Information respecting Scientific Travellers, 191 



channel may be compared, in some respects, to the Cassiquiare, which 

 connects the Upper Orinoco with the Rio Negro, and it is known in 

 the colony under the name of the Mora Creek. The Warran Indians, 

 who inhabit these rivers, call it Morawan. 



The Barima presented, where we entered it from the Mora, the 

 appearance of a much larger river than I had expected. I estimated 

 its breadth at 700 feet. Its water, still subject to the influence of 

 the tides, was of a dark colour, and its depth from eighteen to twenty- 

 four feet. About five miles from the junction of the Mora, the river 

 Aruka flows into the Barima on its left bank. The two rivers, before 

 they unite, are nearly of equal breadth — about 400 feet each. The 

 Aruka has yellowish muddy water. A few houses, inhabited by 

 Warran Indians, are within a short distance of the confluence of the 

 Aruka with the Barima. They, with others who inhabit the Lower 

 Aruka, acknowledge a Warran by the name of William as their chief- 

 tain, who resides at the small brook Atopani. 



We followed Mr. King to the Warran settlement Cumaka, which 

 is within a short distance of Atopani, and landed there in the evening. 

 We found a large assemblage of Warrans, with their chieftain Wil- 

 liam. The Indians were suffering, to an extent painful to behold, 

 from ophthalmia. My previous excursions have made me acquainted 

 with various tribes who inhabit British Guiana or the adjacent ter- 

 ritories ; but though that disease is by no means unusual among them, 

 I nowhere saw it so frightfully exhibited as here, where at least 50 per 

 cent, of the inhabitants are labouring under it, or have had their eye- 

 sight impaired by it. I ascribe it to their inhabiting the low marshy 

 grounds, where it appears they are more subject to colds than in the 

 open savannahs or on the high mountains, and to carelessness. 



Cumaka is situated on rising ground. These hillocks, which are 

 the first high ground from the sea inland, form a small chain that 

 extends in a western direction : they are composed of indurated clay, 

 highly ochreous ; and, to judge from their vegetation, and the pro- 

 vision-grounds of the Indians on tlieir declivities, the soil is fertile. 

 It is only here that the vegetation of the banks on the river begins to 

 change. Hitherto it consisted of curida and mangrove trees, and 

 numerous manicole palms ; but when we had reached the rising 

 ground, we observed noble forest-trees — as, for example, the crab- 

 nut tree, useful for building material ; locust, curaliara, siruaballia, 

 soriari, and others. From the curaliara the Warrans prepare canoes 

 and corials ; and from the size of these I judge of the height of the' 

 trees from which they are made. 



I resolved, as soon as the general health of my crew was restored, 

 to proceed to the mouth of the Barima for the purpose of examining 

 that part of the river. I engaged six Warran Indians, under the 

 command of the chieftain's son, to accompany us, and we set out on 

 our journey on the 10th of May ; and having paddled through the 

 greater part of the night, we landed the following day at the mouth 

 of the Barima, where we encamped not far from Point Barima, on 

 the right bank of the river. 



The survey of the Barima was finished by the 19th of May. Its 



