116 Historical Notes on the 



bourhood, and to ascend the avalanche channel, would not only be 

 destroyed by the fall of the avalanches, but be of no use whatever for 

 several months in the year, besides endangering the lives of the 

 passengers travelling that way. I therefore made it a rule to note 

 carefully all the different avalanche channels, to be able to point 

 out where danger might be expected, and, if possible, to avoid it 

 altogether in laying out the road. 



Fortunately for my purpose I travelled along this route during the 

 time of the year when these physical features are most clearly denned, 

 and I may be excused if, for that reason, I enter into this topic, which 

 has no direct reference to the object of my journey. As before ob- 

 served, the Harman from the continuous rain was very high, and we 

 were only able to cross it with the assistance of a rope we had brought 

 with us. ^V"e ascended on the other side and camped upon a small 

 grassy flat close to one of 3Ir. Browning's poles. Incessant rain con- 

 tinued during the whole of the day and the early part of the night, 

 changing towards morning into snow, but which fortunately was 

 followed by a fine bright clay. Our blankets, provisions, and nearly 

 everything else being thoroughly saturated, we were occupied for the 

 greater part of the morning drying them, and it was only towards noon 

 we were able to proceed on our journey. For a short time we had to 

 travel through sub-alpine vegetation, but soon the gorge opened, and 

 though the Taipo was still high, we were enabled to ascend along its 

 banks, crossing from side to side, and travelling on a shingle reach. 

 Half a mile higher up the valley widened still more, grass and alpine 

 herbaceous plants made their appearance, and we advanced rapidly 

 towards the Pass. Shortly after leaving our camp we passed the 

 remains of several large avalanches, still partly over -bridging the 

 river, whilst in other instances they were cut through by the river, 

 forming on both sides perpendicular walls of snow. For about a mile 

 or a mile and a half above the junction with the Harman, the adjoin- 

 ing mountains possess such physical features, that the fall of avalanches 

 from the western slopes of Mount Harman is prevented, whilst several 

 steep water or avalanche channels descend from the opposite side of 

 the Twin Peaks range. The remains of these avalanches indicated 

 clearly that in many places the river-bed for a considerable time of 

 the year is concealed by them. This supposition was confirmed by my 

 companion, who had travelled a month before the same road, and who 

 assured me that for a great distance they had been obliged to scramble 

 over the snow. After having ascended this distance, deep gorges from 



