EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1921, Page 4

EARLY GOLD DISCOVERY

l-'IKST KUSII TO THE COAST. A ROMANTIC ACCOUNT. (From die Reports of Sir .Julius von liaa.st, F.ICS. to Hie Canterbury Provincial Covernment). (Continued.) XI.

On November "hid we started on oni return journey, although a heavy J north-west storm rafted with great fury. For about four miles the valley falls rapidly, numerous moraines erossiiift from side to side. In many of the smaller valleys or coulees on both sides, large avalanches were still lying. After crossing the Stewart branch near its junction, we continued our journey on a finely grassed flat, having tie Waterfall range, exhibiting wild romantic forms, on our right hand, which well deserves that name, pat ticularly during wet weather in spring. Three miles from Major Scott’s station, wc mossed the Wilberforcc, and ascended the terraced hanks continued, our road t hrough the longitudinal opening lot tiled by the large iso!at"d recites motitonnees. The Scott’s Hills, which from here to the junction of the Harper with the Wilberforcc, run along the Id bank of the latter and the main range. The whole country showed clearly thn it had undergone great glaciation. ()i the slopes of the main range as well ;u oil the Scott’s Hills, the effects ol t ■ glaciation was well exhibited in numerous rock shelves, erratic blocks and remains of ancient moraines, although a number of huge alluvia! fans or shingle cones, reaching sometimes far up the sides of the recites moutnnnees, parti* concealed these signs of the great ice age. Towards evening, thoroughly drenched, we reached Major Scott's station under whose hospitable tool it took us some time to recover from the effects of the terrible storm which had chilled us so much that wo could scarcely descend from 1 1 to horses. .During the whole night the storm continued to rage without intermission and with nun bitted vigour, but in the course of next morning, the weather cleared up and became truly magnificent. However, the river Harper (a large tributary of the Wilberforcc) which had to he passed on our road, was so much swollen that it was impossible to cross it that day.

The view from Major Scott's station is really very striking, first, Lake Coleridge, lying like a deep blue mirror amongst -the curiously shaped ranges, formed the centre ot the lanilsett|>e. A number of high hills, whic from their remarkably regular form, have aptly been designated sitgarluaves I,v the settlers, appear in several directions. They mostly rise to the north of the great depression in which Lake Coleridge is situated, Define visiting this part of the country, 1 had often heard of these Sugailoaves, which were described to me as extinct volcanoes, their usual conical shape having suggested such an explanation; but when crossing this region, it soon bccnfne evident to me that these striking forms were simply the result of the enormous

glaciation the country had undergone, and that these so-called Sugatdoaves weie .-imply inches tnoutoiiuees standing in the luml of several huge glacier blanches, of which the (treat Kakaia glacier had here been formed. The river Harper having fallen sufficiently next morning to be crossed without danger, we startl'd on our homo journey, being piloted across iis still high and muddy waters by Major Scott. We now followed the longitudinal depression running to the north of Lake Coleridge and parallel to it, of which the level is about, three hundred feel above the latter. With every step the effects of the enormous glaciation be-

came more manifest, all mountains and hills having not only the rnclies moiitoiince form, lint glacier shelves at ditferent- altitudes and lying one above the other, are cut deeply into the hillsides. Some of those are so regular that the settlers have called them coinage roads, devil’s highways, or by some similar epithets. Having passed several lagoons, either formed by old morainic accumulations, stretching across the valley, or by large shingle

cotios, wo reached Lake Solfo (HMS!? loot), n charming spot, surrounded by small groves of Kggus forost and piot urosijuo rooks. Several prof tv wat or Ia Ms i_r; ivo intimation to the pen coin! soonorv. lb* fore a largo valley mossing tlio longitudinal opening at rii'llt audios is ronoliod, a suooossion of lagoons follows, entering Lake Coleridge six milos above its ontlot. I loro wo oampod for tin* night. Next morning, November oth, wo aga in aseondod to tlio longitudinal v: Hoy, and, allot passing a suooossion of lagoons and ponds, ronoliod at lasi tlu* upper end of Make Coleridge. ( !ossiu<r t In* small ice-worn ridge, hv uluoli its shores are hero formed, wo ont-eied the large Kahaia valley, wlioro the glacial phenomena became more simpler, hut. of a still ginndor oharaotor. Ilofo o reaching the Mon John Mali's station wo at last crossed the remnants of tho lowost moraine wall, ot which traces have been prose ived, strotehing from the oast-tun loot of Mount Mutt to the Mororata river, and forming a large sotni-eireb* with a radius of eight miles. On November HMh we reached town again, and. after calculating the piincipa! altitudes along M:o whole route, from the numerous

