84 Historical Notes on the 



broad peaceful expanse of water, surrounded "by the most luxuriant 

 forest and animated by numbers of water birds, is surrounded at the 

 north by the end moraine of a gigantic post-pliocene glacier, while at 

 the southern end, on both sides of the opening, entering from 

 the Teramakau, high mountains descend steeply towards it. 

 The next morning we continued our journey, and as the rocky shore 

 descends at most places steeply into the lake, the path could not be 

 continued along it, and we had often to ascend cliffs, forming 

 beautiful- rocks covered with primeval forest. Although I was well 

 acquainted with the luxuriance of the Xew Zealand forest in the 

 lower regions on the western side of the Southern Alps, I could not 

 resist, now and then, stopping to admire some particularly beautiful 

 part, in which majestic pines and beeches, their straight stems 

 generally covered with bright green mosses and parasitic ferns, were 

 especially conspicuous. Beneath this leafy roof, scarcely admitting 

 the daylight, grew smaller trees and shrubs, above which rose 

 numerous charming arborescent ferns with their delicate fronds. 

 Some of these (Cyathea and Dicksonia) were often 40 to 50 feet high. 

 Here and there, where a little valley led towards the lake, we had a 

 view of the deep blue water beneath us. The path was often very 

 rocky, and even for Xew Zealand horses, accustomed as they are to such 

 paths, presented insurmountable obstacles, as was shown by the 

 skeletons of different animals, lying on or near the road 

 at particularly dangerous places. These skeletons also showed that 

 rats existed here in great numbers, for though the animals had not 

 long fallen, the bones were gnawed perfectly clean. It rained during 

 the whole day, and towards evening we camped at the Big Hohonu 

 Creek, which flows into Lake Brunner. TTe had therefore, in spite 

 of our efforts, only made seven miles. In this beautiful clear mountain 

 stream and its banks I instructed my men to dig for gold ; we found, to 

 use a technical expression, "the colour everywhere." They were 

 generally thin, small scales, often only slightly rolled, and could not, 

 therefore, have been brought any distance. The rain did not cease 

 during the night, and as we were making ready next morning to 

 continue our journey, we were wet to the skin before we had taken 

 the tent down. TTe now entered upon a terraced table land, which 

 stretches from the western foot of the Hohonu chain towards the 

 coast, and from which a few low hills rise here and there. The district 

 is covered with the most luxuriant forest, and cut through by a great 

 many little water-courses, which are generally closed in on both sides 

 by banks, often perpendicular, from 40 to 50 feet high. The ground 



