EXPEDITION TO THE WEST COAST.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 63, 5 December 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

EXPEDITION TO THE WEST COAST.

Letter to his Honor the Superintendent, from \ James Hector, Esq., M.D., Provincial Geologist, j ____ i Geological Survey Yacht, " Matilda Hayes," Kakapo Lake, 12th November, 1863. SIR,—I seize an opportunity offered by the return of a party of prospectors to the Wakatip Lake to inform you of my safe arrival at this place, on the morning of the 7th instant. The return journey from Dunedin occupied much longer than I anticipated, as owing to some misunderstanding, the men I had directed to await my coming at the head of the Kakapo River, and on the west side of the watershed, crossing over to the Greenstone Valley, where I met them on the 27th ult, and, as they were without provisions I expected, I had to send them on. to the Wakatip Lake for which caused a delay of seven days. After they rejoined me on the 4th instant, leaving my assistant, Mr Hackct, to continue the examination of the lower part of the Greenstone Valley, I reached the source of the river on the same day, and encamped at the upper end of ihe * South M'Kellar Lake. The valley, though occasionally swampy, is quite open thus far, with the exception of the upper two miles along the bank of the lake, where the slope is steep, and covered with a close forest of red birch. However, some prospectors (known as Campbell's party) have already brought packhorses as far as the height of land, having cut a very fair track along the side hill. I understand that there are nine men in this party,*and that they cut this portion of the track (which is about half-a-mile in length) with their picks, shovels, and axes in a day and a half. As there are but few worse places than this on the whole route—and only six or eight miles of it equally difficult—this indicates the facility with which a track might be cut through thepass. The M'Kellar Lakes, which I have previously described as lying in the highest part of the Greenstone Valley, are separated by a soft peat moss which fills the valley from side to side for nearly a mile, and forms the true summit-level of the mountains at this point The North Lake which drains to the westward is elevated 200 feet above the South Lake, which forms the source of ' the Greenstone River, and it is doubtless the percolation of the water, in consequence of this difference of level, which favors this luxuriant growth of moss. This spongy moss will render it difficult to construct a track along this part of the valley excepting by cutting along the side slope. The extreme height required to be passed . over is 1,900 feet above the sea, or about 900 feet above the Wakatip Lake. This measurement is, however, only founded on observations with an Aneroid barometer, as my attempt to carry a Mercurial barometer was again unsuccessful. The present trail which my men have cleared, passes, however, about 600 feet higher in order to avoid two gullies that are choked with fallen trees. This rise would be quite unnecessary in constructing a proper track. After descending into the Valley of the Kakapo River, I met Campbell's party on their way back for supplies, having exhausted their store in waiting till the river would fall, so that they might be able to ford it. We, however, found no difficulty in crossing, on arriving at the proper fording place eirly on the following day. Soon after I met the Skipper, accompanied by one of the hands, on his way up the valley to try and find out what had become of the men, as he was uneasy at their protracted absence. By eight o'clock next morning we reached the place where the dingy (our small boat) was lying about ten miles from the mouth of the river, and putting the swags in her, with a couple of hands I soon shot down the rapids to the Lake, while the others walked through the woods. However, as I spent a couple of hours in visiting the Waiwaihawk Lake which lies up a large branch on the left, we all reached the schooner at the same time, having very easily performed the journey across the mountains from the lower part of the Greenstone Valley in three and analf days. I learn that six or seven parties of miners have left the Wakatip Lake to cross the mountains by this route, but only two parties, of four men in each, have succeeded in reaching the Kakapo Lake, where they are now encamped beside the yacht. They met with so many delays from losing the trail and other causes, that the journey occupied them 14 days, so that their provisions were expended when they arrived, and they are dependent on the little 1 can spare them to return with to the Wakatip Lake. They appear to have a very favorable impression of the auriferous character of the country here, more so, I think, than they have any warrant for, as they have not yet obtained any gold, nor have they yet prospected in any locality where, in my opinion, there is a chance of getting it Still, however, as there are places where the indicatious are more favorable, it is to be regretted that these prospectors have not provisions at hand, as they are quite prepared to devote the ensuing summer to the search. Some of the party are at present prospecting the Hokuri Creek, which enters the lower part of the Kakapo Lake, but they will return this afternoon, and start at once to recross the mountains.

The rain has been incessant since my return to this place, but I intend to take the first favorable opportunity to leave this, and proceed southward along the coast, touching at Milford, Bligh, and George's Sounds, and then sailing direct for Dusky Bay will spend as long a time as the state of my stores will permit in that inlet, after leaving which I shall proceed direct to Dunedin. During my absence from the yacht the skipper; following out written instructions which I left

with him, has carefully examihed the Waiwai- I hawk Lukes and the Awarua Valley. The lower Waiwaihawk Lake commences at a mile from tho junction of that river with the Kakapo River, and extends for six miles In the direction of N. by E., with an average breadth of three-fourths of a mile, filling the valley from side to side, so that it would be difficult to pass along either shore. Two rapids occur in the lower part of the river, but the small boat was taken up by them into the lake without i difficulty. From the head of this lake he followed up a large river which winds for eight miles through a richly-timbered alluvial bottom similar to that along the Kakapo Kiver, and entered a second lake 2£ miles in length and over a mile in width. The river connecting these lakes, though occasionally rapid and shallow, presents no obstacles to its navigation with a small boat. At the head of the second lake there is again an extensive flat bordering the continuation of the river, which heads in the mountains on the north-east. The valley, however, appears to continue towards the north-west, and to be only separated by a low ridge from the Awarua Valley, so that it is very probable that all those tracks of alluvial bottom are portions of one great estuary, the partial drainage of which has been effected by the recent uplift of the land, which is so clearly indicated iu the marine beds, which are exposed along the banks of the Kaduku River. The depth of those small lakes is very remarkable, exceeding fifty fathoms in several places. The Awarau valley was examined by walking round the beach and clambering over the rocks between the mouth of the Kaduka river and Big Bay. Two streams enter this bay, the northmost of which was of very considerable size at the time, in consequence of a freshet, as the skipper states that he could easily have entered in with the schooner. By the account of the , Maoris it must, however, be frequently of insignificant size. This is the river that corresponds to the Awarau of the chart, and forms the northern boundary of the Province. The flooded state of the country prevented the skipper prosecuting the examination of the valley as far as the Wainua Lakes. The great amount of rain which fell at this time may be judged of by the fact that about the 15th October, the Kakapo Lake rose about 8 ft. 1 in. above its usual level. The flood of water which consequently poured down the Kaduka river to the sea was enormous and effected a complete change in the appearance of the sandspit, at the same time 1 understand greatly improving the channel at the entrance, as it was widened by several hundred feet The results of these explorations by the I skipper, Mr John Falkoner, of which I can only for the present give the above brief sketch, will prove of much service to me, as he carefully collected specimens and made copious notes. This excursion extended over several weeks, during some of the worst weather we have experienced on the coast; and I well know the privations and hardships which he and his party must have endured in performing this extra service, for which it gives me much pleasure to record my acknowledgments. As the term for which my crew were engaged has just expired, I have thought it expedient to renew the articles for an additional term of six months; but I hope to be able to pay them off' at the expiration of three months from this date at furthest. I have the honor to remain, Sir, James Hector. 13th November.—The prospectors have just returned without having found more than what they term the color ; but the weather was very unfavorable for their operations. They start this morning for the Wakatip Lake.