Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/278

72 the eastern boundary is a line from the source of the Arrow to its junction with the Kawarau; then for the remaining boundary lines, follow up the Kawarau to the lake, and then up the east side of the lake to its head; every creek within this extent, with only one or two exceptions, has been proved to be highly auriferous. The nearness of the Wakatipu gold-fields to the west coast suggests the mention of a route to it. The distance between the head of the Wakatipu Lake and the head of Milford Sound is only 27 miles; the mountain-ridges lie diagonally across the direct line between these two points; the height and abruptness of the ridges preclude the possibility of taking a direct course over them. The only way of traversing this, and, indeed, all the country bordering on the west coast, is to follow up the rivers to one or other of their sources, where generally there is a lower and more accessible part in the ridge over which a pass may be sought. The rivers are a greater hindrance in crossing this country than the mountains. In following them up, their channels are, as a rule, the only place available as a track; this of course necessitates the frequent fording of the river. Supposing, in the case of the west coast, there were really a good pass through the mountains, I believe that the rivers alone would so often interrupt traffic by their floods, that, practically considered, a route to the west coast is a thing not to be expected. At the very best, a bridle-track is all that may be hoped for. From these statements it follows as a sort of corollary, that the traffic of the country must follow the run of the rivers, and that therefore the eastern coast of the province is where the ports will ever be situated that command the interior districts.

I will conclude this Report by stating my belief that the extent of the pastoral and agricultural portion of the province has now been determined. The distance between the most westerly points of this survey and the coast-line is only a few miles; the great altitude of these points—the altitudes by Captain Stokes near the coast-line—the lie of the country and its appearance as actually seen, leave little doubt in my mind as to the utter barrenness of the region extending between the forests of the Wanaka, Wakatipu, Te Anau, and Manipori Lakes on the one side and the forests of the west coast on the other. To the south of this there is a considerable breadth of country to the west of the Princess Mountains as yet unexplored. What I saw of this country over the Howloko Lake consisted of undulating ridges covered with forest. Its exploration would have to be conducted from Preservation Inlet, or some of the other neighbouring inlets of the west coast.

Appended are Tables of areas, altitudes, and the register of the thermometer during the survey.