Page:Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute - Volume 1 (2nd ed.).djvu/209

Rh In the remarks I am about to offer I propose to treat the united Provinces of Nelson and Marlborough as the “Nelson district,” and the Province of Canterbury as the “Canterbury district;” and in order to make my remarks intelligible, I must briefly sketch the physical features of each district.

Upon dividing the Nelson district longitudinally, we find the western half covered with dense forest, whilst the eastern may be considered as almost exclusively a grass country; but the whole district is composed of mountain spurs radiating from the Spencer mountains, with small intervening valleys, the ranges on each side of the dividing line presenting a considerable uniformity in altitude.

The western part of the Canterbury district is also composed of mountain chains continuous with the Spencer mountains, the eastern slopes of which are almost entirely grassed, whilst the western slopes, like those of the Nelson district, are also covered with dense forest. But at the foot of the Canterbury mountains, on the east side, and at a short distance south of the boundary between the two districts, we find extensive plains, apparently level, bounded by the sea shore, and having an average breadth of about thirty miles. These plains extend from north to south about one hundred and fifty miles, and are succeeded by low undulating downs and occasional flats until we reach the Waitaki River, at the southern extremity of the district. At the northern end of the plains we also find low downs, stretching from the Kowhai River (where the plains properly commence) to the Hurunui, after crossing which and entering the Nelson district we almost immediately come upon mountain ranges of considerable altitude.

In drawing this short description of the two districts I must not omit to notice Banks Peninsula, which, as you are aware, is composed almost exclusively of volcanic rocks, contains about 260,000 acres of land, all mountains and hills, much broken in character, in some parts attaining an elevation of 4,000 feet, and nearly equally divided into forest and pasture land.

As you are also aware, the plains above referred to are intersected by great rivers flowing from the mountain ranges, and it has been ascertained, as the result of carefully-taken levels, that these rivers fall at rates varying from twenty-eight to thirty-five feet per mile, between the foot of the mountain ranges and the sea. These plains, therefore, although apparently level, are actually as a rule 1,000 feet above sea level at the base of the mountain range, falling away very gradually from that altitude to the level of the sea.

It will be evident to you, then, that although the two districts under consideration present certain marked distinctions, as well as resemblances, in physical character, and might, if separated by an effectual barrier to free