Page:Progress of Discovery in the Middle Island of the New Zealand Group (IA jstor-1798157).pdf/6

 that of winter to warm sunny weather was equally pleasurable. We named the valley that of the 'Fox' river; the Rotuiti Lake, 'Lake Arthur;' and a sharp snowy peak to the S. 'Mount Cotterell,' being the one most probably ascended by that gentleman. Having descended the hill, and followed the course of the valley for about 3 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 8 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 7 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 E., the Wairau Pass and Lake Arthur; to the S., five steep wooded ridges, and above them the snowy range; and, to the W., 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 3 miles, and again contracts, making it average about 1½ mile 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 S.W. To continue down this 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