TowNSOX. — On Vegetation of Westport District. 383 



for, as its neighbour on the one hand was named Mount Buok- 

 land, and on the other Mount Faraday, a uniformity was 

 maintained by naming this peak after the distinguished scientist, 

 Lord Kelvin. Mount Bovis in this chain was the point farthest 

 south of Westport which I reached, whilst a mountain at Kara- 

 mea, locally known as Mount Stormy, was the limit north ; and 

 I will endeavour to describe as well as I can some of the physical 

 features of the country lying between these two points. 



An outline of the general geological formation of the explored 

 area may prove of interest, and I cannot do better than quote 

 from Mr. A. McKay's " Report on the Geology of the South-west 

 Part of Nelson and the Northern Part of Westland." As many 

 of the mountains which I shall describe form a part of the 

 Buller's watershed, my best plan will be to briefly trace that 

 river's course from its rise in the back ranges, through the gorge, 

 so famous for its scenery, to where it reaches the sea at Westport. 

 In a beautiful lake lying to the east of Mount Murchison, and 

 named Lake Rotoiti, at an elevation of 1,800 ft. above sea- 

 level, the Buller River takes its rise. After receiving the waters 

 of the Hope River it is joined by the River Go wan, which drains 

 another lake called Lake Rotoroa, lying at an elevation of 

 1,600 ft., and becomes quite an imposing stream. Its next 

 tributary is the River Owen, which drains the gi'anite and lime- 

 stone spurs of Mount Owen. Below Murchison its volume is 

 greatly increased by its union with the Matakitaki, and again 

 at Fern Flat, where the Maruia joins it, both of which streanis 

 take their rise in the Spenser Mountains. Between these two 

 rivers, some miles from where they junction with the Buller, 

 rises the great bulk of Mount Mantell, which belongs to the 

 Cretaceo-tertiary formation. At Lyell the creek of that name 

 joins the main stream, taking its rise amongst the granite and 

 auriferous slate ranges amongst which the dominant peak is 

 Mount Lyell. Boundary Peak and the Lyell end of the Brunner 

 Range also contribute streams, these mountains stretching along 

 the west side of the Maruia Valley to the Buller Gorge, above 

 the Lyell Township. " They consist mostly of gn3issic schist 

 and granitic rocks, crossed by bands of mica-schist, which in 

 places is largely developed ; and on the western slope, from 

 Rainy Creek to the Buller, quartz-drifts are developed." Most 

 of the important streams taking their rise in this range flow into 

 the Inangahaa River, which joins the Buller at the Inangahua 

 Junction, some twenty-two miles from Westport. Roughly, the 

 river from its rise in Lake Rotoiti to its estuary runs a course 

 of about a hundred miles. Below the junction, at a point known 

 as Wliite Cliff", the river has cut its way through the Cretaceous 

 limestone, leaving high cliffs on both sides of the stream. 



