70 Historical Notes on the 



themselves a moment's rest, in order that they might not be too late 

 for the golden harvest. After three miles the bridlepath leaves the 

 principal valley of the Waitohi, and follows a little tributary from the 

 north, which crosses the path about twenty times before the foot of 

 the pass, 1858 feet high, is reached. Immediately at the beginning of 

 the rush, the Provincial Government had sent on a number of roadmen 

 to repair the worst places, to build bridges, to drain swamps, and where 

 the bridlepath led along steep declivities, to make it less dangerous by 

 blasting and earthworks. Although this had been done here, and not- 

 withstanding the really splendid weather, the road was nevertheless in 

 many places in a very bad condition, for the immense traffic of men and 

 horses and the numerous herds of cattle which were daily driven 

 towards the West Coast, had soon destroyed the generally temporary 

 earthworks, so that in many places we had great difficulty in getting 

 the pack-horses over the swampy ground. Here too, I met several 

 people returning from the West Coast, covered with rags, and whose 

 hollow features showed only too plainly traces of the unaccustomed 

 privations they had endured. We now rode up the grassy saddle 

 which leads between the mountains, about 3000 feet high, to the 

 Hurunui river, without encountering any difficulties. In spite of the 

 unpleasant change in the weather which had taken place, the road was 

 very interesting. 



Numbers of diggers on foot or on horseback, pedlars taking pro- 

 visions on pack-horses, herds of cattle driven by stockmen on horses, 

 and all going in the same direction, enlivened the landscape, the 

 loneliness of which at other times would not fail to make an impression 

 upon the traveller. Arrived at the saddle, a magnificent view opened 

 out on the wild partly wooded rocky mountains, which bound both 

 sides of the Hurunui valley ; the river itself is not visible, as it flows 

 in a d^ep gorge. Behind us lay the Hurunui plain, bounded by a 

 succession of tertiary hills which form the horizon. At the northern 

 declivity of the pass was a little swampy valley, which runs for a short 

 space along the principal river, and afterwards enters it in a narrow 

 gorge. After we had crossed this we had to ascend a drift terrace, 

 along which the road goes for a short distance. The old alluvial 

 deposits lie about 150 feet above the present surface of the river, but 

 traces of higher, still older terraces, are also visible, 100 feet above the 

 road on the mountain sides, consisting also of shingle deposits, out of 

 which at some places rocks crop out. After a short distance, the 

 foaming river washes against its southern bank, formed for the most 