nictoiologioal observations made by me. as wi'll as from cot responding mics taken in Chrislohu ich and Hokitika, i pro si* 11 1 ed oil Noveinbor INI 1 1 my report on that journey to the Provincial Ooveinnient, giving also an analysis of t !u* altitudes obtained, a description ot tin* principal fen titles of the country examined, and my views as to iho value of the two passes. This report was laid he In i e the Provincial Council on October ISth, and printed in Vol. XXIV ot ilu* .Journals of the Proceeding of the Provincial Council. Another report was furnished by me in December to the Secretary for Public Works, on Hie West Coast goldfields, principally in reference to that portion which might be used for agricultural and pastoral purposes. The latter was laid before the Provincial Council on December Mb IN)."), and printed in tlu* same volume: The great floods in the rivers of the ( anterbury at Christmas, dining; which ;t portion of till l Waimiikmiii tlood-wntcrs entered the Avon, ■iiivi' rise lu severnl visits to Unit liver, tin the purpose of examining it s lie: mill the mieielll ehminels oil the lower InII. nml, although no written report wns ini nished, I wns iepcalodl.v eonsuited oil the subject liy the I’royineinl (.'overnnient, A Hoard ol Conserviinii s wns instituted, under wliuse siiperitltendenee stleli well-devised works I'm the pmteetion of the lower pluins, weie executed, tluu since then, no serious

ovei'llow had tuken pluee. WKKTKHN SLOPKS OK SOLTII K.I!N Al.l’S, Iti several portions of this icport 1 1 1 nve already given some account ol the most strikin', characteristic ten tares displayed l>y the deposits of the ioe-age along the western slopes of the central i linii). Whilst the remains ol the most northerly moraines in Westland belonging tu the old Teremakau and Atahura glaciers, consisting ol a large circninvallatinn around the lower end of Lake Brunner (2:27 feet) and a smaller one in the valley of the Alii-

burn, do mu reach the sea within twelve miles, tin- next ones belonging to the great llokilika glacier are separated from the seaslime hy a small strip ol low hind of rei-cnl 1 il l <-. :d origin only. The next large nun aim- belonging to the .M ikonui-Waitaha glacier forms a very conspicuous object in tinlandscape, rising as Hold Head, a remarkable headland, from the coastline. It was doubtless the frontal moraine ol a huge glacier descending so lar towards or into the sea, and its structure can well he studied hy passing along it. Itising in the centre to about Mb!l foot it consists p: incipnlly of till, with numberless Mocks of all sizes and shapes, mostly angular, imbed led in it. These Mucks are derived from lb .Mount Torlessi- and Wei' o loi motions, Ipyirti! m-.-tiimoipliie or igneous rocks 1.-eing ol rare oeeiirreiu-c. Some oi the imbedded rocks are of cum Minus size, niton larger than the celi-hra I eii I’iei y-a-hnt in the .Jura. One of the most striking examples ithe large block lying in Hunt of tin-(.-litre of this Hold ii(-:id ii-iiraine, to which Hit- latter owe*-, without doubt, in some degree its preservation. Ti i

1,1 ck. cousisiing of contorted i-hi.v----sial--. with layers of quartz. is IVoin MO In 10 I'c--1 in diameter and covered on its -suminit with a lux-tr.anl vegeta lion. In ihe upper porii- i-. of the ion fused mass of morainic accuiiiulations are two large deposits ol lim- glacier silt. ill which also angular blocks ol various sizes are indie hied However, what gives an addilitimil intciesi to Hold Head, is the existence of an alluvial di-posit 111! to dO I’ect thick, having a consilient Me slope to the south, and separating the morainic beds into two distinct portions. It contains a qunntiiv of suhangtihir shingle aJid gravel, its greatest purlieu being derived Imm the metamnrphic and igneous locks at the western base ol the Southern Alps, a char proof that at least one great asi-illation (lining the glacier peiiud took place, when these oldest rucks became exposed in their turn to ItwviatiUaction. Hold Head has also considerable slo|K' towards the east, it then joins a ridge forming its eastern continuation, and rises again, gindilully and steadily, till ii abuts against the western loot of the Alps.

