138 Historical J^otes on the 



For the next two days continuous north-west winds blew with 

 vehemence. Great waves rose, and had I not seen it myself, I could 

 scarcely have believed that such a surf could break on the shores of 

 such a small lake. Lake Selfe lies with a chain of similar lakes or 

 lagoons, of which the principal ones are called by the inhabitants of 

 that part — the World, the Flesh, and the Devil — in a longitudinal 

 depression running parallel to the course of the Bakaia above the 

 gorge, and to Lake Coleridge. 



I devoted a day to the examination of the Mount Ida range, and the 

 small lake lying between the two northern separated hills forming its 

 shores. Following the eastern wooded shore of Lake Selfe for half a 

 mile, and after ascending the steep sides for about 450 feet, another 

 saddle is reached, where morainic accumulations and glacialised rocks 

 show themselves on both sides at every step. Descending this depres- 

 sion on the opposite side for about 70 feet, we reach Lake Ida, a small 

 but very picturesque spot, with a fine growth of beech forest on one 

 side. As we advance along its banks towards the east, we reach a spot 

 about a quarter of a mile from its western end, where two large shingle 

 deltas approach each other from opposite sides so close as almost to 

 cut the lake in two ; the intervening space is only about 40 feet wide, 

 and so shallow that in wading across, the water does not reach above 

 the knees, whilst on both sides it is very deep ; very little debris is 

 required, therefore, to divide it into two separate lakes. At its eastern 

 side the lake is surrounded by remnants of a moraine, through which 

 its outlet has formed a channel towards the Byton : it lies 2304 feet 

 above the sea. The solitude is enlivened by a great number of water- 

 fowl, belonging to various genera and species, of which the Grreat 

 Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus Lin?) is the most worthy of notice. 

 Eels are also very abundant and of large size, judging from the fact 

 that several of the birds which we shot, disappeared before we could reach 

 them, drawn under water by those voracious fishes. On this occasion 

 we had no dog with us, and had to depend on the wind, or a short swim 

 in the cold water, to bring the birds ashore. I would not have believed 

 it possible that eels could thus, in broad daylight deprive us of our 

 booty, had I not been an eye-witness of the fact. I may here mention 

 that in I860 a large eel was hooked by one of my party from under a 

 log near the sources of the Buller, and when opened, a whole full- 

 grown mountain duck was found in its stomach. 



In following the outlets of the "World towards Lake Coleridge, and 

 before reaching the valley of the Byton, we passed on our right, 



