26 QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND. [PART i. 



fertile soil, where the surrounding forest preserves 

 a continual supply of moisture. 



The geological formation of these hills is very 

 simple. The rock is a stratified yellow argillaceous 

 slate, or a pepper-coloured soft wacke. In a few 

 places this rock is interrupted by basaltic masses, 

 and in some parts by siliceous slate, or Lydian stone, 

 of various colours. 



Little decay has taken place on the surface of this 

 rock. But it is covered with a moderate layer of 

 vegetable mould, which naturally collects to a greater 

 thickness at the sides of the watercourses and in 

 gorges or ravines. Generally speaking, however, 

 the vegetable mould is only a thin stratum, and the 

 exuberance and freshness of the vegetation are chiefly 

 owing to the constant humidity. 



It is this moisture which also nourishes an extra- 

 ordinary number of little streamlets, which discharge 

 themselves from the sides of the hills into the sea. 

 The profuseness of this supply of water, which is 

 quite astonishing, is common to the whole of New 

 Zealand, and gives her a great advantage over the 

 dry and arid soil of New South Wales. 



The vegetation of these hills is very luxuriant. 

 Near the beach appear shrublike veronicas, 1 myrtles, 2 

 fuchsias, 3 solanum, 4 the karaka tree, 5 tutu, 6 and flax. 7 



1 Veronica ligustrifolia. ' 2 Myrtus bullata. 

 3 Fuchsia excorticata. 4 Solarium laciniatum. 



5 Corynocarpus laevigata. 6 Coriaria sarmentosa. 



7 Phormium tenax. 



