1866.] L0C?:E- TEA VEBS— LAKE -BA8IN8. 257 



ther than the watershed beyond the Eotoiti and the "Wairau, whilst, 

 on the course of the Eotoiti river, it stretches for several miles down 

 the valley, and we find erratics on the flanks of the hills on both 

 sides nearly as far the Howard. At this point the Eotoiti enters 

 the granitic zone of Mount Murchison, isolated peaks of this granite 

 appearing on the north side of the river '' rising " (in the words of 

 Dr. Haast, in his ' Eeport on the Geology of the Province of Nelson ') 

 " through the alluvium ; " but the great mass of the hills stretching 

 along the north bank of the river as far as the junction of the 

 Eoturoa is still composed of the before-mentioned Post-pliocene 

 formation. 



Lake Arthur lies between a great spur of Mount Eobert on the one 

 side, and the foot of the St. Arnaud Eange on the other ; its principal 

 feeder rising in Mount Travers. Now, this lake is several hundred 

 feet deep, the depth gradually increasing from its upper end until 

 you approach its broadest part, when it again begins to shoal. In 

 front of it lies the great moraine before referred to, rising about 100 

 or 150 feet above the level of the water, the outlet having made its 

 way through this at the north-west corner of the lake, exhibiting a 

 section of from 100 to 120 feet in height. 



Passing on now to Lake Howick, I may mention that on the 

 flank of the granite range between the Howard and this lake, I 

 found Tertiary strata containing thin bands of lignite. These beds 

 were brought to light by a large side cutting, made during the con- 

 struction of a road, long after Dr. Haast had visited the district, and 

 were very likely then to have escaped his observation, as the whole 

 district is densely wooded, and the surface so encumbered with dead 

 and living vegetable matter, as entirely to conceal the soil, except 

 where actually cut into. Dr. Haast, in the report before alluded to, 

 refers to the existence of seams of lignite in this neighbourhood, 

 stating, however, that '' he had not seen them in situ, but had found 

 large pieces lying upon the shingly banks of the Howard." 



On descending into the valley of the Eoturoa (which is densely 

 wooded throughout) I found it was filled, in front of the lake, with 

 moraine matter derived from the mountains on each side. I did not 

 travel down the valley to the junction of the outlet with the Buller, 

 but I was informed by the solitary ferryman at the lake that it was 

 i' very rough," and full of " big stones," from which I conjectured 

 that it was probably filled throughout with ice-borne matter. The 

 D'Urville and Sabine rivers, the principal feeders of the lake, flow 

 through frightfully rugged valleys. I ascended the range between 

 them to the height of nearly 8000 feet, but being alone I did not 

 care to attempt Mount Franklin. I saw enough, however, to satisfy 

 me, that enormous glaciers formerly descended the valleys of the 

 Sabine and D'Urville, and after uniting at the extremity of the 

 dividing spur, filled the site of the lake. I had no opportunity of 

 examining the range of hills on the north bank of the Buller, oppo- 

 site the mouth of the Eoturoa, so that I am unable to say whether 

 moraine matter occurs on. their flank, in the same manner as on the 

 flanks of the hills in front of Lake Arthur. • I think it extremely 



