Geological Survey of Canterbury. 149 



beech forest growing on its grassy banks, which give it a charming 

 variety. Two miles and a half above the junction the valley divides 

 again, and a considerable stream descends from Mount Armstrong ; half- 

 a-mile further on, the so-called Browning's Pass is seen on the western 

 side, (not to be confounded with the Browning's Pass at the head of 

 the Wilberf orce) , 750 feet above the valley, according to Mr. E. 

 Dobson's calculations, leading into one of the Taipo branches. The line 

 of road to reach the summit of this Pass, begun by Mr. Dobson, and of 

 which the details are given in his report upon the character of the passes 

 through the dividing range of the Canterbury Province, is still dis- 

 cernible. The valley, at an altitude of 3981 feet above the sea level, is 

 closed by a wall of rock, over which the river descends in a series of 

 waterfalls, of which the lowest is about 50 feet, through a deep and 

 inaccessible gorge. We were therefore obliged to ascend the rocks on 

 the right bank in order to reach the sources. After climbing about 

 1000 feet along these rocky ledges, ice-worn and ice-scratched in a 

 most remarkable manner, the valley opened up again, and amongst 

 alpine meadows, three ponds were situated, the highest at an altitude 

 of 5241 feet. From their outlets the northern branch of the 

 Waimakariri is formed. High rocky walls surrounded us on three 

 sides, with snow-beds, mostly of small extent only, lying in favourable 

 localities, but without forming any glaciers. Some small glaciers of 

 the second order were however seen descending from snow-fields of 

 more considerable extent, reposing on the flanks of Mount Armstrong, 

 and feeding the eastern main branch of the northern Waimakariri. 



I remained till March 26th in the upper valley of the Waimakariri, 

 occupied with geological researches, and adding to our botanical and 

 zoological collections, to the completion of which my two companions 

 devoted all their energy. Returning that day by the road to the Cass 

 river which, after leaving the ranges, flows across an old lake-bed, 

 formed after the receding of the huge post-pliocene glacier, we con- 

 tinued our road along roches moutonnees and amongst ancient moraines, 

 over a remarkably glacialised country, to the Waimakariri, reaching 

 the river again about three miles above the junction with the Poulter. 



The whole triangular space bounded on one side by the Black and 

 Craigieburn ranges, in which the sources of the Broken and Cass 

 rivers are situated as far as the northern end of the Cass plains ; on 

 the second side, by the high ranges on the left banks of the Waima- 

 kariri forming the watershed between that river and the Hurunui ; 



