NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3304, 27 September 1871, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE.

ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. Delivered on 23rd September, by His Excellency fche Governor, Sir G. F. Bowen, G.CJLG., President. The following is tho concluding portion of His Excellency's address : — I now proceed to give a short sketch of my visit during fche months of February and March, in fche present year, to fche magnificent, bufc hitherto littlo known, sounds on the Bouth-wosfc coasfc of fche Middle Island, whither Commodore Stirling conveyed me in H.M.S. Clio. Dr Hector accompanied us ; and, had it not been for the disaster which befell us in Bligh Sound, we expected to have been enabled to collect; much praotical information respecting that part of the colony ; and also to furnish fresh and reliable notices to the Geographical, Geological, and Zoological Societies of London. Ifc may here be mentioned fchafc the besfc general descriptions of fcho south-west coast of tho Middle Island which have hitherto been published, will be found in the " New Zealand Pilot," compiled chiefly by an honorary member of our Institute, Admiral Richards, F.R.S., fche present Hydrographer to the Admiralty ; and in a paper by Dr Hector, printed in the 34th volume (for 1864) of the Journals of fcho Royal Geographical Society. The notes which, I shall now read to you were written while the Clio lay disabled in Bligh Sound, and have been partly embodied in my desoriptions to the Imperial Government. We leffc Wellington on the 4th of last February, bufc the Clio was much delayed at firsfc by buffling winds, and afterwards by a strong contrary gale with a hoavy sea. We reached Milford Sound on the lltb, and remained thero thoroughly examining that extraordinary inlefc until fche 17fch February. Admiral Richards has observed* that the only harbors of shelter for large ships along fche Wesfc Coasfc of the Middle Island of New Zealand — a distance of five hundred milea — are fche thirteen sounds or inlets which penetrate its south-west ern shore between the parallels of 44 deg and 46 deg south latitude, including a space of little more than one hundred miles. They are, counting from the north, and according to the names given chiefly by the adventurous whalers, who alone have frequented these inhospitable regions, as follows :— l, Milford Sound ; 2, Bligh Sound ; 3, George Sound ; 4, Caswell Sound ; 5, Charles Sound ; 6, Nanoy Sound ; 7, Thomson Sound; 8, Doubtful Inlefc; 9, Bagg's Sound; 10, Breaksea Sound; 11, Dusky Bay ; 12, Chalky, or Dark Cloud Inlefc; 13, Preservation Inlet. As I wrote to fche Secretary of State for the Colonies, these arms of the Great Southern Ocean, cleaving fcheir way through the massive sea wall of steep and rugged cliffs, reach far into the wild Bolitudos of the lofty mountains which form fche cordillera, or "dividing range," of fche. Middle Island. These mountains attain fcheir highest elevation further north, in Mount Cook, a anowy peak rising 13,200 feet above the sea level, and visible in clear weather afc a distance of more than a hundred miles fco the mariner approaching New Zealand ; thus , forming a noble monument of the illustrious j navigator who first recommended the planting of an English settlement in this country. Though Mil/ord Sound far surpasses the others in wild magnificence of scenery, these inlets have many features in common. To qnote Admiral Richards *. — " A view of the surrounding country from the summit of one of the mountains bordering the coast, of from 4000 to 5000 feet in elevation, is perhaps one of the most grand and magnificent spectacles ifc is possible fco imagine ; and standing on such an elevation rising over fche south side of Caswell's Sound, Cook's description of this | region was forcibly called to mind. He cays : I — ' A prospect more rude and craggy is rarely to be met with, for inland appeared nothing ! but the summits of mountains of a stupendous height, and consisting of rocks fchat are totally barren and naked, except where they are i covered with snow.' We could only compare the soene around us as far as fche eye could t reach, north to Milford Haven, south to Dusky Bay, and eastward inland for a distance of sixty miles, to a vast eoa of mountains of every possiblo variety of shape and ruggedness; fche clouds and mist floated far beneath us, and the harbor appeared no more than an insignificant stream. The prospect was mosfc bewildering ; and even to a practised eye, the possibility of recognising any particular mountain, as a poinfc of the survey from a future station, seemed almost; hopeless." The following extraot from Dr Hector's aocount of Milford Sound shows the probable mode of its formation :— " Three miles from the