14 (j)'.olv(jjj of l/ia Gold Fh'ldx of IWiilxh Guiima. 



to luu. As the Imutaca spurs are approached, their head-waters are 

 broken by i-apids and cataracts. An interesting and useful feature 

 of all the rivers in and ai-ound this district are the many waterways 

 by which, at varying distances inwards, they are connected with one 

 another, and by which it is both possible and practicable to journey 

 from one to another entirely inland. Indeed, the facilities for 

 transportation, more especially in the parts nearest the sea, but 

 throughout the greater part of this district are so great as to render 

 the making of roads almost unnecessaiy, and it is for this reason that, 

 although couiparativelj^ recently opened up, this part of the cf)lony 

 has perhaps been the most thoroughly explored. 



The Demerara River, although commercially the most important 

 and best known of all the rivers in the colony, is, compared with 

 some of those already described, a small one. As the greater depth 

 at the bar admits of large vessels entering this river with more 

 security and ease than is the case with any of the other rivers in the 

 colony, Georgetown, the capital and principal port of the colony, 

 has been established on its east bank at its mouth, which is there 

 three-quarters of a mile wide, and furnishes a safe harbour for the 

 many steamers and sailing vessels which frecjuent the port. The 

 Demerara River takes its rise in the small mountain- range called 

 the Maccari, which is really an off-shoot of the great Pakaraima 

 range. It has a generally northerly course, and flows between the 

 Essequibo and the Berbice Rivers ; the river is navigable for steamers 

 for nearly 80 miles upwards from its mouth, and beyond this for 

 launches for about 24 miles further up as far as the Malali Rapids, 

 where the influence of the tide ceases. Above Malali the river is 

 again navigable for launches as far as Kanaimapoo, above which are 

 the Kumajjaru Rapids, where the Demerara River approaches nearest 

 in its course to the Essequibo River. The first great cataract on this 

 river is situated a short distance above Kumaparu, in latitude 5° 18' 

 north, and is known as the Oruru-Malali or Great Falls. Beyond 

 Oruru-Malali the river is sluggish, and is again navigable for boats as 

 far as the Cannister Cataracts where it divides into two streams. Its 

 forest-clad banks are flat as far uj) as the second or sand and clay belt, 

 where the sand-hills occur and form the first high land. 



The most important and largest of its many tributaries are the 

 Madawini, Kamuni, Hauraruni, Haiama, Tenabu and the Manabadeen. 



The smaller rivers of the colony flow almost, if not entirely, through 

 the low-lying alluvial and the clay and sand belts. Of these streams the 

 most important are the Pomeroou, Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary. 

 Being navigable for small craft almost u}) t(j their sources they aflbrd 

 easy means of transport to a large number of East Indian, Portuguese, 

 and other settlers who have taken up grants of Crown land for agri- 

 cultural purposes, and have established small farms along their banks. 



Jfou/itain, Baiufes. — One of the most prominent features of the 

 country is the great central mass of mostly flat-topped mountains, 

 known as the Pakaraima Group or Chain, which occupies the most 



