The character of the country we passed through was the same as these sandstone ranges always present; namely, sandy scrubby plains, and low ranges of ruinous, rocky hills, in trying to scramble over which the ponies received numerous and severe falls.

We however had a very beautiful halting-place, shaded by lofty pines and affording fair feed for the animals.
NEW PLAN OF MOVEMENTS.
February 5.
On this morning it was reported to me that several of the ponies were in a dying state, and that none of them would be again able to carry even such light loads as they had hitherto done; the quantity of stores they could now convey was quite inadequate to supply a party of the strength we were obliged to move with for any great length of time.

A new plan of operations was thus forced upon me, and I now resolved to proceed as follows: To advance with half our stores to a convenient place for encamping at, and then, on the succeeding day, to send back some of the party with the ponies for the remaining portion of the provisions; whilst, accompanied by two men, I marked off the road by which we were to move on the following day.

This mode of proceeding would not very much delay our movements; for the country we were at present in was of so intricate a nature that it was impossible to move loaded horses without previously marking a road for them; and by its adoption I trusted to be able to establish a depot of provisions at some point distant from the coast and whence we could yet make a good start in a southerly direction.
LABOUR OF TRACING ROUTE.
In pursuance of this plan Mr.Lushington returned this day to our last camp to bring up the provisions we had abandoned; whilst I went off with two men to endeavour to pick out a route by which the ponies could travel.

A more toilsome day's work than we had could not be imagined.