214 



Report of a Journey Around the JJor/d. 



narrow suspension bridge which required careful walking to avoid 

 unpleasant oscillation in the middle . We went along by the Miiller 

 glacier and turned aside to see the Hooker stream run under the 

 glacier (Fig. 165). It was hard at first to believe that the dark, 

 gravel-loaded mass was ice, it was so covered with sand. Every 

 now and then a block (a miniature iceberg) would break off and 

 show its true nature. The sides showed numerous protruding 

 pebbles and boulders like plums in a pudding, and farther up the 



164. BRIDGE OVER HOOKER RIVER. 



mass was seamed deeply with transverse cracks. In the Hooker 

 Valley were thousands of the beautiful white buttercup, called 

 here, absurdly, "Mt. Cook lilies" {Ranniieuliis Lyallii) . It was 

 not difficult to distinguish two species of this interesting plant, but 

 as I supposed Dr. Cheeseman (whose excellent Flora I had not 

 with me) had described it, I took no pains to preserve specimens. 

 On meeting Dr. Cheeseman later in Auckland I found that he had 

 visited this region two months later than m> visit and doubtless 

 the flowers had perished from one of these. One may have been 

 R. Traversii which has not been reported for forty years. New 

 Zealand is rich in this genus. Dr. Cheeseman describing thirty- 

 seven species. [362] 