entrance of the sound it becomes contracted to the width of half a mile, and its sides rise perpendicularly from the water's edge, sometimes for 2000 feet, and then slope afc a high angle to fche peaks fchafc are covered with perpetual snow. The scenery is quite equal to the finest thafc can be enjoyed by the most difficult and toilsome journeys into the Alps of fche interior ; and fche effecfc is greatly enhanced, as well as the access made more easy, by fche incursion of fche sea, as ifc were, into their alpine solitudes. Tho sea, in fact, now occupies a chasm that was in pasl ages ploughed by au immense glacier ; and it is through the natural progress of events by whioh the mountain mass has been reduced in altitude, that the ico stream has been replaced by the waters of fche ocean. The evij dence of this change may be seen afc a glaneo. | The lateral valleys join the main one at various I elevations, but are all sharply cufc off by the precipitous wall of fche sound, fche erosion of j which was no doubb continued by a great central glacier long after the subordinate and tributary glaciers had ceased fco exist. The precipices exhibit the marks of ice-action with greafc distinctness, and descend quite abruptly to a depth of 800 to 1200 feefc below fche water level. Towards its head the sound becomes more expanded, and receives several largo valloys fchafc preserve fcho same character, but radiate in different directions into the highest ranges. Afc the time that theso valleys wore filled wifch glaciers, a great ' ice lake' must have existed in the upper and expanded portion of the sound, from which the only outlet would be through tho chasm which forms its lower parfc." On account of fche greafc depth of water in theso inlets, and of the sudden storms of wind rushing down from the mountains above, vessels are generally obliged also to moor to trees or pinnacles of rock, whenever fchey reach a cove in which an anchor can be dropped. Accordingly while we were iv Milford Sound fche Clio lay afc anchor in Harrison's Cove, only a few yurds from tho shore, and moored head aud stern to huge trunks of trees. Immediately above rose Pembroke Peak to the height of nearly 7000 feefc, covered with perpetual snow, and with a glacier reaching down to within 2000 feet of the sea. The lower slopes of the mountains around are covered wifch fine trees, and with the luxuriant and evergreoa foliage of the tree-fern and tho othor beautiful undergrowth of the New Zealand . forests. Two permanent waterfalls, one 700 and the other 540 feefc in height, add picturesque beauty to tho gloomy and desolate grandeur of the upper part of Milford Sound. During a storm of wind and rain, mingled with enow and sleet, which, though it was the middle of summer, raged during threo days of our stay, avalanches were often heard thundering down, with a roar as of distant artillery, fromthe snow fields above; while a multitude of foaming cascades poured over the faoe of the lower precipices, hurling with fchem into tho sea masses of rock and trunks of trees. On the ofcher hand, nothing could exceed the oharm of the few fine days whioh we enjoyed during our "voyage. In his work, entitled " Greater Britain," (Part 11., chap. 2), Sir Charles Dilke has truly observed "that the peculiarity whioh makes the New Zealand West Coast scenery the most beautiful in the world is that hore alone you can find semitronical vegetation growing close up to fche eternal snows. The latitude, and

the greafc moisture of the climate, bring the glaciers very low into the valleys ; . . . . and cause the growth of paltn-like ferns on tho ice-river's very edge. The glaciers of ' Mount Cook are the largest in the world, except fchose at the sources of tho Indus ; but close about them have been found tree-ferns of thirty and forty feet in height. It is nofc till you enter the mountains that you escape the moiaturo of the coast, and quit; for the scenery of the Alps, the scenery of fairy land." Again, Sir 0. Dilke's desoription of fche riow from Hokitika afc sunrise would apply also to the same view from many other points on the West Coast : "A hundred milea of the Southern Alps stood oufc upon a palo blue sky iv curves of gloomy white that were just beginning to blush with pink, but ended - to the southward in a cone of fire fchat stood up from fche ocean ; ifc was the snow-dome of Mount Cook Btruok by the rising sun. The evergreen bush, flaming witb the crimeon of the rata- blooms, hung upon the mountain-side, and covered the plain to the very margin of the narrow sands with a dense jungle. It was one of those sights tbat haunt men for years." The neighborhood of the sea, and the somitropical magnificence of the foliage, are features in which the New Zealand Alpß Burpasa the highest mountain ranges in