14 
DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OE JOURNEY. 
On the 4th of February, accompanied by Mr. Burnett, I started 
to ascend Mount Murchison, which rose boldly above the valley. 
I selected a spur at about three miles distance from our camping 
ground, as apparently offering the easiest gradient. 
We had to follow the Buller down for some three or four miles, 
through dense bush, having to cross several streamlets which flow 
from this isolated granitic mountain. About four o’clock in the 
evening we reached an elevation of some 2,500 feet, and finding no 
water, we determined to camp, as we should have to descend for it 
nearly 600 feet, into one of the valleys below. 
Next morning, at daybreak, we started, leaving behind us our 
blankets, as we intended returning by the same road. We hoped 
to find water higher up, but having reached an altitude of 4,000 
feet, we were not a little disappointed at seeing all the gullies dry, 
for we had had for breakfast only a few drops of tea reserved 
from the meal of the previous evening, and the sun, which was 
rising, was becoming very warm. We determined, therefore, not 
to proceed higher without water; and, whilst I examined the out¬ 
cropping rocks which were here visible, Mr. Burnett went down 
for a billy-full of water, for which he had to descend some 1,200 
to 1,500 feet through dense bush, and at a very steep angle. This 
delayed us for several hours. We therefore made the greatest 
haste to reach the summit, having to make our way through a 
thick growth of sub-Alpine vegetation for 200 feet, which 'had 
taken the place of the black birch forest. 
I had in my load a tin case containing instruments, and to this 
our damper had been tied; but in scrambling through brush, 
which at each movement caught my load and frequently retarded 
nie, the flax broke, and our intended dinner and supper were lost 
but hoping to reach camp before night, we treated our loss lightly’ 
and proceeded on our ascent as quickly as we could. It was two 
o clock, p.m., when we arrived at the north-western summit of the 
mountain which was dome shaped, and covered with snow-grass 
intermixed with beautiful Alpine flowers. From this point we 
obtained, principally towards the north, a magnificent view of the 
wild mountain chains, whose rugged peaks had assumed shanes 
that it would defy the wildest imagination to conceive It was 
here that 1 first obtained a complete view of the river which I 
have named the Owen, and of the low saddle between it and the 
Wangapeka over which appeared the Mount Arthur raime 
Towards the west the same scenery was visible but moro 
towards the south I saw the large valley of the BuHer and 
mS S I°™,H e ,k nf e l ensive P'™ the MataSki Sd 
iatiri. I could also follow the course of the Buller through the 
last cha,n towards the west before it reached the sea 
continued in a southerly directions ft it Matat,t “ lt , 1 l’ la T 
and seemed apparently unbroken. ' * e eye could reach. 
