198 Trcnisactions. 



past the Routeburn Station the first crossiiig is reached. The 

 valley here is wide and flat, the river making a double bend. 

 The ford is fairly good, but can only be iindertaken on horse- 

 back, unless the river is very low. After passing the ford the 

 " zigzag " is soon reached, the track ascending some 800 ft. in 

 following the river through an extremely narrow gorge, bounded 

 on the opposite side by overhanging cliffs between 1,000 ft. and 

 2,000 ft. above the river. After this the valley widens out 

 somewhat, and the track descends gradually until it reachea 

 the vicinity of the Routeburn Hut. The valley is now much 

 wider, and the stream again has to be crossed. Here it is, how- 

 ever, considerably shallower than at the first ford, and can gene- 

 rally be traversed on foot. 



Just before the second ford the hut may be seen about three- 

 quarters of a mile away. Some two or three hundred yards 

 before the hut is reached a track may be seen branching off on 

 the western side. This is the track to Lake Harris. It is well 

 to take special notice of this track, as visitors without a guide 

 have often attempted to reach the lake by following the stream 

 above the hut. In going to Lake Harris it is necessary to retnrn 

 from the hut to the jimction of the two tracks, and no other 

 route should be attempted. 



The accommodation at the Routeburn Hut, although plain, 

 is quite satisfactory. The hut consists of three rooms furnished 

 with wooden bunks, tables, shelves, and forms, visitors supply- 

 ing, of course, their own blankets and provisions. As this is a 

 Government hut, and free to every one, it is at times liable to be 

 rather crowded. The view from the hut is very beautiful, com- 

 prising — Conical Hill, a fine bush-covered cone rising about 

 1,500ft. from the river-valley; the left-hand branch of the 

 Routeburn, a level grass-covered valley between great bush-clad 

 mountains, the lower edges of the bush being fringed as usual 

 with groves of lacebark-trees ; and lasth'. Mount Cosmos, with 

 its glaciers and snowfields. This great mountain is so close 

 that I was able to see, by means of a small telescope, numerous 

 crevasses and many other details near the top. The final spur 

 of this mountain has a very remarkable curved outline, which, 

 when once seen, is not likely to be forgotten. A large waterfall 

 is visible from the hut on the western side of the left-hand branch 

 of the Routebivrn, and in wet weather a second waterfull appears 

 quite close to the first one. Behind and above the hut are great 

 quantitips of a very beautiful fern {Aspidium aculeatum), which 

 grows in great tufts, often over 5 ft. in height. The forest is 

 also very thickly interspersed with lacebark-trees, especially 

 near the banks of the river. The asparagus fern is very common 

 along the track just before reaching the hut. 



