R. IT SCHOMBURGK. 49 



afterwards, which in grandeur surpassed any thev 

 had ever before seen in Guiana. A branch of 

 the river near, divided itself into two channels 

 forming another fall. The former, which is the 

 most western, was called after Sir Carraichael 

 Smyth ; on the latter was bestowed the name of 

 Sir John Barrow, as president of the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society. 



Finding it impossible to cross these rocks, and 

 having tried in vain to cut a path through tlje 

 forest, his companions began to urge IMr. Schom- 

 burgk to return ; to which, with a heavy heart, he 

 consented, taking care first to survey the lower 

 basin, and extend his operations to that point where 

 the river meets the first impediments. 



Though the expedition up the Corentyn failed ot 

 its professed object, yet the knowledge acquired of 

 this river, and the discovery of the possibiHty of 

 Guiana possessing coal mines, are of some import- 

 ance. Represented, too, on all former maps, as 

 one of inferior size, he had found it almost equal 

 to the Essequibo ; while its course, as usually laid 

 down from five degrees of north latitude, is now 

 shown to be the reverse of the truth ; and where it 

 is indicated to have its sources, it is found nine 

 hundred yards wide ! Indeed, every circumstance 

 considered, it may be concluded that the three chief 

 rivers of British Guiana have their sources from the 

 same chain of mountains within a short- distance 

 of each other ; or, possibly, that they flow from a 

 o 



