San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-13
HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.
THE GREAT SUTHERLAND WATER
FALL OF NEW ZEALAND.
IL Covers I,9O4 Feet in Three Leaps-A
Lake Surrounded by Mountains 1000
Feet Hish-The Wild Country Where
Abides a Well Known Explorer.

Feet HiSh-The Wild Country wher,
Abides a Well known Explorer.
New Zealand can still boast of one natura
celebrity, which will compensate in meas
ure for the loss of those unique marvels OF
nature, the pink and white terraces, which
were so suddenly destroyed by the disastrous
earthquake of 1886 The credit Of the dis
covery of the stupendous waterfall, which
is still unknown to the world at large, but
which is now found to be the highest of any
hitherto brought to light in any other por-
ton OF the globe, rests with a Mr.. Suther-
land, a well known explorer of the west coast
sounds, who has taken up his abode for
! many years amid these surroundings of soil
| tary grandeur, far from any inhabited por-
| ton of the country, in a part of New Zea
| land still inaccessible except from the coast
| Here he lives alone with nature in all her
| pristine splendor, receiving news only from
| an occasional passing ship, unless, perchance,
another pioneering spirit como across him in
hiSsHanderings in this picturesque region Of
magnificent solitude.
y small party of gentlemen Of scientific
tastes started on an expedition, not freef from
danger, with the object of reaching and, if
possible measuring and fixing the position of
the Sutherland waterfall, so called after its
discOYerer who up to then was the only hui
man being known to have accomplished the
feat. The first step on their journey, Milford
sound, was reached, and here were landed all
the necessary swags the colonial term for a
knapsack and provisions, together with ma
terial for a canvas boat for use inland in
crossing Lake Ada. The following account
of their adventure is taken from notes by one
of the party Mr.. Mackenzie, NJ. II. R., and
published in The Otago Daily Times:
In passing, we must mention that the gran.
deur of this sport can hardly be realized by
those who are not acquainted with the New
Zealand bays. Lovely as is the peculiar
beauty of the Swiss Alps, and reminded as
one constantly is in this country of the IN
speakable charm of its picturesque valleys
and snow laden mountains, yet there is an
immeasurably awe inspiring grandeur in this
unknown region, where the football of man is
unheard, and the only sounds are the songs
of strange and beautiful birds, and the rip
ping or roar of waterfalls and courses.
From Milford sound our party proceeded to
Lake Ada, to which stores, swaSs, boat, etc,
had to be carried bodily through the bush; no
easy undertaking, through its unyielding and
prickly tangle. However, the lake was
reached, and next day saw the frail canvas
craft put together which was to carry the all
venturers across it. This trip, says Nh Mac
kenzie proved very dangercls one, the
whole surface of the lake being a mass Of
snags.
Accounting for this, he says that ct some
early period /. heavy avalanche is supposed to
have come down and formed a rl0rainc
across the mouth of the Arthur river, thus
transforming a comparatively level fat of
high birch trees into a lake Of from ten to forty
feet deep The trees have decayed between
the air and the water line, the water pre-
serving the timber, so that now the lake
simply bristles with sharp edged tops of huge
trees, some a foot above water, others six
inches; some just tipping the surface and
others at all depths. The wind was blowing
a little fresh, just causing a ripple Sufficient
to prevent our seeing the submerged points
As a consequence, we We're continually get
ting on to them; but fortunately none came
through, although the sixteenth Of an inch
of cotton canvas was all that was between US
and them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKE
The lake is about four and a half miles
long by mile to a mile and half wide. On
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