The Douglas Glacier and Its Neighbourhood Author(s): James Mackintosh Bell Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Aug., 1908), pp. 121-134 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1778019 Accessed: 25-06-2016 21:18 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), Wiley are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal This content downloaded from 139.184.14.159 on Sat, 25 Jun 2016 21:18:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms The Geographical Journal. No. 2. AUGUST, 1908. VOL. XXXII. THE DOUGLAS GLACIER AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD." By JAMES MACKINTOSH BELL, A.M., Ph.D., Director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand. 1. INTRODUCTION. THE Douglas glacier lies in one of the most inaccessible parts of the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and forms ne of the most remarkable physical features of that splendid chain of snow-clad mountains. The glacier is situated in the district of Westl d, on the western slopes of the Southern Alps, which form the main divide of the South island. The frontal face, in approximately 43? 42' S. lat., is within 25 miles of the Tasman sea. From the " snout" of the glacier issues the Twain river, which forms one of the main tributaries of the Karangarua river. At a point some 3 miles above the frontal face, on the south-eastern side of the glacier, Douglas pass-a snow-covered saddle--leads into the MeKerrow glacier, which formerly flowed partly down the valley of the upper Karangarua, but now forms the source of the Landsborough river. Some miles north fromr the Twain river, the Karangarua receives the Copland river, which rises in the Marchant glacier some miles north of the Douglas glacier. 2. NARRATIVE. During the summer of 1907, a reconnaissance was made by the writer, with a small party, of the country in the neighbourhood of the Douglas glacier-our object being to gain a general geological and geographical knowledge of this wild and interesting section of New Zealand, with a view to commencing more detailed investigations at a later date. Owing to the inaccessibility of this portion of the country, * Read at the Royal Geographical Society, November 11, 1907. Map, p. 216. NO. II. -AUGUST, 1908.] X This content downloaded from 139.184.14.159 on Sat, 25 Jun 2016 21:18:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 122 THE DOUGLAS GLACIER AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. and to the extremely wet climate, the exploration was conducted with considerable difficulty. All supplies had to be brought on pack-horses to Scott's house, situated near the mouth of the Karangarua, on what is known as the great South road--a lonely and little-frequented trail, which has been cut for many miles through the dense forest of the district of Westland at a short distance from the seashore. From a few miles above Scott's house everything had to be carried into the interior on our backs, up the wild Alpine rivers; across glaciers, broken by crevasses and heaped with moraines; and over wind-swept mountain passes. Consequently our outfit was, of necessity, most simple, and only a single ply of canvas protected us most of the time from the often very boisterous climatic conditions. Our route lay up the valley of the Karangarua, which seemed to open the readiest and easiest highway to the Douglas glacier, and to the valley of the upper Landsborough. A base camp was pitched at Cassel's flat, some 14 miles up the Karangarua river from the mouth, and on the left side of the stream, this point being easily reached by a rough track which follows the right bank of the Karangarua, and traverses the river to the opposite bank by a good ford just below the mouth of the Copland. From Cassel's flat we pushed our way up the Karangarua, and on the third day's march camped just below Karangarua pass, which lies at the head of the stream, and which leads into the McKerrow glacier. The route lies almost entirely along the boulder-strewn river-bottom, leaving it only where rock precipices border the water or where pro- nounced waterfalls occur. Travelling is not easy--one has to ford and reford the stream in the ice-cold water to seek the best route along the bank; moreover, the constant jumping from boulder to boulder with a pack on one's back soon becomes tiresome. The greatest difficulty occurs in the gorges, or at the waterfalls, where one has to leave the river-bottom and scramble through the tangled vegetation that clings to the very steep slopes on either side of the river, and forms a serious obstacle to advance right to the base of Karangarua pass. Near the pass the huge size of the boulders in the stream, and the many waterfalls, render the travelling especially difficult and in places dangerous. At our camp just below Karangarua pass, our advance was stopped by several days of thick weather; but we were rewarded for this delay by radiantly fine weather in which to cross Karangarua pass, make our way up the McKerrow glacier and over Douglas pass into Fitzgerald flat. Near the old lateral moraines of the Douglas glacier, which borders Fitz- gerald flat to the westward, we found a good and sheltered camp with mountain scrub for our fire. The route from Karangarua pass to Fitzgerald fiat is distinctly an easy one, the only difficulties-and these slight ones-being experienced in the short descent down the rocky slope leading from Karangarua This content downloaded from 139.184.14.159 on Sat, 25 Jun 2016 21:18:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE DOUGLAS GLACIER AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 123 pass to the McKerrow glacier, and in the long descent down the steep, slippery, grass slope from Douglas pass to Fitzgerald flat. Neither difficulty is so apparent in ascending to either pass. Karangarua pass was almost entirely free from snow at the time of our visit, but Douglas pass, which is a few hundred feet higher, was snow covered. The long and almost impassable gorge of the lower Twain river prevents an examination of the Twain-Douglas valley from that end. Consequently all our investigations were conducted from our camp on Fitzgerald flat. We remained for several days in the valley, being unfortunately prevented by bad weather from making all the desired z: HEAD OF MCKERROW GLACIER, examinations of the wonderful Douglas glacier and icefall and of the immediate neighbourhood. Leaving Fitzgerald flat in a thick fog, we recrossed Douglas pass, and, descending the McKerrow glacier, pitched our camp just below its frontal face on the shores of the Landsborough, where sufficient moun- tain scrub was found for fuel for cooking purposes. HEere we remained for over a week, and roughly examined the country as far down the Landsborough river as the entrance of the Fettes glacier, which is situated some 8 miles below the frontal face of the McKerrow glacier. The whole valley of the Landsborough is most difficult of in- vestigation, owing to the fact that the main stream is unfordable for practically its entire course, while many of the numerous tributary streams entering from the glaciers on either side can be traversed only K 2 This content downloaded from 139.184.14.159 on Sat, 25 Jun 2016 21:18:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 124 THE DOUGLAS GLACIER AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. with very considerable danger. Moreover, the travelling along the river is everywhere arduous owing to the almost entire absence of the grassy gravel flats which, along most of the streams of this locality, vary the monotony of the long stretches of boulder bank over which one has to scramble in going along the stream. For several miles below the McKerrow glacier the banks of the Landsborough are free from large trees, but here and there Alpine scrub grows in considerable abundance, and everywhere during the summer the valley is gay with a brilliant Alpine flora. On the Landsborough we unfortunately had exceptionally bad weather, with mist, rain, and even snow, consequently we were never able to get a really good view of the main ridge of the Alps, which lies close to the Landsborough on the east, a fact which was greatly to our disadvantage when we came to leaving the river. Our intention was to seek a pass over the Alps to the eastward, into the Mueller glacier- lying on the eastward or Canterbury side of the mountains--whence there would be an easy descent of about 9 miles to the Government accommodation house at the "Hermitage." From the maps in our possession, it was evident that the pass lay at the head of the Spence glacier, and that it entered the Mueller close to the head. Of course it was impossible to cross a lofty and, unknown pass in bad weather, but when it at last cleared, my party was at once divided-two men returning with all the camp gear, the way we had come by the McKerrow glacier and Karangarua river-while the other two men with myself started light, up what we supposed to be the Spence glacier.