44 MEMOIR OF 



forms, by the name of King "William's Cataract, in 

 honour of his late majesty William lY., the first 

 patron of the Geographical Society. 



Not venturing farther, and having accomplished 

 all that was in their power, they buried a bottle in 

 the sand, recording the date of their visit, and bent 

 their course down the stream, stopping at Priraoss 

 in order to examine a path that was said to lead to 

 the rivers Demerara and Corentyn. Then passing 

 the Rupununi, and arriving at the mouth of the 

 Siparuni, they proceeded to some distance up the 

 latter, as well as its affluent the Burro-burro, em- 

 ploying the interval in catching fish ; for the rain, 

 which now descended in torrents, entirely pre- 

 vented them from hunting, and they had only cas- 

 sada-bread, on which they subsisted from the period 

 when they passed the falls of Rappu till their arrival 

 among the coloured people of the Essequibo. 



The acuteness of the Indians in discovering the 

 guana was surprising. While following the course 

 of the river, the current often canied the party with 

 the greatest swiftness ; still, and though hid partly 

 among the thick foliage of the bushes, the Carib- 

 bees discovered the poor animals feeding upon the 

 leaves of a favourite tree, or lurking for insects. 

 The discovery of a gold mine could not have given 

 the crew more joy; the bow-string was quickly 

 fastened, and the arrow, properly directed, seldom 

 missed its aim. 



While thus on their return, one evening, observ- 

 ing some moving objects on a sand-beach, every 



