Fakquharson. — The Plat/nuni Gravels of Orepuki. 461 



tho lattev only a little later, I can easily see how very difficult it must then 

 have been for them. 



While the above remarks arc applicable to the whole of the western 

 and south-western part of the Southland County (except, of course, the 

 alluvial plains of the Waiau), they are especially applicable to the district 

 which we have under investigation. This is bounded on the west side 

 by the meridian of 167° 30', on the south by Foveaux Strait and Te Wae- 

 wae Bay, on the east by the meridian of 168°, and on the north bv 

 the parallel of latitude 4:5°. 



The physiographical features can be classified conveniently as follows : 

 (1) The mountains, (2) the plains, (3) a lake, and (4) the rivers. 



The mountains of the district are represented by (a) the Longwood 

 Eange and its offshoots, and (6) various isolated peaks. 



The Longwood Range consists of the main ridge running almost due 

 north and south, and tapering at the northern extremity to a single peak 

 called Bald Hill. The average height of the ridge is about 3,000 ft., and 

 its breadth at the widest part is about four miles. From both sides of 

 the range extend about five or six parallel spurs, which slope gradually 

 down to the plains at the bottom. At the lower extremity of the range 

 there are also several diverging spurs, and to the most westerly of these 

 the name of Round Hill has been given. The whole range, including the 

 spurs and the valleys, is very densely wooded, and, except for some water- 

 races and a sawmill track or two, is practically virgin forest, with trees 

 on an average about 50 ft. high. In contradistinction to most of the ranges 

 of Otago, the mountains of this one are not rugged. Their summits are 

 rounded, and they altogether present an appearance more like hummocks 

 than mountain-peaks. 



It is hardly necessary to state that the range constitutes the chief water- 

 shed of the district, the main river-system having its origin entirely in the 

 valleys which everywhere occur on the flanks of the ridge. 



Various isolated peaks occur on the extreme north-west of the district, 

 but these do not attain any size, the highest being only about 1,000 ft. 

 high, and composed entirely of a Pleistocene gravel formation. 



Other isolated peaks occur, jutting out into the sea south of Orepuki 

 and along the coast as far as Riverton. They also nowhere attain any 

 considerable size, and are always completely covered with bush ; but they 

 give the country a rather peculiar appearance, and, in conjmiction with 

 the plains which are always associated with them, they are strongly 

 suggestive of the idea that the district has been submerged comparatively 

 recently. More will, however, be said with regard to this later on. 



Let us now turn to the plains. Generally speaking, the whole district 

 between the Longwood Range and the sea-coast all around consists of one 

 densely wooded plain. In fact, it is quite remarkable that the whole of 

 the south-east coast of Otago from the mouth of the Mataura River to 

 ten miles west of Waiau, Preservation Inlet, on the south-west coast, is 

 extremely flat ; nor does it begin to rise until a distance of more than thirty 

 miles from the coast is reached (the only exception to this being in the case 

 of the district between the Longwood and the coast, where the range is 

 distant only about five or six miles from the sea-beach). Further, too, a 

 consideration of the soundings round this part of the coast shows that the 

 slope continues gradual for some considerable distance under the sea-level. 

 This plain consists, as far as can be made out, of a gravel formation, the 

 pebbles being such as would be brought down by the rivei- ■?".€., more or 



