live out of twenty-six, and many
of these were so weak and in such bad condition as to be almost useless.
On opening one of those which had died about a hat-full of sand was found
in its inside, and it therefore appeared very probable that the ponies,
having been landed in the first instance on loose sandy soil producing
only a short and scanty vegetation, had taken up so much sand with their
food as to interfere with the functions of the stomach, and hence had
arisen their gradual wasting away and ultimate death. I indeed entertain
no doubt that the great loss of ponies we sustained arose from this
cause.

CHANGE OF PLANS.

This reduction in the number of our beasts of burden prevented me from
entertaining further hope of being able to proceed for any great distance
parallel to the coast in a southerly direction. I therefore formed a
depot at our present encampment, burying all such stores as the remaining
ponies were unable to carry on. My intentions being merely to proceed as
far as the supply of provisions we could carry with us would last, then
to return to our position, and from thence to the schooner.

DESCRIPTION OF A NEW VOLCANIC COUNTRY.

On the morning of the 27th of February I was, in pursuance of this plan
of operations, lifted on my horse, and we moved on in a south-west
direction, across sandy plains covered with scrub and a species of
stringy-bark; but on travelling for about a mile and a half the character
of the country became more rocky and difficult. After moving down a
slight descent, we came to a rapid stream, the same one on the banks of
which I had heard the natives' calls on the day I was wounded; the banks
afforded good food for the horses and trees which offered some shelter to
the men from the burning heat of the sun. I determined therefore to halt
here for breakfast; indeed the horses were so completely knocked up that
they were incapable of travelling any further. We had already been
compelled to abandon one of them in a dying state since we had started in
the morning.

We halted for about an hour and a half and then recommenced our journey,
but were unfortunate enough to miss the marked trees, and therefore
wandered a good deal in our attempts to find the right track. Whilst thus
roaming in the wood we passed two spots about one hundred yards distant
from each other, which I imagined to be native burying-places: they
consisted of piles of small loose stones so heaped together as to fo