78 ERITONGA RIVER. [PART I. 



often came up to our middle. It is very rapid in 

 its course, and, although in many places not more 

 than thirty yards in breadth, its broad bed, strewed 

 over with large boulders of basaltic rock, proves 

 that this child of the mountains does not always 

 confine itself within such narrow limits. At this 

 place its course is greatly obstructed by totara-trees 

 of immense dimensions : two or three are often piled 

 one above the other, showing how high the river 

 occasionally rises. About twenty-five miles from its 

 outlet, on the right shore, was a steep rocky bluff, of 

 a hard trap-rock, over which fell two cascades. 



Higher up, the banks of the river show by their 

 vertical section the manner in which this valley has 

 been formed. An argillaceous slate is overlaid by a 

 layer of boulders and pebbles, of trappean formation, 

 from ten to twelve feet in thickness. This forma- 

 tion extends to the foot of the mountains, and proves 

 that the level of the water in the Eritonga was 

 formerly much higher than it now is. This is 

 especially seen a little higher up. On the slopes of 

 the lateral hills platforms are found, now on the 

 right, now on the left side of the river, according 

 to its windings, their elevation on each side being 

 the same. They extend a square mile or more in 

 area, and are strewed over with boulders and water- 

 worn pebbles. 



I may here observe that the coast near Palliser 

 Bay has a terraced appearance, corresponding pro- 

 bably in level with that just described, for the origin 



