558 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
AN EXPEDITION TO THE CENTRAL PART. OF 
THE SOUTHERN: ALPS, 
SSS 
BY DR. R. V. LENDENFELD. 
>——_ 
(Continued from Page 359.) 
I was able to scramble up the ice wall, and we were over the 
“ Bergschrund ” at 4.30 p.m. We got up to the main ridge again, 
cutting steps along the upper margin in very steep ice, and then 
walked along the ridge-towards the summit. Another crevasse, 
which runs right through the summit from north to south, forced 
us to descend the steep northern side once more. We rounded 
this last difficulty and cut steps up tothe top. The incline of 
this last bit was so great, that it was necessary not only to cut 
large steps to stand in, but also to cut little holes for our hands. 
Slow was the work, and I had to exert all the energy that was 
left in my brain to press on. At last, when lifting the iceaxe 
for a blow, I saw the sun shining on its glittering blade; the 
sun shone over the top. Twostep3 more, and I was on the top, 
and pulled the others after me with the rope ; this was at 5.50 
p.m. The sky was cloudless, and not a breath of wind dis- 
turbed the absolute stillness which surrounded us. New Zea- 
land lay at our feet. We surveyed the land from sea to sea—a 
glorious panorama; the Southern Alps extended from south to 
north, glittering in all the colours of the rainbow in the parting 
sun. I sketched the panorama whilst my wife administered some 
food to me—there was no time for a comfortable dinner. We 
hoisted our flag on the highest crest of snow. We were on the 
main range, and looked down into the Tasman Valley on one 
side, and to the Wataroa on the other. According to the old 
map, the Hochstetter Dome does not form part of the main 
range, In this respect the map will have to be altered ; the 
Wataroa Valley is longer and extends up to the main range. 
The Hochstetter Dome stands between the Tasman and the 
Wataroa, closing both these valleys. 
The Southern Alps extend in a long glittering array to the 
north-east and south-west as far as the eye can reach. The wide 
expanse of the Western Ocean, changing in colour rapidly as the 
sun neared the horizon, lay at our feet to the westward ; the 
clear, straight horizon line apparently towering to heaven. We 
could discern the coast line to the south of Hokitika and the 
belt of flat land which fringes the western slope of the Southern 
Alps. We could dimly recognise parts of the great eastern plain, 
nearly all Canterbury and Westland being visible. We could 
trace the great mountain-chain from Nelson to Otago, and sur- — 
vey the land from sea to sea. The grandeur of the scenery 
around aroused in us an idea of the sublime; we felt our- 
