Geological Survey of Canterbury. 137 



After half-a-mile, travelling over great blocks or through dense forest, 

 we reached the junction of a large tributary, joining the main valley, 

 through a magnificent gorge, and flowing west and east. A little further 

 on the forest began to open rapidly, and the fall of the water became 

 much less. An enormous shingle cone reached into the valley, over 

 which we continued our road. Numerous fine water-falls descend 

 from both sides, and the water brought down by them soon dis- 

 appears in the shingle. The Fagus forest ends here, and bold craggy 

 mountains, covered with perpetual snow, and with small glaciers- on 

 their flanks, surround this remarkable valley. True alpine herbaceous 

 plants were growing in small patches between the dry water-courses, 

 but they soon partly disappeared under the snow which commenced to 

 fall instead of rain. The wall of detritus consisted of morainic accumu- 

 lations, partly covered on its western side by a huge shingle-fan. 

 Some remains of large avalanches were lying on both sides ; and 

 climbing over very rough ground we came, at an altitude of 4749 feet, 

 to a small glacier forming the source of the river. Its direction, as far 

 as I could see, was north 20 deg. east, showing that it is situated on the 

 southern slopes of the high mountains, on the opposite side of which 

 lie the southern or main sources of the Waimakariri. The ground 

 was already covered here with several inches of snow, and the tem- 

 per ature of the air fell to 33 deg. Fahr., so that we felt it exceedingly 

 cold, as we were wet through from the continuous rain lower down. 

 "We returned in the evening to our camp ; the snow continued to 

 fall nearly all night, so that next morning the ground was covered to a 

 depth of about fifteen inches, and the trees seemed to break under their 

 heavy load. The appearance of the country with this white covering 

 reminded me more of a winter landscape in Switzerland than any 

 similar views I have seen in New Zealand, the pointed, well-shaped 

 Fagus trees, now resembling very much the Finns silvestris of that 

 country. 



The barometer rose during the night of Saturday, April 7th, the 

 snow ceased to fall towards morning, and the clouds began to break, 

 so everything promised a fine day. We retraced our steps, and pre- 

 sently the sun re-appeared. After a few miles travelling, the snow 

 began to diminish rapidly in the valley, so that when we reached the 

 junction of the Harper with the Avoca, it had entirely disappeared. 

 Intending to reach Lake Self e the same day, we travelled late at night, 

 and were overtaken by a tremendous hail-storm from the south-east, 

 during which we arrived at a hut lying above that picturesque lake. 



