Trip Down the Lake

shortly before 2 o'clock. The noble forest-clad mountains which surround us look inexpressibly grand and attractive as we steam onward, and we are impressed with the majesty of this upper part of the lake. It here transcends Manapouri in its majestic grandeur, and comfortably seated on the little steamer we have full leisure and opportunity to appreciate to the full the handiwork of Nature at her grandest and best. The afternoon passes enjoyably as we rapidly pass mountain and valley, flowering ratas and foaming waterfalls, with the water of the lake sometimes an intense green, anon almost inky black as some dark mountain shadow is cast upon its surface. We cross over to the eastern shore as we approach Mr Melland's Te Anau Lake station, most picturesquely situated in a little bay. We are to atop here to enable Mr Snodgrass to do some page 18 business he has with the manager, end making oar way up the jetty we find ourselves right in the midst of sheep-drafting operations. It is a scene of busy activity, end we spend an interesting half hour in wandering about the homestead and yards. But time is passing, and it is already late in the day, and we harry on board and posh on into the broad waters of the lake, reaching the jetty at the foot of the lake about half past 10. We have a late supper—some of our party at Snod-grass's Hotel, some at Mackenze's a accommodation house—and the Dunedin-Invercargill contingent bid good-bye to the rest for they are to be astir early to settle down Into their trap for a long day's drive to Lumsden. The writer squares' accounts with Mr and Mrs Snodgrass for steamer fares and accommodation; and we have a good all-round talk about the Te Anau Manapouri trip and its manifold attractions. The uncertainty in the minds of would-be visitors from the cities as to what it all costs is admitted to operate against a steadier stream of visitors, and the result of the talk is that 1 am empowered to tell any of my friends that to bring the trip within the reach of people of even only very moderate meant the sum of £6 wilt be fixed—with the concurrence first obtained of the coacb proprietor and those instrested at Manapouri Lake—to cover coach fare to and from Lumaden, a week's board and lodging, and steamer tripe op both lakes. The only additional expense would thus be the train fare to Lumsden and back. The charge fixed as stated above is unquestionably very moderate indeed for all the services perfumed, and ought to induce many residents in the cities to make a trip which cannot Tail to give them true and Lasting pleasure. Of our early start in the morning and our drive to Lumsden I need say but little. It involved a long day's travelling but our horses had had five days' spell, and we arrived at Lumsden about 7 in the evening, no doubt pleased to be once more within reach of railway carriages, and knowing that Saturday night would see as in our respective homes again. I shall in a concluding paper refer to a number of matters about Which I think something useful may be sand, and meantime, as in one of my previous articles I give a table of distances by the Otautau Manapouri route, I will now give the distances covering the