Europe. As members of the Alpine Club of England have^^ already scaled fche peaks of fche Oaucasuj^^Bj iB hoped fchat they will ere lor>g exploreCHHfl glaciers and summits of Mount Cook,_toge^3HH| with the elsewhere unrivalled Bceneryoftire^^ neighboring fiords. Mount Cook (as has been already said) rises to 13,200 feefc above fche sea« level; thafc is, it surpasses all bufc Mount Blanc, and one or two others of the highest of fche Alps of Europe. Bufc the exploration of this gianfc of the Southern Hemisphere probably presents no unwonted difficulty to practised mountaineers j while it could not fail to add largely fco fche general Bfcock of scientific knowledge. The present Secretary of Sfcate for the colonies (the Earl of Kimberiey) has, at my instance, invited fche attention of the Royal Geographical Society to this subject. I have also to announoe that the Admiralty, in consequence of my representations, intends to publish new and correoted charts, on an enlarged scale, of the West Coasfc of New Zealand. The Clio leffc Milford Sound on fche morning of fche 17th February, and on the same afternoon struck on her porfc bow upon a sunken rook, unnoticed in fche existing charts, near fche middle of fche second reach of Bligh Sound. Had fche accident occurred amidships, she would probably have afc once gone down with all on board. As it "was, the Bhip made water so fast through the leak on the porfc bow fchafc she was immediately pufc back, and anchored in Bounty Haven, afc the/ head of Bligh Sound. The pumps kept; the water down ; while fche divers, wifch fcwo of whom fche Clio was fortunately furnished, examined, and the carpenters stopped the leak. I was very glad to be of aome service in this emergency, by pointing oufc, from my knowledge of fcheir foliage, the best timber trees in the forests covering the slopes of the mountains around this harbor. A party of seamen and marines was sent on shore to procure sufficient wood for such repairs as enabled the Clio to pufc to sea again in the course of a fortnight. Meanwhile, we were absolutely cut off from all communication wifch the rest ofthe world; forthe repeated attempts made to discover a pass leading direotly from the settlements in the Province of Ofcago to the Bounds on its southwestern coast, have hitherto completely failed, owing to the inaccessible character of fche intervening forests and mountains. In 1863, Dr Hector, hoping to discover some mode of communication with the inhabited districts on the east of the dividing range, forced bis way up the valley of fche Cleddau River, whioh flows into fche head of Milford Sound. After a toilsome soramble of two days, his further progress was barred by almost; perpendicular cliffs of some five thousand feet in height, with snowy peaks rising several thousand feefc higher. However, Dr Hector afterwards found hia way by a rugged and circuitous path from Martin's Bay (nearly forty miles north oi Bligh Sound,) to Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu ; aud he now volunteered fco attempt fcho' same route again, with messages from myselt to the Oolonial Government, and from Commodore Stirling to the officer commanding H.M.S. Virago afc Wellington. Accordingly, on the nighfc of our disaster, he sailed in the launch of fche Olio j which returned, after an absence of five days, and reported fchafc Dr Hector, with fcwo seamen, sent by fche Commodore to attend him, bad boen safely landed on the 19th at Martin's Bay, and had set oufc forthwith on their journey across the mountains. Ifc may here be mentioned thafc a river named the Kaduku (or Hollyford), wifch a difficult, bar afc its mouth, runs into Martin'B Bay from Lake M'&errow (or Kakapo) ; on the northern shore of which a few adventurous settlers from Ofcago have lately planted fchemaelves. On fche 27th February we were agreeably surprised by fche arrival in Bligh Sound of a small Bteamer, the Stormbird, despatched to our assistance by the Colonial Government, with fifty Bheep and other provisions for tbe officers and crew, so soon as Dr Hector had reached the nearest settlement and made our situation known by telegraph. Shortly afterwards the Virago also arrived to the aid of fche Clio. Commodore Stirling then determined to take his ship to be docked at Sydney ; so, on the morning of the Ist March, I left Bligh Sound in the Stormbird for Invercargill. After passing successively the entrances to George, Caswell, Charles, and Nancy Sounds, we anchored at sunset in the secure harbor of Dea's Cove, about three miles from the entrance of Thomson Sound. On the following morning we started afc daybreak, steamed up Thomson Sound, and returned to the open sea by Doubtful Inlefc. Af.fcer passing fche entrance to Dugg's Sound, we entered Breaksea Sound, and regained fche sea by Dusky