99

C—l

Henry's letter of the 12th October reports that he has been all round Resolution Island, from Goose Cove to Gilbert Islands in Breaksea Sound, visiting many of the smaller islands. He states that most of them have pieces of rich land near the sea, which have been occupied by penguins and seals from all time. The penguins are there still, but the seals have disappeared. He now states that he is satisfied that there are no kakapos on Resolution, because their traces are easily seen; but he heard many when camping at Sandy Cove, Breaksea Sound, and again at the southeast entrance to Acheron Passage, and also at Pickersgill, so there will be no difficulty in stocking Resolution with them. He states that wherever he has gone on Resolution he has come upon traces of former visitors, even on top of Roa Mountain. There is a snug little cove, just east of Duck Cove, where he found places nicely levelled with stones to lay up boats or small vessels, and on a birch-tree close by are many inscriptions, which he could not decipher, and he hazards the suggestion that perhaps it was here the first vessel was built in New Zealand, for Mr. Raven, in 1792. The only birds besides roas that Henry saw on Resolution were a few pairs of blue-duck ; but he found at Duck Cove on Bth October a swan's nest with six eggs in it. In this same letter he states he has a piece of ground planted with potatoes, and has a site cleared for his house; has built a rough boat-shed, with carriage and tramway ; and has also cut tracks to various parts of Pigeon Island. From his further inspection of Resolution he now states it will answer well as a reserve for ground-birds —which is important. My latest report from Henry was dated 7th January, when he states he had his house finished outside, and painted. He says he had been camping-out since Ist January to date of writing. He had not then been able to transport any kakapos to Resolution, as he intended doing, on account of his dog declining to hunt them. In consequence of his breaking it for hunting crested penguins, it afterwards declined to look at kakapos. He expects another dog by next trip of the " Hinemoa." Among other places, he states, he camped at Passage Point, and at Long Island. The latter, he says, appears to be a beautiful island, of great extent and variety of scenery, with numerous safe harbours, but containing no ground-birds but wekas. He says kakapos are breeding this year, as he heard.them drumming in all directions on the mainland; he also saw quantities of rakas on the rata blossoms. He remarks that all November was wet and windy. On the 12th there was a grand storm, and on the 3rd December a sharp shock of earthquake and reports. Rainfall: August, 10-28 in.; September, 4-82 in.; October, 6-67 in.; November, 19-88 in. ; December, 11-37 in. Mean temperature : October, 54-6 ; November, 51-3 ; December, 61-2. Henry says he is going to remove his first-erected hut to the mainland when he settles, where the best place is for obtaining birds. Fish of all kinds appear to be plentiful, especially moki.

Sic— Dunedin, 20th April, 1895. Referring to your request that I should give you some information about Richard Henry and Resolution Island, I have pleasure in furnishing the following notes : — I visited Henry's camp on Pigeon Island, with my friend Dr. Colquhoun, towards the end of January last. We remained there nine days, enjoying fine weather, and seeing as much as possible of the island during that time. The site chosen appears to me a most excellent one ; it has a good northern exposure, and is readily accessible. The "Tarawera," by which vessel we were landed, steamed close up to Henry's bay, and while we were there the " Hinemoa" came in, and anchored within a cable's length of the camp. It is close to the mainland of Resolution Island, landing on which can be effected in almost any weather, and it is an extremely picturesque and beautiful spot. Henry has built a comfortable and well-finished three-roomed weatherboard cottage, 20ft. by 20ft., with brick chimney and iron roof, and has the frame of a storehouse up, but this is stopped for want of timber; there are also a few matters, such as tank, spouting, &c, wanted to complete the cottage. There is a capital boatshed, with ways down to low water, and winch and cradle for hauling up the boat. A shingled path has been made from this landing to the cottage, the ground being soft. He has cleared a space round the cottage, leaving shelter on the more exposed quarters, and made a garden ; but the site proving rather too bleak, he is making another clearing more in the bush. Most garden stuff grows readily enough, but a sort of wireworm has been very troublesome, and Henry proposes to try putting some of the small kiwis inside a wire fence to clear them off. There is a second landing-place at the mouth of the bay, on some rocks, for use at dead low water, &c, with a path from it to the cottage, and a track to the top of the little hill at the foot of which the cottage nestles. Here he has made a small clearing, commanding a splendid view of Dusky Sound and the approaches to Pigeon Island, and has spars ready for a flagstaff at this place. He has made the whole of Pigeon Island accessible by tracks and clearings. The island is about a mile long, of irregular width, and perhaps 500 ft. to the highest point. It is densely wooded and covered with ferns and many rare plants from the summit to the water's edge. While I was there we visited with Henry many parts of Resolution and outlying islands. I enclose a small tracing showing our routes, and also the explorations which he had made before our visit, as nearly as I can remember them. Resolution Island itself is high (3,000 ft.), rugged, and very broken, heavy bush on the lower slopes, and a belt of tussock on the hill-tops ; but the greater part of the summit is covered with the worst scrub I was ever in—close, stunted growths of all sorts, twisted and matted in every direction. Henry has cut tracks through the bush up some of the hills, but the scrub on the top is almost impenetrable. There are two good, big creeks—Duck and Cormorant—running well into the island, which afford tolerable bush-travelling, up which he has blazed tracks. The island has many little bays, harbours, and promontories where a boat can lie, especially on the west and south sides.