THE WEST COAST ROUTE VIA THE WANAKA.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 253, 30 September 1865, Page 3

THE WEST COAST ROUTE VIA THE WANAKA.

To give our readers some idea of the country through which Mr Vincent Pyke has taken upon himself to find a practicable route from this Province to the West Coast, we summarise a long report given by Dr Haast, the Canterbury Government Geologist, two and a-half years ago, of his explorations for a pass via Wanaka Lake to the sea on the West Coast. We the more readily publish this interesting account in order to undeceive those in power who have advocated the Wanaka route iu preference to the one via the Wakatip, as also to exonerate ourselves from the selfish motives imputed to us by Provincial authorities, because we have all along advocated Dr Hector's route, not only as one iufinitely easier than any other yet discovered, and presenting trifliug material obstacles, but also more promising, as passing through a good agricultural and pastoral country, far greater in ccm arison than that discovered by Dr Haast through the south-west corner of Canteibury. The report is dated from Makarora Bush, March 3rd, 1863, in which Dr Haast states he and his party returned the previous night from bis expedition, having reached the sea about 25 miles north from Jackson's Bay on the 20ih February. He then gives a preliminary report of the natural features of the country traversed. They started from Wilkin and Thompson's station on the Molyneux, and travelled along the shore of Lake Wanaka to the station of Messrs Stuart, Kinross and Co. Having: ascertained that it would be impossible to continue the journey overland to the head of the lake, the Dr availed himself of the use of a boat which had been placed at his disposal by Mr Thompson. On reaching the mouth of the Makarora, at the head of the lake, aud examining the physical features of the country, the Dr says" Observing that the main chain at the head of the Makarora was singularly broken, I thought that the remarkable rent in which also the Makarora was flowing might possibly continue through the central chain ; I determined therefore to cross the Alps at the head of the Makarora, and the result has shown that my anticipations have been verified. We tracked our beat to the Makcrora Bush (a distance of seven miles from the lake) and started from there carrying with us four weeks' provisions. The valley of the Makarora, for about twelve miles, is one and a-half miles broad on the average; to the foot of the mountains the vegetation consists of grass and scrub, whilst the rugged mountains on both sides are clothed with forest from their base to an altitude of 4,500 feet, above which the rocky pinnacles rise abruptly " On ascending the river a few miles further another important stream joins the main river from the east; the valley opens again and a flat of about four miles long occurs, covered with grass, which offered good travelling ground. The report says :—" Above the termination of this open spot, the bases of the mountains on both sides approached nearer and nearer, till at a distance of one and a-half miles they form a gorge, the river rushing between immense blocks of rocks which lie scattered in its channel and on the mountain sides. Twenty miles above the mouth of the Makarora it enters the fissure coming from the east, in a steep chasm of vertical cliffs from the central chain. After travelling half-a-mile we found it impossible to proceed up the bed of this stream, vertical cliffs rising abruptly from the edge of the water, which falls down over immense roeks. We were therefore obliged to ascend to a considerable altitude on its eastern bank, and to continue our journey through dense bush, along the steep sides of the mountains." After travelling for four miles, partly over very rugged ground, the party arrived on the bank of a very small watercourse, and followed it for about a mile, its banks consisting of debris about fifteen feet high, and sloping to the north. Here the Dr says—•" A small watercourse was formed, which ran in a northerly direction, and thus a most remarkable pass was found, which, in chains of such magnitude as the Southern Alps of New Zealand, is probably without parallel in the known world. After three observations on this pass, calculating the average stand of the barometer at the sea level, and the altitude of Lake Wanaka at 974 feet, the altitude of the pass is 1,612 feet above the level of the sea. As before stated there is, properly speaking, no saddle over which a traveller has to go, being only obliged to cross from one watercourse to another. At this point the mountains on both sides reach their highest elevation, being covered with perpetual snow and glaciers of large extent. On the evening of January 24th a larger stream was reached, which the Dr named the Leading Stream, coming from the west, being soon joined by several tributaries from the east. Following the stream for three miles, flowing N.N E., through a comparatively open valley, with occasional small patches of grass on its sides, it joined with a larger stream coming from the east, to which the Dr. after himself, named the Haast River. Next day the ascent of a mountain named Brewster was made, and when returning on the 26th January the Dr says—" Heavy rain set in which continued almost without intermission tillFebruaiy 13th, and during which time, under many difficulties, we were able to advance only eleven miles down the river, watching a favorable opportunity when the river fell to croiS f:o.n oie side to theo.her when necessary.. (To be continued)