12 Historical Notes on the 



but finding that the river was now quite impassable near the spot 

 where the accident had happened, we kept down on the left bank of 

 the riyer towards Mr. Butler's station. Not being able to extricate 

 ourselves in the dark . amongst the swampy terrain above the junction 

 of the Potts, we only reached it next morning. Before arriving 

 at the station we met Messrs. John King and Frederick Shrimpton, 

 of Timaru, who were on a visit at Mesopotamia, and who had 

 started before daylight up the river to look for the rider of one 

 of my horses, which had arrived late in the evening at the station with 

 Dr. Sinclair's blankets fastened to the saddle. After a hasty 

 meal we started again together up the river, when we found the body 

 some 300 yards below the spot where Dr. Sinclair had entered the 

 river. 



"We brought the body of my lamented friend to Mesopotamia, and 

 buried him on March 29th. jSTear the banks of the river, just where 

 it emerges from the Alps, with their perpetual snowfields glistening 

 in the sun, amidst Veronicas and Senecios, and covered with Cehnisias 

 and Gentians, there lies his lonely grave. With almost juvenile 

 alacritv he had climbed and searched the mountain sides, showing 

 that, notwithstanding his advanced age, his love for his cherished 

 science had supplied him with strength for its pursuits, until 

 at last, overrating his powers, and not sufficiently aware of the 

 treacherous nature of alpine torrents, he fell a victim to his 

 zeal. Great and deep was my sorrow, and with a saddened heart I 

 had to continue alone the work upon which we had set out together. 



Having to wait for the return of my servant whom I had sent to 

 Christchurch with the necessary documents concerning this sad 

 accident, I was only able to start again on April 9th to examine the 

 head waters of the Clyde, the remaining third main branch of the Eangi- 

 tata. For the first eight miles this branch has a broad shingle bed, 

 over which we could proceed without any trouble, after which the valley 

 narrowed considerably, the river sometimes flowing close to perpen- 

 dicular rocks compelled us frequently to cross its channel ; and 

 although the water was very low, it gave us the greatest trouble, not 

 alone owing to the rapid flow of the water, but also to the enormous 

 boulders in the bed of the river affording only very treacherous footing to 

 the horses. We camped at the junction of the McCoy, another impor- 

 tant source branch from the north, finding here a little grassy spot. The 

 view up this stream was most magnificent, it seemed as if the mountains 

 on both sides, consisting of the same sandstones and slates as before 



