HISTORIC FIORDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 6

HISTORIC FIORDS.

TRIP IN DUSKY SOUND. NEED : FOE BETTER. CHARTS.. ' - (By Telegraph.—Special ■ OorreflDondent.l , I nvercarglll,, February 7. . : The s.s.- Invercargill, on her return from her monthly trip on, Saturday even-ing,-brought back a small party of travellers who had 'spont' a month 'in and around Dusky" Sound; and to pick up whom the. steamer' had extended her usual itinerary'to Dusky Sound. " The party was ynder the leadership of Mr. Eussell Duncan, of Napier, who was also; the photographer. Mr. Walter M'Carthy (Napier) had chargo of the gngine:of a launch which th'e", party took down. Mr. F. G.: Smith' (Napier) was the geologist and naturalist,' and an Invercargill lad completed the party.. Air.. Duncan "views with- distaste any - suggestion that he should be quoted as an authority on the little-known portions of Dusky. Sound, but he has for many, years been an ; enthusiastic student of all literature pertaining to: the early history- of. New Zealand,' and he has been in-the habit of spending his holidays in making visits to places rendered famous by their- historical "association iwith Cook and Vancouver 1 ' and other ' earfy. explorers.' ; Four years ago Mr.' Duncan "paid a visit ,to ; Dusky, Sound'with Captain "Bollons "in th'e.Hinemoa, but on that occasion" there was" of necessity no opportunity'to make a tour of detailed. inspection. For the present holiday the party made their headquarters at Mr. Eipnard . Henry's old house on Pigeon Island; The'use of the house" S roved a booni as''the rain and gales of lusky'Sound- make tent life an experience to .be avoided. On the table in.Mr. Henry's house'.they found a bouquet of flowers' left there by . the ladies of the shipwrecked Waikare.' They''kept that bouquet (one of-the party said) so long as the flowers held together.■ •"

Ccpk's Camp of 1773. , The' primary. : object,.of; the:. stay in Dusky.-Sound;was, of.course,;to follow up the history, "of !the' place with regard'to its assoQiations with Cook, '. .-Vancouver, and the. wreck of; the Endeavour. -. The party had- with them' a* 20ft; 7-h.p; - oillaunch,' and a serviceable "dinghy.: Thiy travelled altogether 215 nautical miles, .their biggest day covering .82 miles, and they visited all the "places' rendered'.historical "by -.Cook and. by the■■ Forsters (father, and son)—the two; scientifio'men who accompanied Cook on his second voyage when-' he visited the.'Sound in March! and" April of .1773. Among other fripsi' 'they. paid'-'a -visit•• to" Pickersgill Harbour, ana; found' the tree-stumps at the ■ clearing' made' 'by ? Cook ; at Observa-' tioii Point. " '..This, harbour""was: hamed after the' first -lieutenant'- of "the Besolu-, tion! who, discovered it. , : In.!followirig l .up'i the 'oreek to 'find-';the lake; described by Forster. in his work' they, found it.'to be a good long half-mile,. but .were Well..'repaid for , .theii'.. visit. Few - Europeans,'" Mr. .' ;Duhcari' thought, had ever visited that lake, and the. suggestion by.; one" of" the' .party .that,' Mr. Diincaii's name for this spot (Lake Forster) should bo confirmed, 1 will doubtless be'acted upon. • 'This lake 'has 'never been alluded to in any other book'than Forster's. One .day! "was .spent, ','in. ;Cascade Cave, the!'sinking' feature'bf which ..was the-'.* fidelityof-.' Forster's;. description;; whioh, Mr.' Duncan" said, . was. as true today as: when'it was written.;. !

Uncharted Waters. With : regard-to,'a",-visit" to:*' Lurioheon Cove; Mr. Duncan had somethiig -to say alMut;;theAAdmiralty.-'ohart! with whioh! they were,'provided;'.' The:'Lunoheon Covo :marked on ,tlie ohar.t, was' not-'*the Lun-. cheon"Cove l visited: and named! byCook. It was- fourid.'to be in* a, different position altogether' behind several. small islands, and -running inland* for" nearly half a mile. ■ ; On' the' chartnig • question, the party received; much . inforination from the master of.' the . fishing schooner 1 Gisborne : (Captain - Harry' CrossJ,' whose' ; vessel was; then' in '.the'-Sound,' and who, is well acquainted with this fiord.' Captain Cross snowed the!.party" several rocks, whioh -were : not. marked . on the chart, ; and' pointed' out several instances where! rocks marked on the chart did ! not' exist. ' Amongst . other, places they: <"Visited: ■; Supper, Cove, .' and.. ■ the. , tide: being "'favourable" they entered" tho' 'Seaforth'Eiver; and;'followed'it:up'until stopped by'the barrier of : rocks 'described by Cook; ; Here they : eaw : ' two" of. the three deer which- were liberated in" this region some time ago; ; -!"' • ~

The Submerged Endeavour. ■; On several, occasions thev ■ moored ~the. 'launoh over the of/ the! Endeavour, and 'obtained reiics in the shape, of cop- • par- bolts, etc. The- remains: lie-in from six. to eight feet ,of water.-at low, tide.' They, are,;o{ course, r only 'the . remains, because. the relic hunteis: have been at work\for, the last twenty years. About 400 yards further up. this part' of the '.Sound '.(Facile', Harbour). the .".visitors, found evidence of the main, camp of the wrecked ...Endeavour's crew. The 'place was ■ much, overgrown, . but they found; quantities of, charcoal and pieces of iron, and 'lead. "* '■ '■' : -■ --

. .'At! the extreme.hea"d .of,-Facile Harbffur is . .the-, nndergronnd. river, referred to by Murray, the - second mate of the Endeavour,..aid recorded in the Endeavour's' ,'log 'as reproduced in: Mr. 'Eobert M'Nab's book.* Murray, dm'ing..one.,idle.Sunday afternoon,!found evidences?of an underground river,, invthis locality., He went Dhck into ,'the bush, ho said;! for -150 yaTds, but '.oould .find' no, further trace of -it. Mr. .'Duncan, aaid , his' party followed the underground- . noise; .up, and ultimately came to the, river which, aiter tumbling ov6T : a rather pretty 'waterfall,, flowed along for about, 20 or 30 yards, and then disappearedunderground, • to " make "its way to the head of Facile Cot©., This ig:a oarticolarly' .'interestiiig feature 'of; Mr. D uncan's • stay in • Dusky . Sound, because it has. never been anywhere recorded that' this matter-had-, bean, followed out before. Altogether . lib Duncan-' secured -fiftythree ;' ■ photos : all "healing; on , the historical' places. vistted. These * will doubtless ,fonn--a ; .vwy valuable, addition to Mr. Duncan's collection.' Throughout their .stay the party "had fairly good weather.' The; first week was "very ■ bad, but the - last was . most ■ enjoyable.: • In different "jonraeyings they "noticed !the great rise'and fall * of. the tides—from Bft. to 10ft. . • 1