THE HAWEA EXCURSION TO THE WEST COAST SOUNDS.

West Coast Times, Issue 2740, 12 January 1878, Page 2

THE HAWEA EXCURSION TO THE WEST COAST SOUNDS.

(canterbury press.)

One of the excursionists to the West Coast Sounds by the Hawea, Mr J. 5. Dale, of Cathedral square, has kindly furnished us with the following descriptive outline of the experiences of the party and of the character of the wonderful country visited : —

Sunday, 23rd December, 4 p.m., left Port Chalmers in the Union steamship Hawea, in charge of Captain Malcolm* The passengers numbered about seventy, the crew about twenty, exclusive of officers. The arrangements for the comfort and ! convenience of tbe excursionists were very complete. The victualling was first-class, and the urbanity and attention of the officers all that could be desired. We had a milch dqw on boat, four extra boats were provided for the use of the passengers, and temporary baths for the gentlemen were placed on deck. Shortly after starting a programme of the tour, containing also details and information for the passengers, along with a passenger list and map of the Sounds, was handed to each tourist. Nearly half the excursionists were from Dunedin, the remainder from Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Oamarau, Timaru, Melbourne, Sydney, and China. A little cliquism and exclusiveness were shown, but on the whole matters were very agreeable. The captain was a " brick"—" rough as a bear, but willing as a brother." Every reasonable concession was made by him, and your slightest wish anticipated. The pursef seemed to be in a constant study how best to amuse you, and render the trip agreeable. •

Arrived at Preservation Inlet on Monday afternoon, and anchored in Cuttle Cove. Next morning steamed up the Sound to Cascade Basin and there remained some houfs to allow the passengers tv go ashore and visit the waterfall. A few of the tourists maupged to scramble through the thick bush to get a front view of the cascade, which ig very fine. Those who remained on the rocks below, a short distance off, missed a treat, as, although the view was lovely from their point, they could only see two-thirds of the fall, the other portion seen from the front falling in a great body on to a platform of rock with a tremendous roar, and the spray rising to a great height. liocks about here chiefly schist. Lower down the Sound the scenery is beautiful, beiug ot a soft and varied character — islands covered with bush, round which you pull, fishing

the while — hill sides ablaze with rata in full bloom — the water in some places of a deep sapphire blue, and in others of a bright emerald. Arrived at Chalky Sound same evening. More loch scenery. Spent the next morning in boating, shooting, fern gathering, or pulling round those charming little islands. As I fat in the boat indulging in the dolcefar niente, Hogg's lines came inte ray mind :— " O'er mountains inverted the blue waters curled, And rocked t!"tn on skies of a far nether ■woil i." Certain, in this inlet, the reflection in the water of the clouds and wooded mountains was very I < au'ifu!. Started same day for Dusky Sound. IVsed Seal Island and cast anchor in Supi ci I. ove at the head of the Sound. The scenery now merges into the grand and massive. Started early next morninp, went thn ugh Acherou passage and Wet .Jacket Arm ; back again to Acheron and into "Breaksea Sound, where we anchored in Beach Harbor, Broughton Arm, for the night.

Early next morning made for Doubtful Sound, then up Smith's Bound, and into Hall's Arm. The scenery now becomes rugged, sombre, and majestic. As the vessel glides alopg, it is like a moving panorama — now wood-crowned heights — anon, enormous giant crags of granite almost perpendicular, and bare of timber, but, hung and festooned with mosses of the most ravishing shades in orange, green, red and brown — then cliffs fcooped out in strange fashion, precipices sheer down to the water, ribbon cascades on all sides, gigantic masses of hard rock, standing alone rising to a height of from 3000 to 4000 feet, The effect on the passpngers is silence; all are contemplating the awful grandeur of (be scene. Sketchers are now hard at work (by the bye, I forgot to mention that we had on board several professional artists and a number of amateurs). Upßradshaw Sound to Precipice Coy?, then back and in to Thompson's Sound, and anchored in Deas Cove, It is impossible to describe the great beauty of the last three sounds. They are from ten to twenty- four miles long, and have deep water to the bead (in some places no bottom at 250 fathoms). As jou steam " easy a-head" along these watery highways, the views that open out "strike awe and terror to your aching sight." Mountains in succession sweep iv graceful outlines Irom conical peaks. Occasionally a more extended view is disclosed, with hills fading away in mist, while those nearer are robed in purple tints. Sti'l the views open and shut as you change ) our course into another arm ; then suddenly stait ou wooded promontories, backed "by cattelatid crags. Now follow contorted masses of gneiss and schist, and mountains of granite that seem as if hurled into one vast indescribable add beautiful confusion.

] will pass over Casswell, George, and Bligh Sounds, which, with the exception of one really prttty cascade, tumbling from a lake at the head of George Sound, (said lake 200 ft. above sea level), are tame in comparison with the others, and come to the far-famed Milford. This is considered the fiord par excellence. A glorious morning ushered in our entrance to Milford. The scenery now becomes gloomy and sombre, and, with less of the bush primeval, it loses its mellowness and gains iv Alpine character. Passed Stirling Falls and Mitre Peak, rounded the Lion's Head, and a magnificent view was disclosed. To the left, snow-covered Pembroke, glistened in the beams of an unclouded sun ; to the right, rocky ranges and more snow-capped peaks. Another point rounded and Bowen Falls appear. This cataract (540 ft.) falls over a nearly perpendicular cliff, and whether you are just in front to the right or left of it, each presents a most charming view. r lhe scenery in Milford is sublime. We seem transported to another world, where the profound silence (broken only by the Falls), the towering masses of granite, gneiss, schist, and quartz, the thick bush from the snow line to the shore, and the abyss of water, all tend to strike you with wonder and awe, We stayed two days in Milford, and had boat racing, swaimius; the greasy pole, duck huut, and other such seasonable but incongruous amusement. Some went ashore and climbed to the snow (apparently very near, but proved to be distant a three hours' toilsome and perilous journey.) Others went fern gathering, collecting rock specimens, all more or less enjoying themselves. In Chalky Sound, one gentleman went ashore to get some sport in snootinc, and managed to lose himself. He was out all night, and was found by a search party in the morning on the beach, out of sight of the vessel, in a very exhausted condition, having had some hair-breadth escapes. He was terribly cut and knocked about. Nearly every person suffered from sand flies, which were very thick up the Sounds. Red bills and a New Zealand crow were the birds shot. Blue cod, trumpeter, butter fish, pa r rot fish, devil fish, and crayfish represented the piscatorial results. As a mere index to the magnificence of the scenery, it may be mentioned that Mount Pembroke is 6710 ft high, always snow-capped, Barren Peak 5195 ft, Mount Kimberley 4200 ft, Mitre Peak 5560 ft, and Llawreny 6500 ft, all prominent features in some of the most wonderful scenery in the world. (For continuation of news see fourth page.)