Geological Survey of Canterbury. 33 



south-western spur of the Mount Cook range, and I now thought that 

 the outlet of the Hooker glacier would have sufficient power to destroy 

 its terminal face so effectually, that it would not reach the rocky 

 mountain side. However, I observed that that outlet kept more 

 towards the centre of the valley, finding its way some 150 yards from 

 the foot of the range below the Mueller glacier, and issuing with the 

 outlet of the latter from a magnificent ice vault. For more than a hundred 

 yards below it, the ice forms perpendicular walls on both sides about a 

 hundred feet high, often washed out into bold forms, resembling turrets, 

 minarets, or gigantic statues, and sometimes crowned with enormous 

 erratic blocks. Whilst travelling on the glacier listening to the strange 

 gurgling sounds of the water, flowing under our feet between the ice, 

 several large avalanches fell with a thundering noise, whilst another 

 glacier of the second order, hanging high above the trunk glacier, 

 threw an enormous mass of ice upon it with a loud clattering sound. 



During the next eight days we had a spell of bad weather, which 

 would not allow us to make long excursions. North-westers and 

 south-easters alternately swept through the valley, bringing rain and 

 snow in abundance. G-enerally we were enveloped in clouds and mists, 

 and occasionally one or the other of the snow-covered giants appeared 

 dimly " half cloud, half ghost:," through the haze above us. Our meat 

 began to run short, but with the help of the gun, our larder, 

 when the weather cleared up for a moment, was replenished with 

 native game, which was abundant near our camp. However, during 

 that time, I repeatedly ascended the slopes of the Mount Cook range, 

 made short excursions over the huge glacier in several directions, and 

 continued to complete my geological, botanical, and zoological 

 collections, which now began to assume considerable proportions. 



The weather cleared up at last, and on the 12th of April, at daylight, 

 we started to ascend the Mount Cook range. It was a cold but sunny 

 morning, and with great expectations we climbed through the Fagus 

 forest, which, for the first six or seven hundred feet intermixed with 

 sub-alpine shrubs, covers the sides of the range. After leaving the 

 forest we came to alpine vegetation, becoming still more characteristic 

 about 1800 feet above the valley amongst the rocks, where we climbed 

 along the crest of the mountain leading towards Mount Cook proper. 

 But although the ridge, as seen from the valley, seemed quite smooth, 

 it consisted of huge rocks, broken up into very sharp prismatic 

 fragments, lying loosely upon each other, often with deep precipices 

 on both sides, where one false step would have cost life or limb. Soon 



