Sjiith. — Botoiiji of Lalce Uauroho Bhirict. 249 



this it took us tliree days to reach the head of the lake, during which time 

 we had been consuming tlie provisions we had intended for an extended 

 land journey. 



At the head of the lake we pitched camp, and made excursions some 

 distance up the Hauroko Kiver, and also up Hay Eiver. On the flat at the 

 junction of the Hauroko River with the lake there is a piece of country that 

 might well l)e the habitat of such a bird as the takahe, but after a careful 

 search we found no traces of such a bird. 



On the western side, at the head of the lake, the vegetation in the bush 

 is most luxuriant ; especially is this the case with ferns and mosses. Our 

 object was to climb End Peak, a name which was given to the last, or end, 

 peak of the Princess Range. It lies near the head of Hay River, on the 

 western side, and is about 4,500 ft. high. Making an early start, we struck 

 into the bush half a mile below Hay River. We had to make our own 

 track through 3,000 ft. of dense bush, blazing it as we went along. Now 

 and again we struck Mr. Hay's blazed trees of thirty years ago, and it was 

 this that led us on to a very serviceable razorback ridge, and for some time 

 kept us clear of deep gullies. 



After a five hours' climb we reached the clearing, at an elevation of 

 3,500 ft. Another hour sufficed to find us on the highest point of the peak. 



For a height of nearly 2,500 ft. there is little variation in the character 

 of the vegetation, which differs very little indeed from that of the lower 

 elevations on the eastern side. The trees and shrubs were much the same, 

 with the addition perhaps of Panax lineare, Pittosporum Colensoi, a couple 

 of species of Coprosma, and one or two others. Up to this point very little 

 of the usual thinning-out of the bush on account of elevation could be 

 detected ; the trees were as thick and as tall and straight as lower down. 

 After this height the stunting gradually began ; the trees became scarcer, 

 and Coprosmas became more plentiful, and gradually the mountain -flora 

 began to make its appearance. 



Although it was nearly the end of February, we were rewarded with 

 a very large number of plants in flower, especially of Celmisia, and very 

 fortunately so with a new species of Olearia and of Aciphylla. 



Next day, as our provisions were getting low, we decided to pull our- 

 selves to the foot of the lake, some twenty-five miles, which was done in 

 nine hours, with only one stoppage of an hour for rest and lunch. At the 

 foot of the lake, on the eastern side, there is a mountain known as the Hmnp, 

 3,500 ft. high, over which an old sheep-track passes, leading down to the 

 coast some sixteen miles below the Waiau mouth. As I was desirous of 

 comparing the vegetation of the Hump with that on End Peak, we decided 

 to find this track, a,nd make for home by that route. For a distance of 

 half a mile this track is now completely overgrown and difficult to find ; 

 but once the ascent of the hill commences it is well defined, but becomes 

 very steep, especially for the last 1,500 ft. This ascent occupied us nearly 

 the whole day, and, a fog coming over as we reached the top, we pitched the 

 tent and turned in for the night. Next morning, being clear on the top, gave 

 us an opportunity to examine the vegetation and collect. I was not very 

 greatly surprised to find the plants on the Hump almost identically the 

 same as those on End Peak, as the elevation and bird-life were much the 

 same. As far as I could observe, there were only about half a dozen plants 

 different — that is, all the plants found on the Hump were also found on End 

 Peak. The geological structure was much the same, the soil being peaty, 

 and the rock mica-schist and gneiss (white granite). 



