STEPHEN ISLAND.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8081, 27 October 1894, Page 2

STEPHEN ISLAND.

TflE FRENCH PASS AND VICINITY.

Mb Edwabd Lothns, of the Port, who is an ardent co leotor of natural history specimens and objects of general Interest, recently made an expedition to Stephen Island, D'Urville Island and vicinity, and he hs kindly furnished us with the following interesting account of his trip. For some time past I have had a desire to visit Stephen Island, ths site of the newly erected lighthouse, but the difficulties in the way of reaching the Island and eflee'ing a landing tbeieon proved an effectual check, until Mr Wallace Webber, of the French Pass, invited me to accompany him to the Island. I may explain that Mr Webber has undertaken a contract to convey mails, produce, and other necessaries for tbe lighthouse keepers once every three months, but as the passage by boat is net unexposed t? dangers, he will permit no one to accompany him unless he is accustomed to boat work. Fortunately I cou'd pass master, and thus my wish was gra ified. Leaving Nelson one Wednesday afternoon by one of the Anchor steamers I was landed at Elmslie's Bay about eleven o'clock the same night, and the following morniDg at five .o'clock we set off in a good stout open boat of about 18 feet in leDgth fo t

Stephbs Island, which is distant some twenty niilea from Eljosb'd Bay, or rather our coarse was fully (bat length, Id tae boat Desidea Mr Webber and mysalf, was a boatman, and neither of us were passengers. Our cargo oomisted of mails, nine live sheep, and certain commodities nee led by ihosa on tha Island, Tha weather waa all we could desire, and we made op to the Rangitoto channel, where the tide rip renders it necessary that experience 1 hands should be ready to handle the boat, and at one o'clook in the afternoon we reaohei the island whose precipitous sides seem to proh bit a landing. Tbere are two sm ill beaches, but neither is safe, for Bhoolda wind spring op, any boat would almost earn tainly be smashed to pieces. As a matter cf fact the beaches are not used for landing, bat on tbe eastern side of the Island, we saw as we approached it, a lofty crane jutting o. t fvom the cliffs, and it was to this we ttejie?. The crane is embedded in a huge block of I concrete, and the fictt ledge in the cliff is about 60 feet above sea level.

The Landing Place.

On arriving beside toe orane, it becomes necjsaary to hold on to the rooks by boat hook 3, and a' so to keep the boat from dash" ing against the rooka. With all convenient

speed our maia and cargo were raised oq to the ledge above by means of the orane, after wbioh our boat was made fast, stem and stern, ready to ba hauled up. We scrambled ashore, and up went the boat, wbioh was then strapped down, as it were, by means of bolt?, for without euob precaution there would be a considerable risk of having ib blown away. From the ledge alluded to there is an a'most perpendicular tramway running up the cliffs for about a-quarter of a mile — I siould rather say that there ara two tramways, for there is a breik in the centre ; and near the tram is a zigzag pith, which we ascend, for this tramway is only intended for getting up stores, oil, and so on. I should explain that the crane is worked by two of the lightkeepare. Half-way up the incliae the first sec ion of the tram end 3, and above it is a winza for hoisting, which ia worked by a horse, the wieza carrying a steel rope, whioh hauls up the car. Half-way up the incline, too, is a boat shed, which contains a double-ended boat, which is pfovided solely for emergencies, and which could be lowered by means of tram and crane into the sea. From the top of the first section of the inclina tram, the car is run on to the second section, above which i 3 another maze, to which tho horse ascends by the zigzag path we used, and the animal having walked up, proceeds to turn the axle and draw the car to the higher level. From the upper winza an ordinary tramline rans to the lighthouse, whioh is distant therefrom about threequarters of a mile. la due course we reached the residences of the ]ightfee°pers, and I was welcomed most hospitably.

