REPORT of an EXPEDITION to EXPLORE to the SOUTH-WEST of the NELSON SETTLEMENT.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 92, 9 December 1843, Page 367

REPORT of an EXPEDITION to EXPLORE to the SOUTH-WEST of the NELSON SETTLEMENT.

According to the testimony of the natives of the Motuaka, and others who had formerly inhabited the interior of this island, tuere exist plains of grassy land within about four days' journey of Nelson, and situate between the Lake Rotuiti and the western coast. Through these plains a river was reported to flow, unconnected with the Motuaka, and to join the sea near Cape Foulweather.

To ascertain the truth of these reports, we started from Nelson on the Bth November, with the intention of traversing the country described, and of penetrating it by a westerly route from the source of the Waimea, or from the Rotuiti Lake. We took with us three men and twenty days' provisions, with plenty of powder and shot, as we knew that it would be necessary to depend greatly on our gun for support. During the 9th and 10th, travelling over the ridges between the Waimea and Motuaka rivers, our progress was much impeded by the wet weather and swollen streams.

On the 11th, from the ridge between the Motuaka and Wairau Pass rivers we could see the great snowy range of the Motuaka continuing to the southward on our right, and debarring our progress to the westward according to the original intention. We determined, therefore, to proceed to the Rotuiti Lake, and to follow one of the streams flowing thence to the southward.

The nature of the land here has been before described ; we may say, however, that it consists of barren gravel, in the form of steep ridges running N.W. and S.E. In the two valleys of the Motuaka and Wairau Pass river there is much good pasturage. Encamped on the evening of the 11th at the edge of the great wood in the Wairoo Pass vaUey. Detained by rain during the following day, November 12.

November 13. — Heavy snow and rain. In the evening proceeded about three miles into the great wcod, when we halted, our feet being benumbed with walking through the snow, and one of the party being seriously indisposed. The soil in the great wood is of much better Quality than that on the fern ridges. It is of decayed vegetation on gravelly red clay. From the snow continuing on the ground during this and the following days, we imagine that the elevation is too great for successful cultivation. 14th. — Continued on through the wood in a direction S. by W. until we came to the Wairau Pass, thence south through deep moss and thick underwood, which caused our progress to be both slow and fatiguing. Encamped in the wood. Distance about nine miles.

15th. — Followed the same course through the wood in much thick jungle, and occasionally over tracks of fallen timber. At length emerged upon some swampy ground to our right, and from the side of a steep hill saw the Rotuiti Lake before us, filling up the whole of the gorge to the southward. On our right an open

valley extended to the W.N. \Y., apparently covered with grass, agreeing with the natives' description. After having been in the wood for upwards of two days, the eight of this valley was particularly pleasing, and the change of temperature, from that of winter to warm, sunny weather, was equally pleasureable. We named the valley that of the " Fox " river ; the Rotuiti Lake " Lake Arthur ;" and a sharp, snowy peak- to the south " Mount Cotterell," being the one most probably ascended by that gentleman. Having descended the hill, and followed the course of the valley for about three miles, we found that a river ran through it from the western end of the lake, coinciding with the description given by the natives. The soil in this high part of the valley is not good, being very stony and covered with high grass and spear-plant, with patches of high manuka. Where we encamped, however, which was in a birch forest to the right of the valley, the soil was a good brown loam. The valley at its commencement is not more than a quarter of a mile wide, but at our encampment its width is nearly a mile. Distance to-day about eight miles.

16th. — Descended the valley and found the pasturage gradually improving, and the width of the valley increasing. In consequence of the river (which is here impassable) approaching close to the hill side, we had to ascend the latter, and from the summit saw the valley continuing about seven miles farther, when the river seemed to enter a gorge of the mountains and flow to the S.W. North of us we could see the hills above Nelson and the Motuaka, to the east the Wairau Pass and Lake Arthur, j to the south five steep wooded ridges, and above them the snowy range; and to the west the great range extending from Separation Point to the Gorge of the Fox.

