160 REPORT — 1891. 



New Zealand glaciers. Many of the marks are deep and at 

 right angles to the grain (if I may use such an expression). I 

 saw some rocks wedged in between the ice and fixed rocks in 

 the lateral moraine ; the marks on them were very newly 

 made, and were evidently caused by grinding against the 

 latter. The tributary glaciers differ materially from each 

 other. The Onslow, nearest to the terminal face of the 

 Murchison, is apparently stationary at present. The Cascade 

 and Wheeler contribute nothing to the general stream, and 

 have the appearance of dying out. The Baker and Dixon are, 

 without any question, advancing, especially the former. The 

 Mannering, Harper, and Aida have much the same look as 

 the main glacier. There are one or two small glaciers on the 

 west side of Mount Hutton : these are dying away, and are 

 only worth mentioning because they have complete lateral 

 and terminal moraines, which is unusual for such small glaciers- 

 at the altitude they are. The Cass Glacier is only roughly 

 sketched ; the length is about right, but the distances esti- 

 mated. The Classen is also sketched, except between station 91 

 and Mount Mannering : there it is fairly correct. The Baker 

 and Dixon glaciers have a peculiar ice-formation which I have 

 not seen elsewhere : the dark-blue lines on them represent 

 lateral ridges of ice about 40ft. higher than the rest of the 

 glacier. These ridges are not more thickly covered with 

 moraine than the ice between them and their outside faces,, 

 are free from stones, and very steep. At station 71, on the 

 south side of the Baker Glacier, is the best illustration of 

 what I mean ; 71 is on the ice-ridge ; about 70ft. below it is 

 a new lateral moraine in course of formation : this gi-adually 

 slopes up to and merges in the ice-ridge. Below this is a 

 hollow ; and then at the bottom of the spur, and following it 

 round, comes another small grass-covered moraine, showing 

 that at one time this glacier was about 200ft. lower than it is 

 at present, while three old moraines parallel to the glacier, on 

 the spur to the north, point to the fact that it has also been 

 much higher. The same signs of constant change may be seen 

 near many of the other glaciers, but the Baker is the best 

 example." 



The great Tasman Glacier, on the east side of Mount Cook, 

 is by far the largest we have. Its length is seventeen miles 

 and a half, and its breadth varies from one and a quarter to 

 two miles. In a manner similar to that I have narrated of the 

 Hooker Glacier, two lines were ranged across the Tasman 

 Glacier on the 5th December last year, one being situate 

 about five miles from the terminal face of the glacier from a 

 point on the Malte Brun spur near Trig. V., and the other was 

 ranged from the lateral moraine of the Ball Glacier across the 

 Tasman Glacier, about a mile and a quarter higher up : — 