The Hoobes

are three in number, bot besides these are a school, oil stores, etc. The population of the Island, inc'uding the governess, a young lady from Wellington, 13 seventeen, [there being threa families resident ihere, and I miy remark that in honor of our visit a half holiday was given the children. The buildings stand in a sheltered nook facing the north. The Island, the highest point of which is 950 feet above 3ea level, is bush dad, the vegetation being similar to that f jund on the other islands in the locality, but t u e gnarled cedars and other dwarfed trees indicate that high winds are customary there.

Thk Lighthouse

is placed at the northern end of the Island, and this stands at the western entrance to Cook Strait. The tower is fifty feet in height from the base to the top of the lantern ; it is built of iron, and is painted white. The lantern itself stands about 600 feet above the sea, and the light, which is said to be the finest in New Zealand, is visible for a distanoa of 32 nautical miles, though in fact it has been seen from Cape Farewell, 60 miles away. It was built in France, and the mechanism is a study. The driving gear by which the globe is made to revolve is worked by clockwork, and the large weights descend into a well beneath the tower, but which well has become filled with water, and which will have to be got rid of, probably by tapping the well from the side of the cliff. To stand within the lantern and view the mechanism is to engage in a study, It struck me, however, that the height of the light ia likely to prove a disadvantage, for when the clouds are low the light may te above them and ships beneath, with the result that the light will be bidden. I should state that the light is described as of the first order group-flashing white light, and it shows two flashes in quick succession every half minute. From Mr Hanaghan, the chief lightkeeper, whose kindness I wish to acknowledge, I learnt that since the light has been established, a number of ships have borne down on the Island and dipped their colors, as a mark of appreciation for the guide that has thereby been provided for mariners. It may perhaps be worth mentioning, too, that Mr Henaghan informed me that he is supplied with a complete code of signals, so that he ia able to communicate with passing ships.

Exploring the Island,

Although we reached the Island at one o'clock it was about three when we arrived at the bouses, and having appreciated the hospitality of our hosts I lost no time in eetting out to see what rareties the Island contained. In this I was warmly seconded by some young friends, and very soon I discovered that the Island is the home of a cumber of New Zealand

BIBDS,

But is addition there are two large land snails to be found there, including the Helix Hockstetteri, a3 well as four species of lizard. Thirty- one specimens of birds were met with, including a small grey bird- an unknown species— and a petrel and a shag which have not yet been identified. The native thrush, no « almost extinct on the main land, is so numerous that there was scarcely a bush in which at least one could not be seen, and they could be caught without difficulty. The saddle back is almost as numerous there, rare though it generally is now. Tbe Striped Rail, a flightless bird, finds yet a home there, so does the rare Fern Bird and the Rifleman. The following is a list of the birds found oa the Island : —

Harrier Hawk (Circus Gouldi) Morepork Owl (Athene Novffi- Zealand©) Kingfisher (Halcyon Vagans) Tui (Prosthimadera Novre-Zealandire), oc

casional visitants in large flocks Bell Bird (Arithornis Me'anura) White Eye (Zosterops Lateralis), occasional

visitants Bock Wren (Xenious G.lviventris) Bifleman (Acanthisit a Chloris) Fern Bird (Spheoceaous Punetatus) Small grey bird, unknown species Yellow-breasted Tit (Petrceoa Macrocephala) Wood Bobin (Petrceoa Albifrons) Ground Lark (Anthus Novje-Zealandia) Thick-billed Ihrush (Turnagra Crassiros-

tris Pied Pantail (Ehipidora Flabellifera) Black Fantail (Bhipidura Fuliginoas) Sadd e-back (Creadion carunculatu) Parakeet, red above the bill, and rest of

front of head yellow ; uoknown Bpeeies Kaka (Nestor Meridionalis) Wood Pigeon (Carpopbaga NovroZealand ice) Striped Bail (Eallaa Philippensis) Black-backed Gall (Larus Dominicanus) Mackerel Gall (Laras Scopulinus) Sea. Swallow (Sterna Fronta'is)