Having passed along a long sandy beach of several miles in length, we i-nnto to the morainic accumulations ol the Wanganui glacier, reaching lor a dis'am-c ol more than ten miles from the I’likiiaro cliff north, to the iioithern hanks of the I’uerua river south. Th,. S e deposits consist of the united moraines of the Wanganui and lhierua channels, both draining a cnnsidetable portion of the Southern Alps. It is a wide piece of coastline, ol which the photo-lithographic view ol tie- Wanganui lilulf. with Mount One One in (In.- distance, gives a faithful representation. It is evident Hiai, owing to the resistance offered, nil the headlands consist of those portions of the moraines m which the greatest number ol large blocks are emlnsod. In tael. Ihev correspond gen-rally with the i-en-trai am! hiteial moraines. At the same time their partial destruction has offered the means cf their lut the, protection 1 1 depositing at thcii base large niasses of rocks, extending into the

M .., f,, r ;i 11111 >i>!< r:i V ■ <l : si:iti- o. iiml i>iiiiiiist which 1 1 ■«> wai • M-eak violently Inn elfl'l-t linll.V. will |s| lII' softer 1„.,1s h.-twoon ilirm mil having t'■ ipiolorting talus, are, it m't ronstimtlv, m :,.st during t!u- frequent gales ,11 , this mast, ijiiiti- unprotected from the fury of ill!- '-avis, ami annum!) less nhli- l<> withstand tli-.'ir jli'-slrm-iivo power. Tin- olisi-i vi-r passing along this l'.iiitl must come to H-e cl ii sii ill l hut a great juiriiiin ut it has alreadv 1 a-oii washed away, as lor a cuusidefaille distance orratu- Mucks lain tin* sea. Sonic of tlu-in an- ol i-iiiinaiius size, of which a reiiiarknlilo instance is m-cii in view ol till- Wanganui Hlull. h sortion of this portion of the coast shows the somewhat complicate-! '-linini-l-.-! of these ilejiosits. Ik-ginning in the ninth we have liist a true lateral nun line, consisting of ihr- usual iletrilat matter, I,locks of all sizes iiilhcihle.l in saml ami silt, the whole having a rough anticlinal arrangement. AM these m cks are derived from. or at least I loin near the summit of the central chain, anil belong to tin- Maiho anil Mnuiit Torh-sse formations. The southern slopes of this moraine disappear below an alluvial lu-il, forming; a vertical wall of ahum MO feet altitude. Tinlatter consists of a well stratified hod of snbnngiilar huiilders and gravel deposited here by a large river—alter the retreat of the glacier—tow aids ihe sea. Although generally consisting ol the same kind of rocks as those closed in tin- moraines, the presence of line metamorpliic and igneous rucks proves die retreat of glacier to such a high position, that tin- lower slopes ol the Alps were i-Npuscd Ui glacier and tltivialile action. Altci one mile and a half a new moraine, having tin- same rough arrangement as tin- tormer, rises again helow die fluviatile deposits. It represents doubtless the central moraine, belonging to the same glacier as the foriin-r. A new liver licit of similai length follows, and then a third morainic. die southern lateral moraine of tin- same glacier makes its appearance. Thus, witli the facts before us. we can coni-hide that the mullierii branch, forming tin- trunk glacier, was here a lioiit live miles liriiad, consisting nl two principal brunches higher up, and being covered with comparatively si-aoty morainic matter only. A small creek I'Cainp ('reek) separates the last mentioned beds from far larger morainic aeiumulatinns, rising several hundreds of leei above tile sea shore. They have been In ought down hy a glacier of nearly the same breadth as the former, hut it. appears dial il lias been covered entirely by detrital inaitci- near its termination (like Ihe present Tasman olaeicr on the eastern side ol tin- Southern Alps). Tile two lateral and the central moraines are however lies! developed, all three exhibiting anticlinal arrangements, and the largest blocks of rocks. olteu closely packed, are found ill them. The two intervening spaces are made up either of line detrital matter, or of glacier sill, witli angular blocks of

