Geological Survey of Canterbury. 121 



with unabated vigour, but in the course of next morning, the weather 

 cleared up and became truly magnificent. However, the River Harper 

 (a large tributary of the Wilberforce) which had to be passed on our 

 road, was so much swollen that it was impossible to cross it that day. 



The view from Major Scott's station is really very striking. First, 

 Lake Coleridge lying like a deep blue mirror amongst the curiously 

 shaped ranges, formed the centre of the landscape. A number of high 

 hills, which from their remarkably regular form, have aptly been 

 designated Sugarloaves by the settlers, appear in several directions ; 

 they mostly rise to the north of the great depression in which Lake 

 Coleridge is situated. Before visiting this part of the country, I had 

 often heard of these Sugarloaves, which were described to me as extinct 

 volcanoes, their usual conical shape having suggested such an explana- 

 tion ; but when crossing this region, it soon became evident to me that 

 these striking forms were simply the result of the enormous glaciation 

 the country had undergone, and that these so-called Sugarloaves were 

 simply roclies moutonnees standing in the bed of several large glacier 

 branches, of which the great Rakaia glacier had here been formed. 

 The River Harper having fallen sufficiently, next morning, to be 

 crossed without danger, we started on our home journey, being 

 piloted across its still high and muddy waters by Major Scott. "We now 

 followed the longitudinal depression running to the north of Lake 

 Coleridge and parallel to it, of which the level is about three 

 hundred feet above the latter. "With every step, the effects of the 

 enormous glaciation become more manifest, all mountains and hills have 

 not only the roche moutonnee form, but glacier shelves at different 

 altitudes and lying one above the other, are cut deeply into the hill- 

 sides. Some of these are so regular that the settlers have called them 

 carriage roads, devil's highways, or by some similar epithets. Having 

 passed several lagoons, either formed by old morainic accumulations, 

 stretching across the valley, or by large shingle cones, we reached 

 Lake Selfe (1962 feet), a charming spot, surrounded by small groves of 

 Fagus forest and picturesque rocks. Several pretty waterfalls give 

 animation to the peaceful scenery. Before a large valley crossing the 

 longitudinal opening at right angles is reached, a succession of lagoons 

 follows, entering Lake Coleridge six miles above its outlet. Here 

 we camped for the night. 



Next morning, November 5th, we again ascended to the same 

 longitudinal valley, and, after passing a succession of lagoons and 



