Wellington Philosophical Society. 425 



i^NNUAL Meeting : 20th March, 1900. 

 Ml'. E. Tregear, President, in the chair. 



Absteact op Annual Report. 



During the past year the Society has held five general meetings, at 

 which thirty-six papers and communications were read. 



Five new names have been added to the roll of members. 



The balance-sheet shows that the receipts for the year, including the 

 balance carried forward, amount to £172 lis. 8d., and the expenditure to 

 £77 Oa. 2d., leaving a balance in hand in current account of £95 lis. 6d. 



There is also the Research Fund at fixed deposit, now amounting to 

 £34 9s. 6d., which increases the credit balance to £130 Is. 



Election of Officeks for 1900. — President — G. V. 

 Hudson, P.E.S. ; Vice-presidents — Sir James Hector, H. B. 

 Kirk, M.A. ; Council — George Denton, Martin Chapman, 

 G. Hogben, M.A., E. C. Harding, H. N. McLeod, R. L. 

 Mestayer, E. Tregear, F.R.G.S. ; Secretary and Treasurer — 

 E. B. Gore ; Aztditor — T. King. 



Papers. — 1. " The Polynesian Name for Spider," by E. 

 Tregear, F.E.G.S. {Transactions, p. 298). 



2. " Explorations in the Te Anau District," bv A. C. 



Gifford. 



The journey was made by himself and three other gentlemen in 

 January of this year, from the north fiord of Lake Te Anau to Bligh 

 Sound and back. He claimed that this was the first time the journey 

 hiad been completed by Europeans. In illustration of his narrative Mr. 

 Gifford exhibited collections of very excellent photographs which he 

 secured en route. Numerous points of interest in connection with the 

 journey were dwelt upon by the speaker. At one stage, he said, the 

 streams were found to be of a chocolate colour, due to some growth in 

 their beds. The Kareni Falls were remarkable for the exceedingly narrow 

 space into which the river was compressed in making its plunge. Another 

 fall to the westward was described as being notable for its extreme beauty. 

 The lowest level of the summit of the pass was 3,700 ft. On its west- 

 ward side the travelling was much easier than on the Lake Te Anau side. 

 A creek in one valley was remarkable for the large number of pot-holes 

 which it contained. They were of all sizes. Some were as much as 

 10 ft. across and 8 ft. deep, while all had the stones in them which had 

 made them. A long and narrow canon and a river which disappeared 

 underground were among other wonders encountered. For a quarter of 

 a mile from the place where the river was lost to sight it could be heard 

 roaring underfoot, but afterwards the sound diminished, and was ulti- 

 miately lost. At one point the party saw thousands upon thousands of 

 caterpillars climbing from the ground to the branches of shrubs by means 

 of lines of their own making. The kea parrots threatened the travellers 

 as they made their way through the mountainous country. Numbers of 

 blue-duck were seen, and many penguins in Bligh Sound. Only two 

 rabbits were noticed, one on the very summit of the pass and the other 

 on the shore of the sound. The inountain flowers were profuse and very 

 beautiful. There was much less snow about than usual. A great deal 

 of rain fell, and on the return journey the weather was particularly bad. 

 lb was found that the food and effects which had to be carried could not 



