THE WEST COAST ROUTE VIA THE WANAKA.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 256, 11 October 1865, Page 3

THE WEST COAST ROUTE VIA THE WANAKA.

Small patches of open scrub also occur, which occasionally offer better travelling ground, and the soil in many places is very good. Now and then a rocky point, the outrunning spurs of the mountains, reached the river over which the party had to clitnb. They then proceeded another six and a-half miles in a S.S.W. direction through similar country, to where the river changed its course to the N.W. Some difficulty was here experienced in crossing this point, rising almost vertically from the water's edge to a great altitude. From here the mountains gradually decreased in height, and the party were gratified to observe they were not far from the sea. The forests were now beginning to be encumbered with supplejacks, and sometimes the mountain sides were covered with large blocks of rock, which, as they were very steep and the whole vegetation interlaced with supplejacks, gave the party hard work to get through. On the 18th February, being about six miles from the sea, the Dr says : —" While crossing the last spur, which extended from the coast range into the river, we were rejoiced to observe the sea horizon over a large plain covered with dense forest, in which small conical hills, only 100 feet high, rose, and with renewed ardor we continued our journey, but we d.d not anticipate that a still very arduous task lay before us. • • The river bed, which, up to the crossing of this last spur, had offered us between the mountains occasional shingle reaches, dry watercourses, open scrub, and comparatively good forest travelling, set now against its northern bank, continuing so to its very mouth. As it was impossible to travel along its banks, we had to keep entirely to the forest, which now became almost impracticable ; at many spots large swamps occurred with the usual accompaniment of high fern and network of supplejack; at other places the forest consisted of fine red pine trees, but without losing its character of West Coast density which defies description. It occupied us nearly two days to toil and cut our way through this region (a distance of six miles), till we arrived at a point where the river divided into two branches. Observing here a good ford of about 200 yards in width over the northern branch, we crossed to the island, and in another mile stood in the surf. • # From here (the mouth of the Haast) to S. 39 deg W., a distance of about 35 miles, an extensive plain stretches from the sea to the base of the coast ranges, containing about 80,000 acres of level laud, the whole, as far as I could observe covered with dense forests, in which red and white pine are the prevailing trees. At the extreme of this point a large open valley comes from the south, which, with many other rivers, has assisted to form this extensive plain, which in fact is only the large united delta of different rivers that here enter the sea. * * The coast range north of the river, about 4,000 to 5,000 feet high, was nearly to the summit of the highest eminenct s covered with forest, whilst its continuation on the southern bank rose to an altitude of about 6.000 to 6,500 feet, equally clothed with forest to the usual height. As far a3 the eye could reach, all the mountains were covered with dense forest. * * I may thus fairly state that with the exception of a small flat of 800 to 1,000 acres near the head of the Makarora, and one of the same extent on the right bank of the Clarke, no grass land is anywhere to be found—black birch forest on the mountains, mixed with pines on the lower regions, is the only covering of the country to an altitude of 4,500 feet; but, notwithstanding, I think that in future years, a large portion of it may be made available. * * During our stay at the sea-shore (at the southern mouth of the river), the weather being extremely fine, a whale-boat or other small vessel could have easily crossed the bar, but it is very possible that the mouth of the north branch, which brings the larger amount of water to the sea, would offei a better entrance." As stated in the first part of this report, the Dr reached the sea on the 20th February, and arrived at the starting point, Makarora Bush, on the 2nd March, having been nearly six weeks absent. Dr Haast then gives a general outline of the geology of the country traversed. Speaking of the indication of gold, and what may be auriferous rocks, he remarks that the structure of the Canterbury province differs entirely from that of Otago, but he says : " I may, notwithstanding, state that there is not the least doubt that a very large portion of our West Coast ranges will prove to be auriferous, although resembling more the Nelson mountains on its western part, and in which ultimately rich goldfields will be discovered. We were uufortunately detained so long by rain in the gorges, that our provisions were sadly dimished, notwithstanding the greatest economy; and thus I was compelled to leave the mining tools behind. The main river, after its junction of the Clarke, is a true shingle river, where it would be difficult to come to auriferous deposits, but many streams will prove to be auriferous; amongst others, the Thomas (a large tributary entering the Haast, on its northern side, and about ten and a half miles from its mouth) and many smaller ones. When in this region we could not lose a single day to ascend one of these tributaries, every spare moment being fully occupied with surveying and geological examination. * * * We prospected only at one spot; namely the

confluence of the Burke. We devoted a few hours to it, and notwithstanding the spot was unfavorable, having to take our washingstulf from between loose stones in the riverbed, we found in nearly every dish a few minute specks of gold."