EIGENMANN: THE FRESHWATER FISHES OF BRITISH GUIANA 7 



almost flat grass-clad plain or savannah, elevated about three hundred feet above 

 sea-level, in which, in the vicinity of and bordering upon the many streams by 

 which it is watered, are patches of woodlands. From the Kanuku Mountains 

 southwards to about six miles from the source of the Takutu and from that river 

 eastwards to a considerable distance beyond the Rupununi there is an extensive 

 and undulating elevated savannah with similar patches of woods along the valleys 

 of the many streams by which it is drained. Beyond this the extreme southern 

 part of the colony is entirely forest-clad. 



[p. 11.] "Rivers. — Of the numerous river-systems there are six principal ones, 



viz.: — 



(1) The Essequibo and its principal tributaries, the Mazaruni and Cuyuni; 



(2) The Courantyne and its tributary, the New River; 



(3) The Berbice and its tributary, the Canje; 



(4) The Waini and its tributary, the Barama; 



(5) The Demerara; 



(6) TheBarima. 



"These, together with the following smaller ones, the Abary, Mahaicony, 

 Mahaica, Boerasirie, Pomeroon, and Maruka Rivers, flow to the Atlantic Ocean. 



"In addition to the above mentioned rivers, there are the Takatu and its 

 tributary, the Ireng, which meet together at 3° 34' north latitude and form the 

 Brazilian boundary. The Takuta River flows thence to the Rio Negro, the waters 

 of which join the Amazon. 



"The Essequibo, the largest river in the colony, rises in 0° 41' north latitude, 

 about eight hundred and fifty feet above the sea-level and flows in a northerly 

 direction for some six hundred miles. It is joined at Bartika, about forty miles 

 from its mouth, by the Mazaruni River, a tributary, which is itself joined at 

 Cartabo, five miles above Bartika, by another tributary called the Cuyuni River, 

 all these combining to form an estuary with a width of about three miles below 

 their junction, and which expands to a width of fourteen miles at the mouth, con- 

 taining, as it approaches the sea, three islands, each of which is about twelve miles 

 in length, and in addition many smaller ones. The river is navigable for large 

 vessels as far as Bartika, and for small launches to the foot of the first rapids, 

 eighteen miles above that point. Beyond this its course is broken by many rapids 

 and cataracts, and about five miles above the junction of the Rupununi the Esse- 

 quibo river is practically unnavigable on account of the many long series of cataracts 

 and falls, which obstruct its course. 



[p. 12.] "The Rupununi River joins the Essequibo in 4° 2' 52" north latitude, 



