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C—l

The building called the "Hospital," which was purchased a number of years ago by the County Council, is now tumbling down, and never was of any use to the public, as it was always occupied by three or more diggers. It is to be hoped if another one is put up (which there ought to be) that the door will be locked, and the key left with some responsible person, and only given up to those who will use the building for what it was intended. The de&m-covered ice at the terminal face still retains its position with reference to the belt of scrub and river-bed in front, but it has lowered nearly 30 ft. since December, 1896, and behind the ice has sunk still more. There is now a depression from cairn B* right across the glacier to the north side, and the outlet of the river is gradually working its way back along this depression. If another forward movement does not soon take place the debris-covered ice will be detatched from the main glacier and rapidly melt away, leaving a terminal moraine in its place, which will not last long, as the river will soon denude it away, probably leaving a flat gravel river-bed in its place, as has already happened on the Franz Josef. Along the Cone Bidge and along the moraine to Boyd's Creek the ice has shrunk back about a chain, and fallen 20 ft. or 30 ft., and a well-defined rock-ledge shows from cairn B to cairn K. Above that, as a result of this shrinkage, No. 1 moraine is fast disappearing, tumbling back on to the ice, now that there is no support for it; and the ice, instead of being crevassed along the edge, as it was in 1896, is now comparatively level, and can be travelled with safety to near Boyd's Creek. The middle of the glacier from' the first ice-fall downwards appears to have changed very little. It has sunk no doubt, but I had no data to go by to find how much. Near the ice-fall the glacier is far more crevassed in the middle than I have seen it for years, but these will most probably close up further on in the season. Another alteration perhaps worth noting is th,at the flow of the ice from foot of first ice-fall downwards has altered: instead of piling up against No. 1 moraine and Cove Eidge it is now flowing almost straight down the glacier. account for the retreat on the south side at least. On the north side I cannot notice any change or sign of retreat—in fact, at point L, opposite cairn X, the ice is at present slightly higher than before, and from point N down the ice appears to be very nearly in the same relative position as it was in 1895 and 1896. That both the Pox and Franz Joseph Glaciers are retreating at present at rather a rapid rate is certain, and if they go on as they are doing they will soon be high up among the ranges; but from what I have seen on both glaciers at different periods, dating as far back as 1866, there is no doubt that periodic advances of the ice take place, and probably in a few years they may be back to nearly their old position of twenty years ago. The causes for these periodic changes can only be settled by observations extending over a series of years. A rise in the average temperature of even a few degrees along the coast would no doubt cause such changes, but until extended meteorological observations are taken, extending not over one year but many years, showing that such a rise or fall of temperature does take place, and affects the glacier, it is but guesswork to theorize on the subject. Another thing, it is unknown as yet how long it takes the snow that falls —say, on Hardinger—to reach the terminal face. Perhaps the abnormal snowfall of twenty years ago may only be half-way down the glacier as yet, and its arrival near the terminal face may be the herald of another advance of the ice down the flat. Whatever the cause of the shrinking of the Fox and Franz Josef, that cause is apparently not at work on the Balfour Glacier, as at present it is in exactly the same position as to its terminal face as it was in 1888, 1894, and 1896. There are now three cairns on the Fox fixed for future observations, and a series of photographs showing the present position of the ice have been taken from them and other fixed points, so future observers will have no trouble in at once noting any change that takes place. The ice is easy of access up to the first ice-fall, either by walking up the middle of the glacier or taking the foot-track at the mouth of Mill's Creek, which lands at cairn X on the open glacier. From the first ice-fall up some sort of alpine appliances are required to reach the foot of the great ice-fall, which may be considered as the limit of travel for ordinary tourists. I reported on the Hot Spring long ago, and have nothing more to say about it, except that a track is now cut down to it, and a bath has been dug out, which will remain till a heavy flood fills it up again. To be of any use this spring, like the one at the Waiho, must be tapped further back, and the water pumped into a tank. Perhaps when tapped the water might rise itself to the level required. A few chains along the track to the hot springs, which starts opposite the hut site, there is a large rock with a ladder up it. From the top of this rock a fine view of the glacier can be obtained, and the rock itself is interesting as a specimen of the size New Zealand erratics attain to. It is about 30 ft. high and 300 ft. or 400 ft. in circumference, and has come down on the ice from somewhere near the Divide. Chaeles E. Douglas.

APPENDIX No. 12.—WANGANUI EIVEE WOEKS.

IMPEOVING THE NAVIGATION OF THE WANGANUI EIVEE. Ebpoet by the Wanganui Eivee Tedst. . For the year from Ist April, 1897, to 31st March, 1898, the expenditure has been £975 13s. Bd. This makes the total expenditure by the Wanganui Eiver Trust since its inauguration in 1891 to 31st March, 1898, amount to £5,124 os. 3d. An amount of £86 os. sd. has been received from river dues for the year. * See Topographical Map of Fox Country accompanying Annual Beport of Lands and Survey Department, 1893.