Canterbury and Westland. 179 



by the late George Dobson, who first explored it. He describes it,, 

 although scarcely higher than Arthur's Pass, as being far more 

 difficult of access. To reach it, the eastern branch of the Bealey has 

 to be followed. On its northern slopes the eastern branch of the 

 Otira takes its rise. The next peak, Mount "Williams, reaches already 

 above the line of perpetual snow. It is separated from Mount 

 Eolleston by Arthur's Pass, 3013 feet above the sea level, over which 

 the "West Coast Eoad has been laid out. These two last-mentioned 

 mountains, without doubt, belong already to the central chain proper, 

 being separated from their north-eastern continuation. Mount Wiiilers- 

 dorf, by theTeramakau. Mount Eolleston, about 8500 feet high, exhibits 

 a truly alpine character, possessing considerable neve fields, which, how- 

 ever, on the eastern slopes, do not form any true glaciers ; towards the 

 Crow river however, one of the upper branches of the Waimakariri, 

 it sends down a glacier of the first order, the terminal face of which 

 nearly reaches to the forest line, or to about 4500 feet. This is the 

 most easterly glacier of the Waimakariri system. Mount Eolleston is 

 connected by a high serrated ridge with Mount Armstrong, where the 

 sources of the northern Waimakariri are situated, and of which I have 

 described the principal features in the first part. Several cols, but of 

 considerable height, Harman's Pass for instance, 3980 feet in altitude, 

 separate it from Mounts Harman, Davie, and Greenlaw, a cluster of 

 alpine peaks possessing considerable neve fields, and giving birth to a 

 number of true glaciers. Here the sources of the White river, the 

 main branch of the Waimakariri, are situated on the eastern flanks ; 

 whilst on the southern slopes of the last-mentioned mountain, the prin- 

 cipal source of the Avoca, belonging to the Eakaia system, issues, also 

 from a glacier. On the western slopes of this cluster of peaks, the 

 eastern head-waters of the Wilberforce take their rise, the northern 

 slopes giving birth to the Taipo, the principal tributary of the Teramakau, 

 and to the Arahura, both having a short and rapid course. Between 

 these mountains and the western continuation (Mount Hall) Browning's 

 Pass, 4752 feet high, is situated, it is difficult of access, and may be 

 termed a true alpine pass. On the western side of Browning's Pass, 

 the central chain rises again to a great altitude ; it is called the Hall 

 range, and its western summits above Browning's Pass have appro- 

 priately been named Twin Peaks. On the southern slopes of this 

 range, a high saddle, which separates it irom Mount Chamberlin, leads 

 from one of the southern affluents of the Wilberforce into the head 

 waters of the Kokatahi river, belonging to the Hokitika basin. It is, 

 however, of no practical use. Prom here the Southern Alps run in 



