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DIEFFENBACH, von Hochstetter,
von Haast, and Reischek formed a distinguished group of
Europeans who applied their
scientific knowledge in
New
Zealand. Dieffenbach, the practical scientist,
has already been referred to.
Ferdinand von Hochstetter was
permitted to have leave of absence
from the 1859 Austrian
Novara
scientific expedition
and travelled extensively in the Auckland and
Nelson Provinces. His book embraces
observations of
New Zealand’s
physical structure. Julius von Haast was a
man who had the attainments to back up his ambition and when von
Hochstetter gave him an opening for work on his arrival in New Zealand,
their life-long friendship began. His appointment as Canterbury
Provincial Geologist in 1860 gave
von Haast the opportunity
to conduct explorations on a comfortable scale that
has not since been seen in
New Zealand.
His work was comprehensive, including the first visit to the
Tasman Glacier, a crossing of the Haast Pass to the
West Coast (there is still considerable doubt whether he was not
preceded by Cameron, a prospector), journeys over the easier Passes
such as Browning’s, Arthur’s, and Harper, visits to the
Waimakariri, Rakaia, Rangitata,
and Godley Glaciers, and very serious discussion about moa
bones. His observations were
recorded in his Geology of Canterbury and Westland, and if
the monotony of the scenic
descriptions is discounted,
the rest of the narrative is
excellent. His researches in geology drew the attention of
scientists, and New Zealand gratefully named a pass, a ridge, a glacier,
a river, and two peaks after its adopted geologist, while he was
knighted in the eighties shortly before he died. In his turn von Haast
sprinkled German names liberally all over the landscape.
These guttural legacies
survive on the map to this day.
Andreas Reischek, the last of
the quartette, wandered alone in many remote parts of both
islands.
The Rakaia Valley, Canterbury, from Prospect
Hill, Reischek and von Haast were both impressed with the scenery of
this valley, which id superbly described in the early chapters of
Samuel Butler's 'Erewhon.
A cartoon from 'Dunedin Punch' in 1865, showing a
flood in a river crossed by Pyke's prospecting expedition across the
Haast Pass. On the left a curious moa peeps out from the bush. The
deluge of rain was a familiar sight to the early explorers of the back
country.
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Andreas Reischek, an Austrian
naturalist who accompanied von Haast on some expeditions, but who made
many of his journeys alone. His book 'Sterbende Welt' (from which the
photograph is taken) has been translated under the title 'Yesterdays
in Maoriland.'
Sir Arthur Dobson's
sketch of the Franz Josef Glacier, 1863, from the Tasman Sea. The
field books of all the early New Zealand Surveyors are enriched by
similar accurate sketches.
The southern Alps, sketched by
von Haast from the mouth of the Grey river, Mount Cook is the high
tent like mass on the right. Von Hachstetter used this sketch in his
book 'New Zealand' (1867)
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