454 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
pear to have been between 12,300 and 12,500 feet, according as 
the possible corrections are adopted. 
The mountain has been measured trigonometrically from 
twenty-two stations by Mr G. J. Roberts of the Westland Survey 
department, and his result of 12,349 feet is no doubt the true 
elevation. Though a heavy gale was driving dark masses of 
rain-clouds in eddies round the ice cornice on which we stood, 
we could see quite enough to satisfy ourselves that we were on 
the ice cap of the highest peak. Wecould not see the distant 
view ; but there is no other pinnacle of the mountain that can 
enter into competition with the peak we climbed. A peak that 
seems almost as high, when looked at from Tasman valley, only 
owes its chance of comparison to its being nearer the spectator. 
One peak alone with its little cap of ice presents itself as the 
FHochste Spitze from any point of view from which a true estimate 
of the mountain can be formed. In the hour of daylight that 
remained we descended about 2000 teet; it then became quite 
dark, and as heavy showers of rain and sleet beat upon us I 
called a halt. Spending the nine hours of darkness standing on 
a ledge of rock, we resumed our descent next morning, reaching 
the Tasman glacier at six, and our camp at 7°30 p. m. 
The vegetation in these high alpine regions was most 
interesting : veronicas of various species were of the larger plants 
the most numerous ; the Veronica macrantha with its large white 
flowers was especially beautiful, and quite takes the place of the 
little rhododendron of Switzerland. Above the mean snow line, 
which is about 3000 feet Jower than a similar line in the European 
Alps, numerous alpine plants and a few dwarfed stragglers from 
lower regions, flourished in suitable situations. Of these alpine 
plants I made a collection, noting the highest point at which I 
found them growing. Mr Armstrong of the Botanical Gardens? 
Chiistchurch, kindly named most of these for me; the few he 
was doubtful about I have since shown to Sir Joseph Hooker. 
and one of these being a new species of the genus //aastza, he 
has paid me the compliment of calling by my name. Speaking 
of it, he says: “This last is a beautiful thing, of which I hope 
that flowers may be found by future climbers.” It grew in white 
velvet-like bosses on the rocks facing the north, the barometer 
being at 23:90 when I gathered it on the southern spur, giving 
an elevation on that day of 6500 feet. Above this there was no 
sign of vegetation, except a little lichen, which extended to the 
very top stone of Mount Cook. What struck me most about all 
this vegetation was that, with the exception of a yellow ranunculus 
and a little violet tinge in the flowers of veronica, all the flowers 
were white, The pink of the primula and the blue of the gentian, 
so familiar to my eyes, were altogether absent. My companions 
and I had worked so harmoniously together, that we did not 
break up our alpine camp without many pangs of regret, that 
our days among the Southern Alps had come to a close. Once 
more we had to return to the haunts of men, and I cannot con- 
clude this Paper without expressing our appreciation of the 
o 
