lik in g o f their guides, that, b y the morning, the y had all
taken themfelves o ff, except one.
T h e want o f proviiions now m a k in g it neceffary to return
to foroe o f the cultivated parts o f the ifland, they quitted
th^w o od b y the fame path the y had entered i t ; and, on
their arrival at the plantations, were furrounded by the n a tives,
o f whom they purchafed a fre ih flock o f necelTaries;
and prevailed upon two o f th em to fupply the place o f the
gu ides that were gone away. H a v in g obtained the be'it in*
formation in their power, w ith regard to the direction o f
their road, the party b e in g n ow nine in number, marched
along the ikirts o f the wood fo r fix or feven miles, and then
entered it again by a path that bore to the Eaftward. For
the firft three miles, the y pafled throu gh a foreft o f lo fty
fpice-trees, g row in g on a ftrong rich loam ; at the back o f
w h ich they found an equal extent o f low ihrubby trees, w ith
m u ch th ick underwood, on a bottom o f loofe burnt ftones.
Th is led them to a fecond foreft o f fpice-trees, and the fame
rich brown foil, w hich was a gain fucceeded b y a barren
rid ge o f the fame nature w ith the former. T h is alternate
fucceffion may, perhaps, afford matter o f curious fpecula-
tion to naturalifls. T h e only additional circumftance I could
learn re latin g to it was, that thefe ridges appeared, as far as
th e y could be feen, to run in directions parallel to the fea -
fhore, and to have Mouna Roa fo r their centre.
In p a flin g throu gh the woods, they found many eanoes
half-finifhed ; and, here and rhere, a h u t ; but faw none o f
the inhabitants. Having penetrated near three miles into
the fecond wood, they came to two huts, where they flopped,
exceedingly fatigu ed with the day’ s journey, h a v in g w a lk ed
not lefs than twenty miles, according to their own computation.
„As they had met w ith no, fprings, from the time
th e y le ft the plantation-ground, and began to fu ffe r m u ch '779-
from the violence o f their thirft, they were obliged, before '
the night came on; to feparafe into parties, and go in fearch
o f w a te r ; and, at laft, found fome, le ft by rain in the bottom
o f an unfinifhed canoe ; w h ich , thoixgh o f the colour
o f red w in e ,-w a s to them no unwelcome difcovery. In the
n ight, the cold was ftill more intenfe than the y had fo u n d '
it be fo re; and though they had wrapped themfelves up in
mats and cloths o f the country, arid kept, a large fire betwe
en , the two huts, th e y could y e t fleep bur ve ry little ; .
and were obliged to w a lk about the greateft part o f the
n ight. T h e ir elevation was now probably pretty', cbnfider-
able, as the ground on w h ich they, h a d . travelled h ad been
gen e ra lly on the afcent. I
On the 29th, at day-break, the y fet out, intending to make
their laft and utmoft effort to reach the fn ow y mouritain;
but their fpirits-were much deprefled,. when they found
they had expended the miferable pittance o f water they had
found the n igh t before. The path, which’ extended no fa rther
than where canoes had been built, was n ow at an e n d ;
and they were therefore obliged to make their w a y as w e ll
as they could ; every n ow and then c lim b in g up into the
higheft trees, to explore the country round. At eléven
o’clock, they came to a rid ge o f burnt ftones, from the top
©f w hich they faw the fnow y mountain, appearing to be>
about twelve or fourteen miles from them.
It was.here deliberated, whether they fhould proceed any
fu ithe r, or reft fatisfied with the v iew they n ow had o f
Mouna Roa. T h e road, ever fince the path ceafed, had become
exceedingly fa t ig u in g ; a n d , every moment they ad- . .
vanced, was g row in g ftill m0re fo. T h e deep chinks, w ith '
■which the ground was every where broken, being fligh fly
covered,