Geological Survey of Canterbury. 119 



and large avalanches as were passed by me. And I may here 

 add that many of them even in the highest Alps of Switzerland 

 would be considered enormous. A few days before my arrival at Mr. 

 Greenlaw's camp, one of his men was nearly killed by one of them 

 coming from the summit of the Pass, and whilst we ascended the 

 Twin Peaks Gorge, an avalanche fell from the western side, five 

 minutes after we had passed the very spot. 



After a short walk from the foot of the Pass we reached Camp Creek, 

 where Mr. Greenlaw's camp, consisting of a well built blockhouse, was 

 situated, and where we were most hospitably received. Mr. 

 Greenlaw was in charge of the road party, which at the beginning of 

 spring had been sent up to form a bridle-path over the Pass, but owing 

 to the enormous accumulation of snow, he had not yet been able to do 

 any work on the slopes of the mountain. In the meantime, a good 

 bridle-track had been formed along the rocky banks of the Upper 

 Wilberforce, which here is simply a mountain torrent. Although it 

 was evident that it would take some considerable time before such a 

 track over the Pass could be formed, owing to its great altitude and 

 steep rocky nature, several of the sheep farmers on the Canterbury 

 plains did not apparently think so, as we met several flocks of sheep, 

 on our return journey, being already driven up, to be crossed over 

 to the West Coast. Of course they had to return and wait for 

 another season. 



The difference of vegetation in such a short distance, and with such 

 a slight difference in altitude — Mr. Greenlaw's camp being situated 3017 

 feet above the sea level, or 341 feet below the foot of the Pass —was 

 most conspicuous. When I stood on the top of the Pass and looked 

 down the valley of the Wilberf orce, it being a dull day with an overcast 

 sky, the whole vegetation assumed sombre brownish colours. Towards 

 the evening the weather cleared up, the sun shone brightly, and the 

 beautifully variegated tints of the sub-alpine vegetation displayed 

 themselves in quite a different aspect, and appeared in all their 

 splendour. There were some very large groves of nene (Dracophyllum 

 traversii), surrounded by a great number of good sized shrubs of 

 Dracophyllum latifolium, conspicuous from their brownish green 

 tints, but they only brought out more vividly the richness of 

 colour and form of the other foliage surrounding us. I think 

 I have already observed that this remarkable tree-like Draco- 

 phyllum {nene) grows only near or on the alpine passes, where the 



