HORSES NOT SURE-FOOTED. 83 



in front of the horse's shoulder, onto his neck. My 

 saddle had no crupper, but luckily my shot pouch 

 had a round strap,* which answered very well for 

 one, and on properly adjusting the saddle with it, 

 I found the animal's paces and sure-footedness much 

 improved. This was the fourth time one of these 

 ponies had come down with some of the party, so 

 that though they boast of their sure-footedness, it 

 does not seem to be with much reason. After pro- 

 ceeding some distance, still descending, we came to 

 the head of a narrow and steep ravine ; down one 

 side of which, the road wound at such an inclina- 

 tion, and with so slippery a surface, that all the 

 party were obliged to dismount, and even then we 

 had some difficulty in keeping our own footing, and 

 in preventing our horses from rolling headlong. In 

 this ravine we took leave of the casuarinas and 

 grassy summits, and began again to enter forests of 

 a more rich and tropical vegetation. Tree-ferns 

 abounded in these sequestered dells, in the most 

 graceful profusion, while teak, and other magnifi- 

 cent-looking forest trees, wreathed and festooned 

 with parasites, met the eye in every direction. It is 

 hopeless, however, to attempt with any word-painting 



* Should this meet the eye of any one who purposes travelling 

 beyond the bounds of Christendom, let him take care to lay in an 

 unlimited stock of straps, of all kinds and sizes, carefully oiled 

 and packed, with their buckles, &c. I do not know any one 

 article, he will find so decidedly inferior to the English, in 

 strength and endurance, as the leather of foreign countries, 

 whether for straps, shoes, or other purposes. 



G 2 



