Maguire • Exploration 53 



Orinoco at Esmeralda with the point to become the basis for the floristic 



visited by Humboldt and Bonpland treatment of the province. . . . 

 nearly forty years earlier. Schomburgk 



recognized the sediments of the western organization 

 mountains of Marahuaca and Duida to 



be similar to those of the lofty Roraima Exploration is a costly operation, 

 and its neighbors. Near the beginning If the individual or institution planning 

 of the present centun,', other travelers, an expedition has sufHcient money, one 

 most notably the anthropologist Koch- of the major problems is at the outset 

 Griinberg, traversed Guayana, and the obviated. Most planners of exploratory 

 geographer Hamilton Rice skirted its field work are not so fortunate, 

 peripher}'. By about 1940 the Venezu- however, and must develop additional 

 elan Government had concluded a sources of financial support. Given an 

 geological survey of the Gran Sabana, adequate work plan which sets forth 

 and Felix Cardona, geographer for the the objectives to be achieved, the ade- 

 Venezuelan Government, was well quacy of the proposed program, and 

 progressed in his remarkable career of demonstrates the principal's back- 

 exploration of Guavana. The Amer- ground preparation and ability to carry 

 ican Museum expeditions to Mount the work through to completion, finan- 

 Roraima near the eastern periphery, cial support may not be difficult to 

 Cerro Duida on the Upper Orinoco, achieve. Many foundations, research in- 

 and lastly to Auyan-tepui on the Gran stitutions, industrial organizations are 

 Sabana, from which drops the spectac- prepared to give assistance to the well- 

 ular Angel Falls, led by the late G. H. conceived project. And, of course, in- 

 H. Tate, had been completed. All of dividual friends and private donors 

 this pioneer work in biology, geology often are the most sympathetic sources 

 and geography laid a background which of support, 

 defined one of the major physiographic 



and coincident phytogeographic prov- * * * 



inces of northern South America. . . . Given assurance of financial secu- 

 rity, the next step may well be obtain- 



OBjECTivE ing official authorizations from the con- 

 cerned govemment department or 



Early botanical work had demon- agencies of the country or countries to 

 strated conclusively that the sedimen- be visited. Naturallv, the requirements 

 tary region of Guayana, considered to of law must be met, and it is well to 

 be of Cretaceous or earlier origin by conclude such necessary understand- 

 most contemporary geologists, is the ings and authorizations considerably 

 seat of a remarkable self-contained flora before anv planned departure. The 

 of extremely high endemism. . . . consular offices or the national institu- 



The New York Botanical Garden in tions of common interest with the ob- 



1944 reactivated its interest and began jectives of the expedition are usually 



a second series of explorations to this the best sources of advice and instruc- 



fascinating region for the purpose of tion. For botanical work in Venezuela 



doing plant reconnaissance throughout it is necessan' to obtain passport visa 



as much of Gua\'ana as is practical to and authorization to enter the coun- 



reach. The resulting inventor\' of the tr}' from the Venezuelan Consul. Au- 



plant resources of the region has be- thorization to do botanical collecting 



come the basis for a continuing series is to be had from the Director of the 



of technical reports, and is expected Botanical Service of the Ministry of 



