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before it is reached, the river comes through a narrow rocky gorge, difficult to pass by reason of the rocks, there being at one part a perpendicular drop of 20ft. to 30ft. where the rope is necessary. Some distance below the third cataract a-deep stream comes in on our right, up which Mr. Henry went half a mile in his boat. The main river is broad and deep, and suited for boating. Nearly opposite the deep stream another large stream joins the river, on which, a little way back, is a grand waterfall about 400 ft. high. The general direction of the river, after passing the rocky gorge, is E.N.B. for a distance of 5,500 yds., until a big swift creek is reached, which I have called the Bishop Burn, where our No. 3 camp was pitched. From Bishop Burn to the lake is 500 yds. A grand cataract occurs below the lake, 80ft. high. The lake is a mile and a half to two miles long, and is bound by rocky perpendicular cliffs at the lower end. There we had to leave the river and go over a spur about 700 ft. high, afterwards reaching the lake again by an old land-slip. A peculiar tongue - shaped piece of land runs out into the lake, and divides it into two parts; on the point there is a clump of totara trees. The lake appears to cover a partially submerged forest. All around the margin the trunks of trees are still standing. In many respects it resembles Lake Ada beyond Milford Sound. The position of the lake is northeast by south-west. 300 yds. beyond the bead of the lake the first ford was met with, which is a. good one, but care must be exercised. The river divides itself into several branches. The other side is reached 400 yds. beyond where we entered the river. 300 yds. beyond that we reach a fine river coming in on our right. After crossing it we camped. A great smashing-up has occurred at this part within the past twenty years. Millions of tons of rocky debris has been suddenly brought down, which has killed the forest, and only the great black trunks are now standing. For the next two miles we followed the right-hand side of the river. The ground was swampy, with lagoons here and there, and there is a considerable flat between the river and mountains. The river here could be forded in several places. A good camping-ground, at any rate, above flood level can also be had. Other two miles further on great cataracts are again met; the river falls about 200 ft. within a very short distance, and the sight is a very fine one. A tributary comes in from the left, the Kenneth. The course of the main river from the lake is north and south. The river at this point takes a sweep away east-north-east, turning against the north. At this part of the valley the scenery is very wild and grand, waterfalls, and cataracts, and great high mountains covered with snow. The Natuee of the Countey. The valley we followed ranged from a few hundred yards wide to about half-a-mile. The soil in the flats is exceedingly rich; that on the mountain sides is nearly all rank vegetable mould, too sour to be of any value. The flora is that peculiar to the West Coast. Birch predominates, intermixed with red-pine and rata, and, here and there, totara. On some of the flats we met with patches of ribbon-wood, which is almost invariably an indication of good soil. Broadleaf, panax, mikimiki, pepper-tree and mokomoko are frequently seen. On the open beaches near the river tutu was very plentiful, and greatly laden with fruit, clearly indicating a paucity of the kakapo birds. The ferns and mosses are well represented. The bird-life in the locality was only moderately represented. We caught five kakapos, and liberated them again. We saw only two Maori-hens, but heard no kiwi. There were a very few pigeons and kakas. Tuis, mokimokis, makomako, canaries, and robins were numerous. I saw only one saddleback, and one native thrush. We saw native ducks of every variety; they were exceedingly tame. About nine miles back we saw two rabbits. We found no traces of Natives, except some old cuttings on trees some miles back, which I had hewn out and brought on. When Captain Cook visited Dusky Sound, he found about twenty Natives at Supper Cove; and, according to Mr. Fullerton, of Port Chalmers, the fires of Natives were seen at Supper Cove when the " Acheron " was there in 1850. Eegarding our present work, and its position relative to our explorations of 1894, I regret to say that lam unable to give a definite opinion. The weather was so dreadful that we were unable to obtain a view from the higher elevations, owing to fog and snow. During the month of January 31in. of rain fell, and the early portion of February was not much better. I have plotted my work on the accompanying map. The bearings were taken by prismatic compass. The distances were paced going and coming, the track being cut the whole of the way. Owing to a thorough wetting I got, two days' observations were much obliterated, and consequently some data is slightly unreliable. I have, however, recorded our work as noted, which will serve as a safe guide to any who may go into that country. Upon the point of whether the valley we followed up is the same as that we looked down in 1894, I am unable to give a definite opinion; if our observations then taken by a common compass (our prismatic compass having been lost in crossing a river) are at all reliable, it is not. Mr. J. McKerrow, however, in his map of Lake Manapouri, indicates the river Spey taking a much more westerly direction than our small compass showed, and as that was done by reliable instruments, then the position of the valley we followed up now more nearly approaches the position of our work of 1894. In very many respects, the valleys are alike. The course of the river is the same; the junction of the main tributary is very similar; a lake occupies each valley; round wooded hills are similar. Still, lam of opinion that the valleys are not the same, and this point will not be decided until some one goes through from the Lake Manapouri to the coast, which, all being well, I hope to do next autumn. This point we could have decided had we been certain a boat would be left at the south-west arm of Manapouri. To all my requests that this should be done I received no reply; the only course, therefore, to take, consistent with safety, was to return to the Sound and await the " Hinemoa." Had we gone on to Manapouri, and found no boat, we could not then have reached the coast again until after the "Hinemoa" had sailed. Our supplies would, of course, have been exhausted, reducing us to an anxious and precarious condition. 15—C. 1.