254 



Art. XLVII. — On the Physical Geography of the Lake Districts of Otago. 



By James M'Kerrow. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, July 19, 1870.] 



The Lakes of Otago belong principally to the two great river systems of the 

 Clutha and Waiau. Lakes Hawea, Wanaka, and Wakatipu, belonging to the 

 Clutha Riv^er, and Lakes N. and S. Mavora, Te Anau, Manipori, and Mono- 

 ■ wai, to the Waiau Rivei*. 



These lakes are of great extent relative to the size of the country. Taking 

 their dimensions from the reonnoissance surveys, we have for the Clutha River 

 system : — 



Length 

 in miles. 

 Lake Hawea . . 19 



General breadth 

 in miles. 

 3 



L Area in 

 sq. miles. 

 . 48 



Alt. above sea 

 level in feet. 

 . 1189 



Lake Wanaka . . 29 



1 to 3 



. 75 





974 



Lake Wakatipu . . 50 



. 1 to 31 



. 114 

 237 





1069 



the Waiau River system : — 











Length 

 in miles. 

 Lakes N". and S. Mavora 9 



General breadth 



in miles. 

 . 1 to 1 



Area in 

 sq. miles. 



5 



Alt. above sea 

 level in feet. 

 . 2073 



Lake Te Anau . 38 



. 1 to 6 ^ 









The three western 

 arras or fiords of 



. 132 





694 



Te Anau, each 10 to 18 



. 1 to 3 j 









Lake Manipori . 18 

 Lake Monowai . 14 



ito 6 

 . ito 1 



. 50 . 597 

 1 1 not over 500 



It may here be noted that the Te Anau is the largest lake of the Middle 

 Island. 



The lakes are all known to be many hundi-eds of feet deep, but no great 

 attention has been given to the sounding of any of them, excepting Lake 

 Wakatipu. Soundings of this lake have been taken by several persons inde- 

 pendently. The greatest depth given is 1400 feet, about the middle of the 

 lake off Collins Bay, and sixteen miles from the south end of the lake. 



Having stated the principal survey data of the lakes, we may now refer to 

 the map for their relative positions. It will appear that they all lie along the 

 eastern side of the great western ranges, or Southern Alps ; as also Lakes 

 Ohau, Pukaki, and Tekapau, of the Waitaki River system. 



It may also be observed that the lakes of Otago and Canterbury, taken as 

 a whole, lie on a line which is roughly parallel to the axis of the Southern Alps, 

 and to the west coast. The length of the lakes greatly exceeds their breadth, 

 and they all lie lengthwise in their valleys, and occupy the full width of the 

 valley, the mountains rising generally from their shore line. Their surfaces 

 do not differ greatly in altitude above sea level, and what difference there is 



