Teavees. — Comparison of tlie Mora of Nelson and Canterbury. 175 



In tlie remarks I am about to offer I propose to treat the united 

 Provinces of Kelson and Marlborough as tbe " Nelson district," and the 

 Province of Canterbury as the " Canterbury district ;" and in order to make 

 my remarks intelligible, I must briefly sketch the physical features of each 

 district. 



Upon dividing the Nelson district longitudinally, we find the western 

 half covered with dense forest, whilst the eastern may be considered as 

 almost exclusively a grass country ; but the whole district is composed of 

 mountain spurs radiating from the Spencer mountains, with small interven- 

 ing valleys, the ranges on each side of the dividing line presenting a 

 considerable uniformity in altitude. 



The western part of the Canterbury district is also composed of moun- 

 tain chains continuous with the Spencer mountains, the eastern slopes of 

 Avhich are almost entirely grassed, whilst the western slopes, like those of the 

 Nelson district, are also covered with dense forest. But at the foot of the 

 Canterbury mountains, on the east side, and at a short distance south of the 

 boundary between the two districts, we find extensive plains, apparently 

 level, bounded by the sea shore, and having an average breadth of about 

 thirty miles. These plains extend from north to south about one hundi'ed 

 and fifty miles, and are succeeded by low undulating downs and occasional 

 flats until we reach the Waitaki Eiver, at the southern extremity of the 

 district. At the northern end of the plains we also find low downs, stretch- 

 ing from the Kowhai Eiver (where the plains properly commence) to the 

 Hurunui, after crossing which and entering the Nelson district we almost 

 immediately come upon mountain ranges of considerable altitude. 



In drawing this short description of the two districts I must not omit to 

 notice Banks Peninsula, Avhich, as you are aware, is composed almost exclu- 

 sively of volcanic rocks, contains about 260,000 acres of land, all mountains 

 and hills, much broken in character, in some parts attaining an elevation 

 of 4,000 feet, and nearly equally divided into forest and pasture land. 



As you are also aware, the plains above referred to are intersected by 

 great rivers flowing from the mountain ranges, and it has been ascertained, 

 as the result of carefully-taken levels, that these rivers fall at rates varying 

 from twenty-eight to thirty-five feet per mile, between the foot of the moun- 

 tain ranges and the sea. These plains, therefore, although apparently level, 

 are actually as a rule 1,000 feet above sea level at the base of the 

 mountain range, falling away very gradually from that altitude to the level 

 of the sea. 



It will be evident to you, then, that although the two districts under 

 consideration present certain marked distinctions, as well as resemblances, in 

 physical character, and might, if separated by an effectual barrier to free 



