22 Historical Notes on the 



defined outlines from the vast snowfields in front of us. The 

 upper portion of the glacier, consisting of clean ice only slightly 

 crevassed, offered favourable travelling ground ; it formed a vast 

 amphitheatre surrounded by a number of high peaks, of which Mount 

 Darwin and the Hochstetter dome — which appeared again at the 

 head of the great Tasman glacier — were the most prominent. 

 The panorama around us was really magnificent, and as I never 

 expected that alpine scenery on such a gigantic scale could be found 

 in Sew Zealand, the grandeur of the landscape astounded me still more. 

 The stillness of nature was only interrupted by small rills of water 

 running over the ice, and disappearing soon in small round holes 

 which descend abruptly below the surface, and by the plaintive notes 

 of a pair of Keas which were soaring high above us. A few 

 avalanches fell during the day, the thunder of which was repeated 

 over and over again by the echoes in the rocky walls around us. 

 Towards the middle of the day we were startled by the fall of an 

 enormous mass of overhanging ice, which was pushed over a vertical 

 precipice about a thousand feet high, and came down with such a loud 

 peculiar jingling crash that I cannot find words to describe it. 

 The day was cloudless and very fine, and when towards evening we 

 crossed the river to regain our camp, the water had risen so- con- 

 siderably that it was not only much higher than in the morning, but 

 we had a still larger number of branches to pass. 



Some days were now devoted to an ascent of several mountains in 

 the neighbourhood, where besides the results obtained in the pursuit of 

 the topographical and geological work, a rich harvest in zoological and 

 botanical specimens was secured. The observations made during these 

 ascents on both sides of the river proved clearly, that an enormous power 

 had been at work as high as 3000 feet above the present level of the valley. 

 During the great glacier period, broad terraces had been carved into the 

 mountain sides by the moving ice, the angle of which, however small, 

 could be measured. "We were camped at an altitude of about 3300 feet 

 above the level of the sea, and although we were still in summer and had 

 generally fine weather, on March 3rd we were visited by a strong south- 

 east wind accompanied by a heavy snowfall, so that the mountains to their 

 base, and even the valley were covered with snow for nearly two 

 days. The thermometer stood three degrees below freezing point 

 (29 degrees Fahrenheit), and some water-holes near the camp were 

 frozen over. It was a remarkable sight to see the whole land- 

 scape covered thus with a uniform white garment. However, as soon 



