rilYSIC AL QEGGIIAPHT . 
I 
75 
8 enera l features of these chains, named by Mr. James 
" Tv? y ^ a ™° ran ges, are similar to those of Mount Owen 
anc fount Mantell, which form their isolated extension towards 
t e south, constituting an assemblage of rugged peaks of all 
possible forms and shapes, and retaining patches of snow in their 
< eep crevices during the whole year. The main river flowing 
from this chain towards the south is the Matiri, not inferior in 
size, if not even larger, than the Mataki-taki. On the banks of 
both of these rivers we found large tracts of level land, principally 
covered w ith valuable pine forests. The Matiri, about six to eight 
miles above its junction with the Buller, forks, one branch running 
near the western base of iMount Owen, having its source in the 
eastern pait of the range, the other, and larger branch, flowing' from 
the northward for fourteen to fifteen miles, out of a deep gorge. 
A third branch skirts the eastern flanks of the Lyell range, and 
seems to flow from a remarkable opening between the Marino and 
Lyell ranges, of which I shall speak in the sequel. As a large 
open space between these ranges is visible from Mount Murchison 
in a north-westerly direction, it will probably be there that the 
lake, described by the natives from tradition, lies, bathing the 
southern foot of this unknown mountain region. 
In the preceding pages I have treated principally of the ranges, 
upheaved on the eastern side of the meridional fissure. These 
ranges, from below the point at which the waters of the Grey or 
Pohaturoha river have their sources, become muchlowerin elevation, 
and broken in their ridges, and before falling to the level of the 
Hurunui, the southern boundary of this province, present only 
three large and apparently isolated mountains, rising over these 
lower ranges to an altitude of 7,500 to 8,000 feet, and called by r 
the first explorers Plinlimmon, Skidaaw (Wakarewa), and 
Helvellyn (Tekoa). I shall now proceed to describe the western 
ranges, which rise near Cape Farewell, and stretch in a southerly 
direction through the whole province of Nelson. The highest and 
broadest part of this range occurs near the sources of the 
Taramaltau, close to the southern boundary of this province, its 
peaks there rising to an altitude of more than 8,000 feet. The 
general elevation of the western part of these chains, which are in 
fact a continuation of the Lyell range, is pretty uniform. The 
mountains rise like a wall from the Grey plains to an average 
height of 6,000 to 6,500 feet, and have in their front a series 
of lower, densely wooded, and dome-shaped granitic hills, which 
are isolated by streams flowing nearly round them from the higher 
range. These central mountains have bold distinct forms, and 
attain in their highest needle-shaped or pyramidical peaks, in the 
Victoria range, at the western side ot the IVlaruia plains, to an 
altitude of 7*500 feet. The eastern part of this mountain system 
consists of several parallel chains, attaining to a height of 6,000 
to 6,500 feet on the south of the Buller, whence it stretches, 
