Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/269

Rh part of its valley presents similar appearances to the Dart, though on a less scale, for that river is about three times the size of the Rees.

The Greenstone takes its rise by two branches, viz. the M‘Kellar and the Caples. The M‘Kellar branch, according to Mr. David M‘Kellar, who explored its head sources about three years ago, “takes its rise near the head of Milford Sound, and after flowing through two small lakes and a considerable extent of bush, enters an open, narrow valley.” It flows down this valley in a nearly straight line for 10 miles in a direction; it then bends at right angles, and after forcing its way through a very narrow gorge for 6 miles in an  course, it is joined by the Caples branch from the  The united Greenstone then flows in an easterly direction for nearly 2 miles before entering the west side of the Wakatipu Lake.

The Von is formed by the union of two branches, each about 9 miles in length. The south branch issues from the Eyre Moun¬ tains, and the north branch from the Thomson Mountains; they unite in a deep dell on the south side of Mount Turnbull, and after a course of 9 miles in a north-east direction, through a finely grassed valley, the Von falls into the west side of the VVakatipu Lake.

The Lochy, by means of several branches, drains the barren region enclosed by the Eyre Mountains. Its length is about 15 miles, and general direction east by north; it falls into the Wakatipu Lake at Halfway Bay.

The Shotover ranks next to the Dart of the rivers that are tributary to the Kawarau. It takes its rise in the ice and snow fields of the Richardson and Harris Mountains, and, as these are its principal sources, it attains to near its full size early in its course. This is for the first 15 miles south by east, then 8 miles south-west to the junction of Stony Creek, then 9 miles south in a general direction to Arthur’s Point; it there leaves the mountains, and at the same time bends to the east for 3 miles, and then again south by east for other 3 miles, before joining with the Kawarau. On its west side it receives the famous creeks—Skipper’s, Stony, Moonlight, and Moke (united)—in the order named. The Shotover, during the greater part of its course, is so hemmed in by opposing mountains that its banks are impassable in many places for either man or horse. The confined nature of its banks and the snow-clad watersheds sufficiently explain the sudden and overwhelming floods that characterise it. The incessant action of the river along one course for ages has cut out its bed into an abrupt gutter-like channel. This, mechanically speaking, may account for the rich auriferous deposits found in the bed of the Shotover; for, as the river kept deepening, the banks would slip into it as