its encircling foliage of varied hue, with the mountains raising their sombre bush-clad slopes as guardian sentinels of its silent shores, we count this placid little lake among the features of our wanderings that we shall remember in the days to come. On and'on we steadily plod our way through the varied foliage of the forest depths. Our eyes wander from left to right and right to left in never-tiring quest of the familiar plants we have known from childhood in other and faraway scenes. They are here in wild profusion —here a marvellous patch of tall young lancewoods. there a dense growth of makomako and fuchsia and kamahi and tree ferns, anon a wonderful entanglement of great lianes on pine and beech, a wealth of clinging vines of rubus and muhlenbeekia and rata. —their luxuriant growth the outcome of the plentitude of water which it is their lot to receive. 80 mile after mile is passer! until in the later hours of the afternoon we reach the BIG WANGANUI RIVER 26 miles from Ross. It is a river the waters of which when in flood have, been the cause of many a sad story. Saddest of all was the tragedy of a few weeks since which resulted in the death of the young Anglican clergyman, the Rev. Mr Lock, and his sister. The story of their pitiful

fate wae told to me by a la-dy at Greymouth, with whom they spent a day just before thev left on their last visit to the outposts of Mr Lock's charge. Brother and sister were greatly attached to each other, and the latter had come to New Zealand to spend a few months with her clergyman brother in order that she might recruit her health after a serious illness she had passed through. Her parents and family parted with her regretfully, but were buoyed up with the belief that a short sojourn in the bracing climate of New Zealand would completely restore her health. But Fate had determined otherwise. In their journey to South Westland they had reached" the banks of the Big Wanganui, and Mr Lock was about to drive into the ford, known as Hende's Ferry, when he was warned that the river was 'dangerous, and that he had better not attempt to cross. The ferryman offered himself to take over the horse and trap, and Mr Lock and hie eister got out with the intention of crossing over a bridge which is in course of erection, and was available for foot passengers. The ferryman at this juncture found that the horse had no blinkers on, and as he considered it unwise to attempt to cross without these, Mr Lock stood by the horse until they were procured. On the ferryman returning with the blinkers after a abort absence, he found that Mr Lock, apparently having got tired of waiting, had driven the trap, containing himself and hislister, into the river. The inevitable soon happened. The water got deeper and deeper, a.nd, realising his danger, Mr Lock endeavoured to turn the horse's head in order to retrace his steps. The rush of water caught the side of the trap and overturned _ it, and both occupants were thrown into the stream, the sister farthest out and in the deepest water. It wae in the brother's effort to save her that both lives were lost. Brother and sister were both Carried away by the rushing waters. A good bridge over the river is in course of erection, but at the time of our visit it was not available for pedestrians, owing to the approach on the north side not being connected with the bridge. We crossed by boat, the coach being taken over by the driver at a ford ICO yards or so up the stream. Two miles beyond the Big Wanganui the comfortable HOSTELRY OF MR J. ADAMSON at Hari Hari was reached, and here we stopped for the night. Hari Hari is the centre of a fine piece of grazing country, and has a cheese factory in full operation. This open country stretches away for about six or seven miles on our right. There is here room for considerable settlement, and not only in this part of South Westland, but in other portions over which we have passed there can be little doubt that dairying and stock-raising will become large and profitable industries. We resume our journey the following morning through an interesting piece of countrv, a-nd six miles farther on the Little 'Wanganui River is crossed. It is a river that rises quickly, and sometimes blocks the passage of the coach ; but it usually falls as quickly. We have no difficulty in effecting a crossing, for the river is' low. For a short distance we traverse flat country, all of which will be settled before very long, and then a splendid and thickly-wooded hill rises in front of us to a height of perhaps 1200 ft. It is

MOUNT HERCULES. We descend from the coach and walk to the summit through as fine a piece of bush as we have met with on our journey. Noble pines and other trees rear their heads on either side, and everywhere there is a wealth of the most charming vegetation. Never have I wen ferns in such lavish profusion. The giant lomaria procera covers the steep banks in magnificent splendour, its fronds Bft or 9ft long The scenery and vegetation rival anything that is to be seen in the Buller Gorge. The summit attained, we again take" our peats on the coach, and during the descent obtain a view of Lake Kotokino, while in the far distance, before leaving the bush, the fine peak of Elie de Beaumont and the snowy mass of the Ilochstetter Dome thrill us with their majesty and attractive force. They are calling' us with an irresistible power to the accomplishment of our promised walk over that alpine pass which is part of the great concourse of Nature's marvellous wonders in this fascinating region. On our extreme left rises the peak of Mount Adams, pnow-capped always. Fourteen miles from Kuri Hari we reach the WATAROA RIVER, which is bridged. This is a stream which rises very rapidly, and in days before the bridge was finished was a constant source of trouble and apprehension, for its shifting ford was as had as that of the Rig Wanganui. At this point is situated Gunn's accommodation-house, where we pull up for lunch. We have not escaped without a certain amount of rain, and we are glad to descend and make our way to the spacious kitchen at the invitation of the courteous hostess and her pleasant and capable daughter. We take our stand before a large range of Dunedin make, specially constructed to burn wood. Our clothes speedily become dry and comfortable, and we chat pleasantly of things occurring in the outer world, but unknown in this far-away region on the Main South road that leads to homes yet still more distant. There were given to us reminiscences of the days when the telephone had not penetrated to these distant parts, when there was even no coach road, and the necessaries of life were packed to the isolated settlers from Ross or Hokitika, or perhaps from Okorito, when fortune had favoured their landing at that roadstead to the couth. Those were the days when the nearest neighbour was many miles distant, oft-times of weary waiting for household requirements, of anxious hours when sickness befel the family. Rut now all this is changed. The 'good road, the regular communica-

tion with the towns to the north, and that boon to the far-afield settlers, the telephone, have made the Uvea of these pioneer colonists happier and pleasanter. We take leave of our hostess and her daughter, and regret that our short stay has not permitted of a talk with Mr Gunn, who has been busy with an inspector from the Postal Department who had travelled with us ; for we had learned that Mr Gunn was a man of wide reading and artistic tastes, and loved a talk with men from the outside world. He came to see us off, however, as we took our seats in the coach, and we passed on our way, like other transient visitors to his comfortable resting-place who journey to the Franz Josef or the Haast or the snowclad mountains to which we were hastening. Two or three miles beyond Wataroa wo pass through the LITTLE SETTLEMENT OF WAITANGI. A fine area of flat country here stretches away for some miles. It is an excellent piece of grazing country, and the settlers are engaged in stock-raising. It is intended to start a cheese factory in the locality, and its success is assured, for there are a good many settlers in this neighbourhood. About fojy miles-from Gunn's the Little Waitangi River is crossed. It is quite easily forded, for the river is low. The bush, luxuriant as ever, is again entered, and our interest is quickly centred on the lovely vegetation. Its beauty never ceases to charm, and we are again delighted at the appearance through the foliage of a sheet of water near the road. We have reached Lake Waihopa, like its predecessor lanthe, closely wooded to the water's edge. Ratas in brilliant bloom add brightness to the dark foliage of the kahikateas and rimus among which they are interspersed. The lake is about four miles long, and we skirt its shore from end to end.