12 Historical Notes on the 



the opposite bank the path ascends a terrace more than 150 feet high, 

 and is comparatively easy, although here and there steep places still 

 occur. Above this junction the valley assumes a less gorge-like 

 character, and keeps on widening, until three miles westward it opens 

 out completely. A wall of debris several hundred feet high forms the 

 southern side of the valley, out of which grassy rounded roclies mou- 

 tonnees, 500 feet high, rise, and are a sign that we are in the 

 neighbourhood of the glacier lakes. After the shingle wall, consisting 

 of stratified subangular alluvium, is ascended, the path leaves the 

 valley of the principal river and continues towards Lake Taylor, in a 

 thickly grassed river-bed filled up with quarternary debris, leading 

 us two miles further on to the remains of an old moraine. On the 

 northern side the valley has been formed by a number of low roclies 

 tnoutonnees, all with their worn side towards the west. The contrast 

 between these grassy rounded hills and the high rugged mountain, 

 covered to a height of 4000 feet with dark beech forest, was very 

 attractive. 



On the evening of the 5th of April I arrived at the grassy shores of 

 Lake Taylor (1948 feet), the deep blue surface of which is charmingly 

 situated between the dark green beech forest, and in which the 

 mountain, rising abruptly at its southern shore, with its rugged peaks 

 more than 6000 feet high, is reflected. At the house of the 

 hospitable runholder, Mr. Taylor, I received a most hearty welcome, 

 while my men put up their tents on the shore of the lake. As this 

 was good pasture ground, and firewood was close at hand, several 

 butchers' stalls and huts for selling provisions had already been 

 erected at this place, at other times so lonely. The numerous white 

 tents on the shore of the lake looked quite cheerful, and as night came 

 on I counted, in different directions, thirty camp fires. The benevolence 

 of the excellent man whose guest I was, and who had already lived 

 here many years, had been sorely tried during the last few months, 

 but he nevertheless continued through the whole of the rush, which 

 still lasted several months, to give williDgly and without remuneration, 

 flour, meat, tea, and sugar, to all those who were returning from the coast 

 starving, so that they were able to continue their journey with renewed 

 strength. Only those diggers went back overland who had not the 

 means to take a passage in a steam or sailing vessel from the West to 

 the East Coast. 



During the next day I was occupied in visiting the different lakes* 

 in order that I might become acquainted with the geological conditions 



