106 Historical Notes on tfie 



Rakaia, with instructions to examine them for available passes more 

 to the south, across the central chain. Of course it was known 

 that a pass near the headwaters of the main branch of the Eakaia 

 existed, Whitcombe Pass, so named in memory of the late Mr. 

 Whiteombe, an eminent engineer, who lost his life by being drowned near 

 the mouth of the Teramakau, after haying sac cess fully accomplished the 

 journey from coast to coast, and of which the survivor, Jacob Louper, 

 has given a graphic and ample description. However, this Pass, then 

 known only from this account, appeared to be surrounded by so many 

 difficulties from an engineering point of view, that a further examination 

 was thought useless. Haast's Pass on the other hand, at the head of 

 Lake Wanaka, was too far south, and could only be made available for 

 the most southerly portion of the Province, and principally for Otago. 

 Of the expeditions exploring the headwaters of the northern rivers, 

 that of the late G-eorge Dobson, C.E., was the most successful, he 

 amongst others discovering Arthur's Pass, a deep depression in the 

 central chain, leading from the sources of the Bealey, one of the 

 upper tributaries of the "Waima kariri, into the Otira, a laree branch of 

 the Teramakau. After this important discovery had been reported, 

 the Provincial Government lost no time, and sent up Mr. E. Dobson, 

 C.E., formerly Provincial Engineer, and at that time Resident Engineer 

 of the Christchurch and Lyttelton Railway, to examine this and some 

 other passes found about that time, with full authority to place the 

 necessary work at once in the hands of the contractor. Mr. Dobson, 

 after inspecting two passes at the head of the northern main branch of 

 the TTaimakariri, Harman Pass and the so-called Browning's Saddle, 

 and another saddle at the head of the Hawdon stream, selected 

 Arthur's Pass, as affording the most favourable physical conditions for 

 a road between both coasts, and the work was at once taken in hand, 

 and pushed on with great energy. The headwaters of the "Waimakariri 

 were explored by Messrs. Harman, Browning, Cahill, and Armstrong; 

 whilst the two first-named gentlemen, together with Mr. E. Griffiths, 

 examined the ^ilberforce, the northern main branch of the Rakaia ? 

 and discovered a pass leading, as the explorers thought, to the sources 

 of the Taipo, a branch of the Teramakau. 



In the south of the Province great efforts were also made to look for 

 a passage across the Southern Alps by the headwaters of the 

 "VTaitaki, to the exploration of which I had devoted considerable 

 time, and the results of which had conclusively shown that 

 no passage existed there anywhere, except over glaciers and neve 



