The soil on which they grew was chiefly great masses of rook torn from the mountain's side and scattered about, lying at all angles. On the top of the highest rockinassesof stunted birch treesobtained a roothold, and managed to weather out the storms of years, if not centuries. The smaller rocks were completely covered over with moss and tangled ferns. The taller were considerably chewed up by the knhapos, which make the core of the stums contribute their chief diet. Behind us Mount Balloon stood A GRIM SENTINEL guarding the Clinton Pass, and overlooking tho route down the Clinton Gorge and the Wearing creek as well. Tho mountain rises up sheer from the gorge on either hand, its bare, back ribs ststxling out in bold relief to the gleaming snow fields at its hasp, and the glaciers which on one or two places find ;>. resting place. The mountain rises up to a sharp cone, the outline in the distance rudely resembling an inflated balloon wrong end up. Over one shoulder of the mountain, on the Rearing creek side, avalanches come crushing down with a roar and a rush that was terrible to behold, and even more terrible to hear in the deep silence of the night, when no sound disturbs tho awful stillness of these mountain gorges," save the occasional harsh cry of the kakapo, or the distant craik of the kaka. While daylight lasted wo watched the avalancties, so wonder ! fully like mighty waterfalls, ss they came rush ing down the mountain side every few minutes. | First there is a sharp report, like the shot of a big gun, as the ice mass breaks away ; the report is rapidiy passed on from peak to peak, and taken up by the gorges, but before the echoes become dim the headlong rush of ica blocks, soon ground to powder, fills the mountain gorges with a volume of sound like tho roar of an earth quake. Looking up, these awe-inspiring avalanches appeared right overhead, and threatening to fall on us where we stood. We were in the heart of the Southern Alps, just at the season of the year wheu the hot sun made the avalanches most plentiful. 