Geological Survey of Canterbury. 4<5 



powering, whilst amongst others the magnificent Ranunculus Lyallii 

 was growing in such a striking profusion, and was so crowded with its 

 large white flowers, that it appeared as if the lower mountain slopes 

 were still sprinkled with snow. Water was coming down everywhere 

 from the mountain sides, and many a small rill, which in winter had 

 only appeared like a silken thread, now poured down as a splendid 

 cascade. 



Instead of four or five days which I proposed for this prospecting 

 tour up the river, it took me about a fortnight before I could 

 accomplish the work. We examined first one of the principal western 

 tributaries joining the main river, about twelve miles above the lake, 

 but without results ; the rocks, although having been subjected to con- 

 siderable alteration in their structure, neither showing well defined 

 quartz reefs, nor having furnished material for the formation of alluvial 

 deposits, even should the gold have been disseminated throughoirt the 

 rock. Continuing our journey towards the sources, the fall of the 

 avalanches, broke the stillness of nature, and warned me to be careful, 

 not only in selecting the road, but also in choosing a camping ground. 

 Although most of the avalanches which now fell were comparatively 

 small, the season being already far advanced, at several localities the 

 enormous devastation they had caused was proof enough that some of 

 them had been of colossal dimensions. At some spots, the whole 

 forest, reaching about 1,000 feet above the valley, was thrown down, the 

 stems of the trees, often of large size, lying over each other like so 

 many reeds scattered over the ground ; at others, the trees were only 

 broken off above the roots,. and carried down the mountain side, the 

 remaining portion resembling a gigantic stubble field; whilst in some 

 instances the whole forest, with the soil on which it had grown, had 

 disappeared altogether, and only the rocky surface was visible from 

 above the upper line of forest vegetation to the foot of the valley. 

 Often at the base of these localities large mounds were formed, con- 

 sisting of debris, vegetable soil, and trees — the latter generally broken 

 up in small fragments, the whole mixed with large blocks of rock. It 

 was evident that the unusually heavy falls of snow of the last winter 

 had been the principal cause of the devastation, which was on a much 

 more enormous scale than I had ever seen in the European Alps. 

 Gradually but under great difficulties we reached the upper portion of 

 the valley, and arrived at last, on December 19th, at our old camping 

 ground. During the night an avalanche, apparently of more than 

 ordinary dimensions, fell in the neighbourhood of our camp. The- 



