BRITISH GUIAFA AND BRAZIL — SMITH 331 



sportsmen lie cannot stop. To act too late means being stove-in and 

 sunk in the swift water. Rapid-running as a sport, especially in a 

 canoe, is almost unequaled. The Courantyne contains two falls or 

 large rapids so swift and high that their passage is impossible, one 

 at Wonatobo and the other at King Frederick William. Here it was 

 necessary to establish intermediate camps and to portage baggage 

 overland by gangs of men. 



When the river becomes too small for the bateaux, dugout canoes 

 or corials continue the communication. The construction of these 

 craft is a skilled job only understood by some Indians. First a suit- 

 able tree is found and felled. The log is cut to length, flattened on 

 top, and tapered at the ends by a broad ax. Then it is hollowed out 

 by adz, leaving a shell about II/2 inches thick. A fire is then kindled 

 below the whole length and later in the hollow. Wlien everything 

 is hot and steaming, pointed sticks are sprung athwartships into the 

 hollow, forcing the gunwales apart and at the same time drawing 

 the ends up. Thwarts are then added to retain the shape, and some- 

 times plank gunwales to increase the freeboard. The finished article 

 is a strong, serviceable craft, surprisingly stable and easily handled. 

 These canoes, carrying 500 to 1,000 poimds of cargo, penetrated the 

 creeks toward the source till they would no longer float and had to 

 be dragged by men wading. 



Where the river narrows to a creek so that the forest roof closes 

 overhead, the real difficulties of river transport begin. The channel 

 is completely blocked every 50 yards by a fallen tree. Trees grow- 

 ing along the bank invariably fall inward owing to the scour of the 

 stream. In the course of time the sapwood rots away, leaving the 

 heartwood or tacuba, which apparently lasts forever when submerged 

 from the attentions of parasites. These trees must be cut with ax 

 and saw to allow a passage, and as much of the cut is done under 

 water it takes a long time. A day's hard work may produce less 

 than a mile of progress, nor is the job then by any means finished. 

 A week later the water level has changed by several feet. Logs which 

 spanned the creek well above water and allowed the canoes to pass 

 beneath are now awash and have to be cut; or a series of formidable 

 obstacles, formerly deep below water, are revealed and block the way. 

 And so it goes on, ax and saw being as indispensable to the canoemen 

 as their paddles. 



Above canoe navigation everything was carried by manpower. 

 The British Guiana Negro, unlike his African cousin, cannot "head- 

 carry," but slings his load from the shoulders in a wickerwork frame 

 called warishye or panegu. His working load is thus only about 

 70 pounds, although some stout fellows habitually managed more; 

 70 pounds for 5 miles was a standard day's work for carriers. 



