CANTERBURY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 34, 20 February 1862, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

Mr Julius Haast, the provincial Geologist, has returned to town from the Kowai, and we are glad to learn thatheispreparingfor a more extended journey over the Mackenzie country. We understand that after finishing his mining operations at the coal measures of the Kowai, Mr. Haast begun a minute examination of the mountain ranges by which these coal measures are partly surrounded. Besides several minor ranges he ascended the hightest peak of the Mount Torlesfe range, and Big Ben the hightest summit 'of the Thirteen-mile bush Range. The former point is about YOOO feet above the sea and lie describes the view from this eminence as sublime in the extreme embracing as it does nearly the whole of the province. Towards the east the vast plains are spread before the eye ; towards the west the Southern Alps in all their majesty bound the horizon, amongst which Mount Cook with its tent-shaped form rises conspicuously over many other ranges; whils tmore in the foreground Mount Arrowsmith, with Mount Ashburton and the Moorhouse glaciers as seen through the clear New Zealand atmosphere, seem to be close before the looker-on. The view from Big Ben, though not so extensive, is highly pictursefiue, the Rakaia from its mouth to its icy sources in its whole course being perfectly visible. An additional charm is presented in the deep blue waters of Lake Coleridge lying at the base of this latter range. In exploring the sources of the Kowai, Mr. Haast found many signs of the unusual severity of last winter. For instance at one place about 2(500 feet above the sea he saw the remains of an avalanche filling the valley, which even at the end of December was 500 feet long, GO feet broad, and 12 to 1G feet high, under which the river was flowing in a cavern. That this avalanche had been of much greater size was clearly shown by the utter destruction of Rie forest on both sides, 28 to 30 feet above the bed of the river, the trees all along being uprooted or broken at the roots like so many reeds though many were of giant bulk. In this romantic region Mr. Haast discovered ualuable beds of iron ore, which one dav will be of no little importance to this country. It has been a common saying that the New Zealand Flora is very poor in flowers, and a glance over our plains and lower regions seems to prove its veracity, but looking over Mr. Haast’s botanical collections wc are convinced that our mountain Flora may successfully rival that of many parts of the globe reputed |for the beauty and variety| of their mountain vegetation. Mr Haast’s next researches are directed to the discovery of gold, and wc indulge in the hope that his labours will be crowned with success.