Canterbury and Westland. 215 



Ashburton plains. Here the river expands again, and passing 

 diagonally through them, after flowing another five miles, it re-enters 

 between the ranges, without its valley, however, once assuming the 

 character of a gorge. Several tributaries, mostly furnished by small 

 lakes lying between morainic accumulations, join the Ashburton on 

 these plains. The most important of them is Clearwater creek, the 

 united outlet of Lakes Tripp and Acland, which after a tortuous 

 course of six miles, measured in a straight line, falls into the main 

 river on the right bank, near the beginning of the so-called Lower 

 Gorge. Another stream enters from the opposite side, draining 

 Maori lake, and some other small tarns. The so-called Lower Grorge 

 of the Ashburton is 12 miles long, with well defined terraces on both 

 sides, above which the mountains rise to no considerable altitude. The 

 Eiver Stour is the most important affluent here. It drains the 

 southern slopes of the high and precipitous Mount Somers range. 

 After issuing from amongst the ranges, the river enters the Canterbury 

 plains, where, owing to its lesser size, it forms only low terraces, and 

 after a course of 35 miles reaches the sea, 21 miles south-west of the 

 mouth of the Eakaia. Owing to the peculiar conformation of this 

 portion of the Canterbury plains, the Ashburton is the only glacier 

 river which receives any addition on the plains themselves, being first 

 joined by two smaller affluents, the Bowler's and Taylor's streams, 

 and afterwards, 11 miles from its mouth, by the Northern Ashburton, 

 the most important of its tributaries, being fed by the drainage of the 

 large block of mountains between the Southern Ashburton and 

 Eakaia, and separated from the Southern Alps by the Ashburton 

 plains. 



The Headwaters of the Molyketjx. 



Of the hydrographical basin of this, the largest river in New Zea- 

 land, only a small portion lies in this province, by far the greater part 

 being situated in Otago. The most northerly branch of this fine river 

 is the Hunter, the glacier sources of which are situated on the southern 

 declivities of Mount Ward. After a nearly straight south-w T est course 

 of 29 miles, and receiving numerous affluents from both sides, it 

 empties itself into Lake Hawea, a fine sheet of water, situated in 

 Otago, and considerably larger than any of the Canterbury lakes. 

 The upper course of the Hunter has generally the character of a gorge, 

 at the same time fine beech forests clothe its banks to wdthin six miles 

 of its glacier sources. Its middle and lower course, although some- 



