Parx.—Ascent of Mount Franklin. 851 
has avoided this wilderness, doubtless thinking that the chances of finding 
payable gold were insufficient inducements to meet the difficulties likely to 
be encountered in the search after the precious metal. 
Mount Franklin may be called the culminating point of the Spenser and 
St. Arnaud Ranges, for while the former, which is merely the northern con- 
tinuation of the Southern Alps, rises to the northward by a succession of 
peaks gradually increasing in height, the latter, which trends somewhat 
more to the eastward, falls away to the northward by a like series of 
gradually decreasing heights, eventually losing itself in the densely wooded 
spurs at the sources of the Buller River. It was with the desire of making 
geological and botanical collections in this mountainous country that this 
trip was organized. 
Our party, comprising five persons, left Nelson on the 10th March. 
Proceeding by railway to Belgrove, we walked to the Rainbow, via Top- 
house, our camp gear being carried by two pack-horses. At the mouth of 
the Rainbow River there is evidence of a glacier that once came down its 
valley, flowing over the spur dividing that river from the Wairau. The 
moraine of this glacier can still be traced, but the greater part has been 
washed away by the river. 
After passing the mouth of the Rainbow Valley the mountains on either 
side of the Wairau suddenly converge, apparently blocking further progress 
in this direction. However, on getting close to this barrier, we found 
a narrow flat running parallel with the river. Where the flat was washed 
away, or a precipice rose abruptly from the river, the track was cut out 
of the solid rock, in many places being half tunnelled to obtain a few feet 
on the solid. 
The Wairau Gorge is, we believe, one of the most wonderful and 
imposing sights in New Zealand. On both sides the mountains frequently 
rise by a succession of steep, rugged precipices to a height of 8,500 feet 
above the river, and in this might be said to rival the deep canóns of the 
Rockies. 
About half way through the gorge we crossed Coldwater Creek, and 
Judge’s Creek half-a-mile beyond. These creeks rise towards the sources of 
the Awatere, breaking through the Raglan Ranges, locally known as the 
** Bounds of Hades." 
On the 12th we reached Tarndale old station. Next day the range 
behind the old station was ascended to a height of 5,500 feet. As seen 
from this elevation much surprise was expressed that the Wairau preferred 
to cut its present course through a high mountain range to finding an easy 
outlet by the Alma, which drains the tarns giving the name to Tarndale, 
