1893.] Geography and Travels. 261 
The western slopes have not yet been thoroughly explored, but it is 
known that they are subject to a very large rainfall, amounting to 
about 120 inches against 25 or 30 on the eastern slope. Though Mt. 
Cook is nearer to the equator than Switzerland, the glaciers descend 
some 3,000 feet lower than in that country. The Fox glacier, indeed, 
on the western slope, descends to 700 feet, and one or two others to less 
than 1,300 feet. These western glaciers are steep ice-falls to a short 
distance from their terminations, and their surfaces are almost free 
from moraine stuff—in consequence of the steep dip and smooth surface 
presented by the rock strata on this face, as compared with the jagged 
edges on the east slope. The lower parts of the Fox glacier, and of 
some others on the west, is overhung by tree-ferns and bushes growing 
almost on the moraine, and near to the terminal face of the Fox issues 
a hot spring with a temperature of 100°. A phenomenon of the same 
kind, on a larger scale, occurs at Mount Ruapehu (9,100 feet) in the 
northern island. This mountain is covered with snow and ice to the 
summit, where is situated a boiling lake, into which the ice melts. 
These glaciers seem on the whole to be receding, especially those at 
the head of the Rangitata River, but last year the Miiller advanced so 
as to dam up the Hooker River, and the Ball glacier is certainly 
advancing. The daily rate of flow varies ; on the Ball it is from ten 
to eighteen inches, on the Murchison from 2.6 to 8, on the Hooker very 
slight, on the Miiller from 3 to 12. 
In 1890 Mannering and Dixon discovered that the loftiest peak, 
Mt. Cook, was not situated on the main range, but on its eastern side, 
so that it sends no water to the west coast. The next most lofty peaks 
are Dampier (11,823), Tasman (11,475), and a peak which bears no 
title on the map, though it reaches the altitude of 11,844 feet. There 
are several other summits that attain above ten thousand feet. The 
writer states that he has not seen vegetation at above 6,200 feet, and 
that 6,500 may be considered the highest limit. The flora is not so 
varied as that of the Swiss Alps. 
Europe.—Txe Cavucasus.—The Caucasus still continues to be a 
favorite region for Alpine exploration by English and other clubs, 
Mr. D. W. Freshfield, himself an ardent climber, from time to time 
contributes a note to the Royal Geographical Society. In one of these 
it is mentioned that new maps show in the central Caucasus one peak 
over 15,000 feet, nine over 14,000, and five others over 13,000, also that 
in Suanetia four elevations of more than sixteen thousand feet are 
known, two over 15,900, three more over 15,000, and three over 14,000, 
