196 Information respecting Scientific Travellers* 



the first day. In order to attract them to the shore, a number of 

 the seeds of the carapa, or crab-nut, are pounded, and having been 

 inclosed in a netting of withes, they are put in the water, and soon 

 attract the greedy maracotto. An Indian stands ready with a light 

 spear, which he lances into them, one after another, with unerring 

 aim. The maracotto frequently attains a length of thirty inches, 

 and is twenty-six inches in girth. Its flavour is delicious. 



I now found it advisable to discontinue the ascent in corials, for 

 numerous trees which had fallen across the Barima obstructed the 

 boats. Leaving Mr. Glascott in charge of the camp formed at the 

 junction of the two rivers, and having armed the most effective of 

 the crew with cutlasses and axes, we cut our way through entangled 

 bushes and swamps, following the left bank of the Barima. With 

 the exception of two rivulets, we found the tributaries which the 

 river received of inconsiderable size. Its bed is frequently traversed 

 by granitic dikes, over which the water precipitated itself impetu- 

 ously ; and its current was so rapid that it would have been diffi- 

 cult to make any way in ascending, even in a small corial. 



I admired the number of noble forest-trees, among which I ob- 

 served the bullet-tree, the locust-tree, the crab-wood, curahara, 

 itapu, cuyama, yarura, and its allied species, parnacussana ; the 

 suari or impa, and makaratalli. But the most remarkable appeared 

 to me the tunkara, which measured in circumference from twenty- 

 eight to thirty feet. Its trunk rose free from branches, smooth and 

 round, to about seventy or eighty feet ; and I was told by some of 

 my Indian guides that the Warrans used the tree for making canoes. 

 It is soft and white, and the colonists prepare staves from it. The 

 Warrans make their bark or shell canoes of the bark of the bullet- 

 tree and makaratalli. 



We were joined by a number of Warrans and several Waikas 

 from Manari, whose services we had engaged to assist in carrying 

 our luggage from Manari to the Barama, which flows into the Waini. 

 We were told that we should have to ascend the Barama in boats 

 for four days before we could reach the path that leads to the 

 Cuyuni. 



An Indian carries scarcely more than 24 lbs. weight on journeys 

 overland. While the negro carries invariably his burthen on his 

 head, experience has taught the Indian that by doing so he would 

 not be able to make much progress through the thick woods, and 

 his load is therefore slung on his back ; for that purjDOse they have 

 baskets which are made of the stems of a calathia, or of some spe- 

 cies of palm. 



Our preparations had been completed, the loads distributed ac- 

 cording to the appearance of strength possessed by our carriers ; and 

 after Mr. Glascott had left with his party, in a boat which was 

 hired for the purpose, we commenced our march overland on the 

 8th of July. The forest through which we now proceeded appeared 

 to have less underwood; and I observed numerous specimens of 

 that valuable tree the siruaballia, which affords one of the best tim- 

 bers for the planking of vessels and the construction of gigs, boats. 



