216 Physical Geography of 



times narrowed by morainic accumulations and huge shingle cones 

 runs in a valley of considerable breadth, and has a broad shingle bed. 

 The Makaroa is another important source-branch ; its longest branch, 

 the Fish river, has its glacier sources on Mount Dana. After a south- 

 west course of nine miles, it enters the remarkable opening at the 

 head of which Haast's Pass is situated, where it is joined by its 

 principal confluent, the Makaroa, having its glacier sources on the 

 south-western flanks of Mount Ferguson. The united waters now 

 flow for 15 miles in a broad valley, and in a south-south-west direction 

 to Lake TVanaka, being however, occasionally confined to a narrow 

 channel by ancient moraines and huge deltas of mountain torrents. 

 The Makaroa receives numerous tributaries, principally from the 

 western side where the Southern Alps run parallel to it for a con- 

 siderable distance ; of these tributaries, the Young and the Blue rivers 

 are worth mentioning, but the most important is the Wilkin, nearly 

 equal in size to the main river, the principal sources of which are 

 situated on the north-eastern slopes of the Glacier Dome, near the 

 southern boundary of the Canterbury Province. 



Lake "Wanaka, of the beautiful and diversified features of which it 

 is impossible to speak too highly, is 27 miles long, and, on an average, 

 nearly three miles broad. It is much indented, and the picturesque 

 mountains which surround it rise mostly with nearly vertical walls 

 from its clear and deep blue waters. In its conformation it closely 

 resembles the Lake of Zurich {lac des qiiatre cantons) in Switzerland, 

 and whilst, like Lake Hawea, it is surrounded at its lower end by 

 gigantic circumvallations of morainic deposits, it differs from our other 

 alpine lakes by its low position and by the peculiarity that the Maka« 

 roa at its entrance has not formed a swampy delta ; well grassed land 

 reaching to the very margin of the water, which, had we no other 

 proof, would alone be sufficient evidence of its great depth. Several 

 well ice-worn islets rise above its surface, of which, however, one near 

 the entrance of the Matukituki has been joined to the main land by 

 the enormous fluviatile deposits brought into the lake by that river. 



The HrBrxn. 



The Hurunui is the last river to be mentioned which has its sources 

 on the eastern side of the Southern Alps, reaching the central divide. 

 Its main sources descend from the ranges on both sides of the 