About the lower part of the valley there is a considerable quantity of table land, mostly wooded, and some on a lower elevation fit for pasture. The soil is much better in this part of the valley than at its commencement ; it is not, however, we imagine, fit for agriculture, except about the wooded land on the table flats. The mountain we ascended we named " Mount Sykes," and the various tributaries of the river we named after the gentlemen who were massacred at the Wairau. The valley widens occasionally to about three miles, and again contracts, making it average about a mile and half in breadth. The pasture much improves towards the lower end of the valley. On stopping to encamp this evening we met with Mr. Boys and two men, who had been sent by Mr. Tuckett to explore in the same direction, and had penetrated through the woods by compass from the Motuaka survey station. They had just descended into the valley.

17th. — Mr. Boys being of the same opinion as we, that level land could only be found to the westward, we joined company, and followed the valley for about a mile to its termination, where the river entered a steep gorge and turned sharply to the south-west. To continue down tl:is ravine, we had alternately to walk in the river's bed and to ascend the steep sides of the hills. The scenery in the Devil's Grip, the name given to this defile, is very picturesque, but nothing more can be said in its praise. At each bend of the river we were in expectation of seeing the valley expand, but were as often disappointed.

In the bed of the stream, by the side of which we dined, we found some pieces of coal, similar to that from Massacre Bay. * "*■

In the afternoon we continued descending the ravine, amid heavy rain, and halted near the junction of the Fox with another large river flowing from the southward, and probably from the great lake. The Fox is here too rapid * to ford, or we might have ascended this river. Its banks are extremely mountainous, and, from native report, the land around the large lake is worthless. Distance ten miles.

18th. — Continued our progress down the River Fox, which here (increased by the junction of the river before mentioned and other tributaries) forms the largest mountain river which we have seen in New Zealand. As we descended the gorge the sides became steeper, and the river occupied the whole of the breadth of the ravine, obliging us to keep to the hill sides, which were thickly covered with wood, and occasionally almost perpendicular. At noon, despairing of the ravine widening, we ascended a mountain of considerable elevation, and from a tree discerned the river winding to south-west for about twelve miles, bounded with rugged mountains, the most remote of which might be about twenty-five miles distant. Being assured that this defile could lead us to no level land for the distance above named, and that any good land which might surround the Fox at the coast would be quite out of reach from Nelson, we thought it unnecessary to proceed farther.

We might have followed the river to the coa6t, but were prevented by want of provisions. In the commencement of the expedition we had been much retarded by unfavourable weather. In crossing a swollen stream, one man had lost his footing, and the provisions which he carried were damaged; and another man had to be left behind at the lake on account of serious lameness. Our stock of provisions was thus so diminished, that, for our return, we bad to depend almost entirely upon a few charges of powder and shot.

During the 18th, lgth, 20th, 21st, 22d, and 23d, returning over the same ground to Nelson. The river which we found .flowing to the westward is evidently the Kawa-tir&jpf the natives. It flows from the lake, iod.pajfces through some grassland, which, in an eJctege- . rated sense, they term a plain. In the vaSe/ : we found some remains of Maori huts; and iv -

one place a path, which we endeavoured to follow.

The valley of the Fox is about eleven miles in length, and averages a mile and a half in breadth. In it there may be about 11,000 acres of pasture land. It offers a fair locality for a stock station, within three or four days' walk of Nelson, and would depasture about 15,000 sheep at present. In the event of stock being put upon it, the pasture would rapidly improve ; and were the seed of artificial grasses scattered about, it would become soon an excellent piece of pasture land. The land generally which we have seen is quite unfit for agriculture ; and where the soil is of a better description it is at too great a distance from the town for profitable cultivation. Beyond the southern ranges which we saw, there may be some level land, but it will be in the neighbourhood of Banks' Peninsula, and quite divided from the Nelson settlement ; and the only way in which it is possible to reach it easily from Nelson must be through one of the southern openings from the Wairau, and thence by the eastern coast to the southward. Charles Heaphy. J. SwiNTON SpOONER> November 29, 1843.