Gewiral Physical and Topograpliical Fiaturex. 1 1 



All the rivers of the colony are impeded ahove where the tide 

 reaches at various distances fiom the coast by numerous rapids, 

 cataracts and falls, which render the navigation of the upper reaches 

 difficult, and in some parts dangerous. 



The largest of these falls is the Kaieteur on the Potaro. which has 

 a width, in the rainy season, of nearl\ 400 feet, with a perpendicular 

 drop of 741 feet over an indurated ])ed of conglomerate overlying 

 relatively soft strata of sandstone, and which is succeeded for about 

 three miles below by a series of very large cataracts having a further 

 drop of 81 feet. 



Rivers. — Of the numerous river-systems there are six principal 

 ones, viz. : — 



(1.) The Essequibo and its principal tril)utaries 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.) The Barima. 

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

 Mahaicony, Mahaica, Boerasirie, Poraeroon and Maruka Rivers, flow to 

 the Atlantic Ocean. 



In addition to the above-mentioned rivers, there are the Takatu 

 and its tributary the Ii-eng, which meet together at 3'^ 34' North 

 latitude and form the Brazilian boundary. The Takatu 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 850 feet above the sea level and. flows in a northerly 

 direction for some 600 miles. It is joined at Bartika, about 40 miles 

 from its mouth, by the ]\lazaruiii River, a tributary which is itself 

 joined at Cartabo, five miles above Bartika, by another trilnitary called 

 the Cuyuni River, all these combining to form an estuaiy with a width 

 of about three miles below their junction, and which expands to a 

 width of fourteen miles at the mouth containing as it approaches the 

 sea three large 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 Essequibo River is practically unnavigable 

 on account of the many long series of cataracts and falls which obstruct 

 its course. 



Of the smaller triljutaries flowing into the estuarv of the Essequibo 

 River, the most notable are the Su])inaain, the Groete and the 

 Macouria. 



The largest tributaries of the Essequibo are the Mazaruni and 

 Cuyuni Rivers, the Potaro, the Siparuni and Burro-burro, the Rupununi 

 and Rewa, the Kuvuwini, and the Kassi-kidju Rivers. 