Bay, in which Captain Cook remained for several woeks in 1773, and which he has described with his usual graphic accuracy. Afterwards we passed the entrances to Chalky and Preservation Inlets, and then proceeded to fche Solander Islets, afc tho west end of Foveaux Straits. Ifc had boen reported fchafc some seamen bad been cast away thero from a recent wreok ; bufc, after a careful examination, no trace of any visitors could be found on these desolate rocks, so we bore up for Invercargill, where I landed on the 3rd March. Here began an official tour of great interest through the Middle Island, where I was received by the provincial authorities and by all classes of fcbe community wifch a warmth of courtesy and hospitality for which I shall ever feel grateful. Although Milford Sound, at the extreme north of tha thirteen inlets of the Wesfc Coast, surpasses the rest in wild grandeur and awful solitude, fchoy all have many features in common. They are everywhere deep and narrow ; subjeot to violent winds and etrong tides and currents, and wifch few safe and sheltered anchorages. A tumbled sea of mountains looka down from ' above on the long Bwell of the Southern Ocean breaking in clouds of snow-white foam on craggy cliffs rising abruptly from fche Bhore ; while glaciers and snowy peaks slopes covered with noble forest treete-4 gloomy | valleys and glittering waterfalls,— Wl comhinb to present an ever-varying BUCceßtfaygl? aubI lime pictures. W | The official tours of a Govern* y may be made practically useful, for tlißyeriable him j to point out, from personal knowledge and in I an authoritative Bhape, the resources and' ; capabilities of the several districts of the j colony over whioh he presides, and the advantages -which they afford for immigration and for fche investment; of capital. I have learned from several quarters thafc the published reports ol my visits fco all parts of New Zealand have awakened muoh interest in the mother country. Time will not permit me, on fche present occasion to disouss the fufcnre prospeotß of settlement on the sounds of che West Ooast; I nave attempted a general description. Ib has beon proposed fco place some Norwegian emigrants on on© or more fiords j but any soheme of this naturo

' will require careful consideration There are nownoinhabitants whatsoever, either European or Maori— tho few families of natives seen in Dusky Bay in 1773, by Captain Cook, appea to have become extinct — and the tales relatod by the old whalers of thirty yoars ago, concerning a tribe of wild men haunting these desolate shores, have probably as litile foundation as the stories of flocks of mon having been seen within living memory, stalking over the neighboring mountains. Nor can I trespass on your patience any longer with remarks upon the fauna and flora of this part of New Zealand. Tho supply of timbor eeemß almost inexhaustible. Ducks and other wild fowl are numerous. Whales and seals abound, as well as excellent fish of vaiious kinds. We were tolerably successful in ehooting and fishing. I may enliven this part of my address by reading Dr Hector's animated account of ono of our Beal-hunts, in which, however, we wero not fortunato. "On oae occasion," he states, " the chaße of five seals with tho steam pinnace of the Clio in tho waters of Milford Sound, afforded a most exciting and novel sport. The seals, startled by tho snorting of the little high-pressure engine, instead of taking their ueual dignified plunge from the rocks into deep water, and suddenly vanishing out of sight, went off at full speed, diving and reappearing in order to get a r glimpse of fche sfcrange monafcer thafc pursued thorn so closely. The utmost speed that we could make barely kept us up with them, until thoy began to show signs of distress, and, one by one, doubled and dived under tho pinnaco. of the seals hold out for a run of fchree mileß, and succeeded at length in getting into safety among the rocks on the opposite shore of fche sound. From tho experience of this run, the force at which seals can go through the water would seem to be nofc less than six or eeven miles an hour." On the occasion to which Dr Hector here refers we unfortunately had not our rifles with us ; but on subsequent days, as was stated above, 1 shot several large seals, in addition to a number of wild ducks and other water-fowl. In conclusion, gontlemen, I beg to thank you for the indulgence with which you havo listened to this somewhat desultory address. I am fully sensible that theso imperfect remarks on rarely- visited regions of this colony can claim little merit beyond fcheir fidelity. My original notes were written in full sight of those wonders of nature which have left bo deep and lasting an impression on the memories of all who have had tho good fortune to bohold them.