Chapman. —0» the Islands south of Neiv Zealand. 503 



thought it was a different plant, while the innumerable white 

 spots among the plants looked at the distance exactly like 

 white flowers. Seeing this, I felt certain that I had found one 

 of the plants I was in search of, until the captain disillusion- 

 ized us by telling us that our white flowers were the heads of 

 mollymawks. Another very striking object seen on this coast, 

 and afterwards on the south coast, was a waterfall which 

 might be said to flow upwards. Streams coming down from 

 tlie mountains are pretty numerous, and they generally reach 

 the sea down steeps leading from gullies. Here and there, 

 however, they fall over the cliffs, forming small waterfalls. 

 The pressure of wind against a high cliff even in a moderate 

 breeze is very great, and it is well known that in such a case 

 an immense draught is felt at the edge of the cliff, where the 

 compressed air forms an up-rushing wall, while a few yards 

 back this wall causes the neighbouring air to be quite still. 

 Here the waterfall became incorporated with the up-rushing 

 air, and, instead of falling, was carried up above the land in a 

 column like smoke. Presumably it fell again, but apparently 

 until the wind changes it cannot go down, but must saturate 

 the surrounding country, as we could see no water going down 

 the face of the cliff. At the foot of the cliff, however, in the 

 sea was what looked like a perpetual whirlwind, which may 

 have been caused by the interrupted water reaching the sea. 

 Subsequently we saw this phenomenon of the column of spray 

 from shore. Here it was exactly like a column of smoke ; in- 

 deed, it is well known that Musgrave mistook one for a fire, 

 and this mistake has often been made. 



We now passed the western entrance to Carnley Harbour. 

 It is too narrow or shallow for the " Hinemoa," otherwise a 

 mile of navigation would have saved us twenty-five miles. We 

 passed it, and turned the fine bold cliffs which form the 

 western end of the southern or Adam's Island. This island, 

 which is generally 2,000ft. high, and sometimes higher, is 

 twelve miles long by from two to four wide, and contains, I 

 believe, some 30,000 acres. It is bold with precipitous shores 

 on the south and steep slopes on the north. Near its eastern 

 end is a gap in the cliffs. We turned and entered this, and 

 found ourselves within the beautiful and rarely visited Fly 

 Harbour. The captain wished to know whether the country 

 above was accessible from this harbour. Deep water goes 

 right up to the head, which is a mile and a half from the 

 entrance. Dense forest clothes the steep sides, the only break 

 in which is under a sheer cliff. A curious bar of kelp rising 

 in deep water comes to the surface half-way up the harbour, 

 and is liable to foul the propeller of a steamer. This serves 

 effectually to break any sea that may enter. It was soon 

 evident that there was no chance of passing through the dense 



