April 6.

We moved off this morning on a course of 180 degrees. The first mile of
our journey was over low scrubby ironstone hills. We then came down upon
rich flats through which the main branch of the Hutt ran; and followed
the course of this branch for about two miles. It was not running but
there were many pools with water in its bed: the flats were rich and
grassy and on the hills to the westward (the Menai Hills) we descried
wild turkeys, being the farthest point north at which I had seen this
bird.

As I saw that the ground in front of us was very steep and abrupt, so
that the weak and weary would have found it a difficult task to master
such an ascent, I turned off on a course of 168 degrees, ascending a
sandy tableland covered with scrub. When we had walked three miles in
this direction the table-hill of Captain King bore east by south distant
five miles. We now proceeded parallel to the sea, which was distant one
mile through an indifferent country. This course continued for about five
miles, and on the ranges to the eastward the country still appeared to be
grassy and good.

RELUCTANCE OF THE MEN TO HASTEN ONWARDS. DIFFICULTY OF URGING THE PARTY
FORWARD.

Although we had walked very slowly many of the party were completely
exhausted, and one or two of the discontented ones pretended to be
dreadfully in want of water, notwithstanding they carried canteens and
had only walked eight miles since leaving the bank of a river; I was
therefore obliged to halt, and could not get them to move for three