Geological Survey of Canterbury. Ill 



Jollie, the Provincial Secretary, who had come over from Christchurch 

 to make tbsmselves personally acquainted with the progress of the 

 road. Arrived at the junction of the Otira with the Teramakau, I 

 sent my horses hack to meet me at the eastern foot of Browning's 

 Pass, and continued my journey with another set of horses, which had 

 come up from Hokitika to meet me here, and to convey my luggage to 

 the western approaches of that last-mentioned Pass. Por several days 

 we were detained by heavy rain at the Taipo, and moreover were 

 compelled to travel slowly, owing to the very bad state of the roads, 

 which were only partly formed. In many places they were nothing 

 more than deep channels of mire, interlaced with innumerable roots, in 

 and above which a number of stems of trees and arborescent ferns 

 were lying, and amongst which the horses had to pick their way. 

 On the 14th of October we arrived at the Waimea, whence the road 

 leads across the downs to the Kawhaka, a tributary of the Arahura, the 

 whole country being the whole way covered with most luxuriant forest, 

 consisting generally of pines, amongst which the numerous fern trees 

 raised their graceful crowns. This is one of the finest portions of the 

 West Coast road, and on a favourable day, the traveller who passes 

 through this lovely country, cannot find terms adequate to describe 

 his admiration or to express his delight. However, in those days, 

 travelling along these tracks was a very arduous task indeed. 

 Everywhere road parties were at work clearing a broad belt 

 of forest away, and as the rainy weather continued, it was 

 often with some difficulty that we managed to get the pack- 

 horses along. 



On the 18th of October we reached Hokitika, where, in my old 

 quarters in the G-overnment Camp, I found a hospitable welcome. 

 After having paid a visit to the Totara diggings and to Lake 

 Mahinapua, south of Hokitika, which owes its origin to morainic 

 accumulations on its western shore, I prepared myself for the return 

 journey by Browning's Pass. "We left Hokitika on the 25th of October, 

 crossed the river in a punt, and followed the road for nearly seven 

 miles along its left bank, travelling mostly on alluvial terraces of 

 quarternary origin, generally covered with Ake-ake bushes (Olearia 

 nitida.) In order to visit the gold workings at and near Kanieri town- 

 ship, I crossed the river from Woodstock, and descended several of the 

 shafts, which offered me a good insight into the geological structure 

 of the auriferous beds, a subject to which I shall return in the chapter 

 on the geology of the West Coast. 



