192 Physical Geography of 



I have already given a description of the bifurcation of the Southern 

 Alps south of Mount Holmes. The eastern chain at Mount Ward, a 

 prominent peak, subdivides again and forms two large ranges, of which 

 one, after skirting the western shores of Lake Ohau and forming the 

 western boundary of the Mackenzie plains, ends six miles south of that 

 lake. It is separated from the western range by the Biver Ahuriri, 

 one of the tributaries of the Waitat* ; this western range, also of 

 considerable altitude, crosses into the Province of Otago, and after 

 being intersected by a snddle called Lmdis Pass, it continues as the 

 Dunstan range to the juuctionof die Manuherekiawith theMolyneux. 

 On the western bai i '■- s of the Biver Hunter, which washes the western 

 foot of the last mentioned chain, the Young range rises and forms the 

 southern continuation of Mount Brewster. It runs along the eastern 

 ban is of the Makarba river, and of Lake Wanaka, where, gradually 

 getting lower, it comes to a termmaLion near the southern end of the 

 lake. There is only one mountain system in the Province of Canterbury 

 which is not connected with the central chain, namely. Bank's 

 Peninsula; this system, even in quaternary limes an island, was joined 

 during the formation of He lower portion of the Canterbury plains 

 to the main land. It i-ises to a considerable altitude, Mount Herbert 

 being 3100 feet high. It abounds in deep indentations, ancient 

 volcanic craters, of which several form remarkably fine harbours. 

 Some of the western : -i dentations, such as Lake Forsyth with the 

 valley of Little Biver, and the Kaituna and Grebbie valleys, show 

 clearly by their configuration that they owe their present form to 

 marine action. 