small size scattered through them. An ancient river bed, similar to the otto alicady described, reposes upon the morainic accumulations between the central and the northern lateral moraines. At tin- foot of the southern lateral moraine the river Wanganui enters the res. and on its southern side, somewhat in front of the rest, the Wanganui Xttgarloaf, called Mount One One by the Natives, rises conspicuous!.'' mini the sea. It is doubtless, liki Hold Head, a true frontal moraine, he ing- joined hy a low ridge with nnothe; high one. which forms the Ptierll iduff. This latter has at its souther, ext--entity, also the l ough anticlinal .si: atiiii ation peculiar to lateral moraines. It would In- impossible to givIn a small section the details ol tin arrangement these glacier beds exhibits. There are numberless changes from an assemblage of enormous align lar blocks, to the finest glacier silt, dposited in such thin layers that on hundred or more form one inch, anc ) often changing gradually from one t. the other, or alteniatiug with end other. Tin- moraines of the intifci W ai;aki-W'ataroa glacier (the latter it '.I .- map erroneously named the -Mak aroai rising in Abut Head to an alti 1 1 : 1.- of about 10(1 feet, having an nr-i rangement similar to that of the former, and consist also exclusively of

rocks derived from the Waiho and Mount Torlessi- formations. In some iin-alities tin- whole wall consists <»* ; ii i inoiis fragments of rocks, only showing that the destruction in tin ig‘ er portion of the Alps went on at - i-ii a gigantic scale, that we can -ra-M'lv form a conception of it. ’j i,.j|es south of Abut Hoad forming the southern hank of tinW i .ton, a series ot smaller morainic ii,-, .-sits make their appearance. They foim the southern hoiimhiry of tliiglacier system. South ot I.alte Okarit*the i-xtensive glacier deposits of tic W'aiau glacier begin. They have :

breadth of about t.-ti miles, and ex--I.ii-it the usual arrangement of the dei; i;a 1 matter. How ever, no alluvial hod- are deposited above or between them. The Wclteka-Ka t align i tin moraine is also of considerable proportions, hut unlike all the former, meta morphic and igneous rocks oceiti occasionally amongst the em-10-i 1 fragments at its northern end. d\ aitcing tovnids H e south tile it ciamnrpiiie rocks h c.unc giadually more niiiuerous. ti : l they f-um at the MakowMin IMuff tlm gr.--.fcsl p itiott of the morainic aeeumid-iiotis. At this Muff Ha- blocks of ric-hs r.j which til* moraine-, a-e co-npos d closely tosendde the litholegi-al aracter those of which the (in-umval a.i-uts round Hake Vt'anak.t are t'ornn-l. Another interesting f-aiture id the Mnliuwhihi I Mi* f|' is the iH-ciirreuc -of an ancient river bed. about fifty fivt thick, deposit d again:-! a further prool '.hat os-illations in the position of the L-l'eie'-s took place on the western side ( V t C Alps, and that when advancing

erain over a deposit ot s-mh --omparativelv i ucoht-i en t nalur-. a - a grave bed. the glaciers wctc doiim o udh out destioviiig it to any ajipreciahli extent, a. we liml in the valley ol the W:a a. Tin- last morailVe ivarhinv tl ■ S'- i coast was formed hv t’c Par inga gl.o-icr. It is however greatly destroyed. The hiwc-t signs of the Haas: -glacie were tia--ed to nh-utt twelve miles Iron the coast. I have not ascended thi Arawata high enough to :e:u-h the an i lent tnorainic nci-itnn.hit ions in that liver bed. Homo intelligent miners have however informed me that deposits with large angular blocks are broken through by that ii-.or about ten mile- above its mouth. (To he continued).