Pakk. — Ascent of Mount Franklin. 351 



lias 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 Eanges, 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 tins 

 trip was organized. 



Our party, comprising five persons, left Nelson on the 10th March. 

 Proceeding by railway to Belgrove, we walked to the Eainbow, via Top- 

 house, our camp gear being carried by two pack-horses. At the mouth of 

 the Eainbow Eiver 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 Eainbow 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 3,500 feet 

 above the river, and in this might be said to rival the deep canons of the 

 Eockies. 



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 Eaglan Eanges, 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, 



