Page:Through South Westland.djvu/338

216 shoulder of Aspiring) stood boldly up from the head of the valley, presenting almost sheer rock faces, and so plastered with icicles that any attempt from this position was quite out of the question so early in the season. So we were forced to alter our plan of attack. Looking from where we were now located, we concluded that the south face of Aspiring was drained by the western branch of the Matukituki; and as our only hope now lay in that direction, we decided to waste no time about starting for the western branch, and accordingly struck camp next morning, and with the help of Macpherson and his horse we took all we required with us. The first night we pitched camp opposite the Rob Roy glacier, where we were detained for two days by bad weather. On the weather again clearing we went on to the edge of the bush above the cascade, where we established our base-camp.

“On the following day we started with a flying-camp for the head of the river, with six days’ provisions. After passing the Ice-caves we again got into bush and much rougher country, and after a weary day’s march with heavy swags, we found ourselves in the open river-bed and old moraine heaps, which were literally snow-white with mountain lilies and celmisia. That night we took our well-earned rest in our little alpine tent surrounded with beautiful mountain flowers, within sight of the head of the western branch, but to our dismay instead of it rising from the