A TRIP TO LAKE HAUROTO. 125 
row. At an elevation of 3800 feet we came on the first snow- 
beds, and we continued on to the top of the ridge, here some 
4400 feet high. - At this point we seemed to be on the edge of 
a rocky plateau, which rose to the westward about 800 feet 
higher, and was broken with wild, deep hollows filled with tarns 
and boulders. The driving mist, however, rendered further pro- 
gress dangerous, and prevented our making out the very features 
to see which we had come this length. Two shepherds on the 
Waiau runs explored this country from the southern end of the 
lake some two years ago, and from one of them we learned that 
the heads of Lakes Hauroto and Potiritiri were only about five 
miles apart. This may be accepted as a full measurement, as 
shepherds’ distances are usually much over the mark, as we 
found out. But the weather was too thick for our making out 
anything, and this was all the more disheartening, as we had 
hoped to see the head of Preservation Inlet, or at least the lie 
of the country towards it, as we were probably only about twelve 
‘miles from it. 
~. Our return journey was an unpleasant one. The stormy nature 
of the weather showing signs of increasing rather than abating, 
we resolved to make a run for our boat harbour if possible, and 
soaking as we were, struck camp as soon as we got to the foot 
of the mountains, and started down the lake an hour before sun- 
set. Meanwhile the rain increased, and as the darkness came on 
a very angry sea came tumbling along after us, and threatened 
to swamp our crazy boat. So the first little stretch of land was 
run for, and here, on a sloping bank barely big enough to hold 
us and our boat, and under old flood-marks, with an inaccessible 
background of precipice, we spent a thoroughly uncomfortable 
night, and waited for daylight. As soon as possible next day we 
launched again, and pulling with a will, partly to keep ourselves 
from being cramped, but chiefly to get out of the angry waste of 
waters, got through the narrow passage which led to our haven 
of rest, just as a furious gale burst on us. Had we been half an 
hour later we should have been collared. We were fortunate in 
getting back when we did, as the stormy weather continued for 
three days, and the mountains were covered with snow down to 
the bush-line. 
The rest of this day was spent at the boat hut recovering from 
our drenching, and preparing for our return tramp; and two 
more days saw us back to Clifden, fully prepared to appreciate 
the blessings of civilization. : 
The trip took exactky ten days ; but had we known more of 
the geography of the lake before starting, we might, with fine 
weather, have done all we did in seven. 
"And now as to results, the standard by which everything new 
is measured in this utilitarian age. _ Botanically we did very 
little. We found some plants at the head of the lake not hitherto 
considered very common, but made no new discoveries. In the 
bush the most of the vegetation was similar to that found on the 
West Coast Sounds, Panax lineare being the only plant new to us, 
