TRAKSACTIONS OF SECTION E, 271 



This great ice-extension might have been produced by greater 

 elevation of the land or by some other cause ; but the rest of 

 this great Island from the lake district to the east coast shows 

 no satisfactory signs of glacier-action. 



The lakes Manapouri, Te Anau, Hauroto, Wakatipu, &c., 

 on one side of the range, and the thirteen sounds or fjords on 

 the other, are glacier-beds of the most marked description. 



The climate is humid, and, as a consequence, the district is 

 a forest region. The rocks are generally granites or similar 

 rocks. The scenery is of the most imposing character, whether 

 visited by land or sea, and as a result attracts great numbers 

 of visitors from the neighbouring colonies. 



The flora above the forest-level is alpine, and contains 

 m?aiy exquisite flowers which are now finding their way into 

 cultivation. 



The purpose of the j)aper is to urge that attention should 

 be paid to encouraging strangers to visit tlais region, as New 

 Zealand, like Switzerland, will ultimately derive much benefit 

 financially from the visits of tourists. The Government is 

 urged to take steps to make our alpine and forest flora known 

 through the Chicago Exhibition, as a trade in this class of pro- 

 duet is already springing up. 



A portion of the paper is taken up with details of explora- 

 tion, and notably with an account of several expeditions which, 

 since Christmas, 1888, have vainly searched the pass between 

 Lake Manapouri and Smith Sound for traces of the late Mr. 

 Mainwaring Brown, Professor of English at the University of 

 Otago, who was mysteriously lost while exploring there. 



1. Some Notes on the Meteorology and Steam lioutes of the 

 Southern Oceans. 



By Captain Crutchley, E.N., E.E.G.S. 



It has been suggested, in consequence of the comparative 

 absence of any detailed information respecting the ice-drifts 

 and currents of the South Pacific Ocean, that any information 

 on this subject, however trifling, is valuable, and it is owing to 

 that belief only that these notes are written, although not 

 without the hope that they may be useful when still further 

 information is obtained to discuss with them. 



The Antarctic Circle has not up to the present time received 

 anything approaching the amount of attention which has been 

 bestowed on the Northern Polar regions: not in consequence of 

 its being considered of less interest from a scientific x)oint of 



