GrREEN — A Journey among the Netv Zealand Glaciers. 647 



of moraine from thirty distinct ice-streams, which were in sight from 

 this point, brought their tale of boulders to add to the great rampart 

 which had given us such trouble to surmount. We scanned the great 

 ice ridges of Mount Cook with anxious eyes ; all its approaches seemed 

 most difficult ; the only point which was quite clear was, that our 

 present camp would not do, and that in spite of the roughness of the 

 road we must shift it up to where we now were. As it was getting 

 well on for three p.m. we decided we could at present go no further, so, 

 selecting a mark on the hill-sides, I set up a row of stakes across the 

 glacier, and, having secured a photograph, we started back for camp, 

 which we reached at eight p.m. On our way we deposited our ice 

 axes, the stand of my camera, and some photographic plates, beneath 

 a boulder, so as to have the less to carry on our next journey up 

 the glacier. 



At our lower camp the heat during the day was very great, the 

 temperature being often 82° in the shade ; the air was clear, with the 

 barometer ranging from 27'30 to 27'40. ; a brisk breeze occasionally 

 blowing in sudden strong squalls from the south-west or north-west 

 prevailed in the valley, while on the mountain ridges a steady fierce 

 wind seemed to blow continuously from the west. The wood-hens or 

 wekas ( Ocydromus australis) were a source of constant amusement : 

 they seemed to know no fear, and would come pecking and examining 

 every article in our camp, and were always ready to bolt off with 

 any small object left on the ground. They cared little for the stones 

 we threw at them, and all night they kept up a constant whistling, 

 accompanied by a kind of grunting noise. On the stream hard by 

 we had an inexhaustible supply of blue ducks {Hymenolaimus nialaco- 

 rhynchus); there were never many to be seen at a time; but when we 

 shot three or four on one day, a couple of brace more would occupy the 

 same part of the stream next morning. They were not wild, so in 

 order to save cartridges we generally pelted stones at the birds 

 to get them together, and then tumbled two or three in the one 

 shot. 



Far more wild, though quite as numerous, were the Paradise 

 ducks {Casarca variegata). These were splendid birds, in habits, mode 

 of flight, and note, resembling geese rather than ducks ; and the male, 

 with his white head, kept such a good look-out, that various strata- 

 gems had to be adopted ere we secured one for the pot. 



There were a few mosquitoes and sandflies, but the large blow-fly 

 was the greatest source of annoyance, A. coat or a blanket could 

 never be laid on the ground for half an hour with impunity ; even my 

 mackintosh was considered a good receptacle for their eggs ; but we 

 kept them from our cold mutton and ducks with a few yards of 

 mosquito net ; and, after all, having your coat full of maggots does 

 you no harm, so long as they do not, like the larvae of moths, feed on 

 the material. 



"We were astir at the dawn of February 17th, and, as soon as 

 we had our packs ready, and the tents secured against all wekas and 



