The Party and the Route.

The party as finally organised for the trip consisted of three ladies and two gentlemen, and the route selected was by way of Otautau from Invercargill and on through the western [unclear: rict] of Southland and the Waiau Valley to Lake Manapouri and theune to Te Anau. [unclear: tautau] was reached by the Dunedin members of the party in one day, the distance of the township named being 33 males from Invercargill, a train connecting with the Dunedin-Invercargill express and taking passengers right on.

After preliminary visits on successive days to the Merrivale estate homestead, Colac Bay, and the Round Hill Company's very promising hydraulic sluicing property, and an inspection of the vast amount of work which has been accomplished there—including as it does the finest set of pipes connected with any gold mining property in the colony—the party returned to Otautau to enjoy a good night's rest before starting on their interesting trip on the morrow. A commodious double-seated trap and a pair of good, serviceable horses having been engaged, the driver was ready betimes to settle down into their places hie expectant passengers and their numerous traveling bags and packages and this having been successfully accomplished, 7 o'clock saw a start made.

Good progress was made through the fertile Southland lands, which have as their centre the prosperous little township just left behind, and passing the beautiful homestead of the celebrated Merrivale estate, where we had two days previously been hospitably entertained, the