Sutherland. — On Discoveries near Milford Sound. 455 



valley being bounded on either hand and closed at its upper end by high 

 and excessively rugged mountains, presenting some of the most remarkable 

 scenery to be met with in the whole district. 



The mountains on the north-east side of the valley are specially striking, 

 and have been called by their explorers the Balloon Mountains. From the 

 river valley these rise as vertical precipices to a height of 5,000 feet, and 

 attain an altitude between 8,000 and 9,000 feet above sea-level. It is here 

 that the Sutherland Falls are situate, which have a height of 5,000 feet, a 

 considerable volume of water being precipitated from that height in an 

 almost unbroken sheet into the valley where this is not more than 800 feet 

 above sea-level. At the source of the more westerly branch of the river, a 

 pass was discovered leading in the direction of the head of Bligh Sound, by 

 which it is hoped communication may be established with some of the 

 western arms of Te Anau Lake. 



It seems certain from Maori report that by this way an available route 

 exists, but as yet no European has reached Te Anau Lake, starting from 

 Milford Sound, — or Milford Sound from the other end of the journey. 



It is, however, probable that a route this way to Milford Sound was 

 known to the Maoris, as on several points of it traces of temporary or more 

 permanent camps have been discovered. 



It is not with the results of these explorations that this paper more par- 

 ticularly deals, but with those of subsequent date made on the coast-line 

 between Milford and Bligh Sounds. 



Eighteen months ago McKay left Milford Sound, and Mr. Sutherland 

 has since, for the most part, explored single-handed. A few days since he 

 passed through Wellington and gave me an account of his later discoveries 

 which, in his own words, is as follows : — 



" During the month of October last I made an attempt to reach the top 

 of Mitre Peak following the valley on its south side, hoping thus to gain the 

 top of the ridge connecting the Mitre with the Llawrenny Peaks to the south. 

 In this I failed, as the upper end of the valley is surrounded by precipices 

 or smooth rock surfaces, sloping at high angles on which no footing could 

 be found. The upper end of this valley is considerably wider than the 

 middle and lower part forming a semi-circular basin surrounded by precipices 

 as pronounced on the side next the Llawrenny Peaks as towards the Mitre. 

 ' ' Towards the upper end of the valley blocks of marble occur in the 

 detritus covering the low grounds, but marble was nowhere observed in situ. 

 There is also considerable quantity of the purer hornblende rock of which 

 samples had formerly been obtained in the lower part of this valley. 



" I next determined to examine the coast-line south of the entrance to 

 Milford Sound, and as weather availed used the boat for this purpose. 

 Landing two miles south of Fox Point, at the mouth of a valley running 



