CHAPTER IV 



THE GENERAL FIELD OF WORK 



In central British Guiana, about forty miles from the 

 coast, the Essequibo river receives its mightiest tributary — 

 the ]Mazaruni, coming in obliquely from the west. At the 

 apex of the peninsula formed by this junction is the village 

 of Bartica. Its chief reason for existence is as a rendezvous 

 for black gold and diamond miners, who here fit out and 

 here return from the hinterland of the Mazaruni and the 

 Cuyuni rivers. Aside from this the village is negligible and 

 interests us only in name. 



Within three miles of Bartica is a lime plantation and 

 another of rubber, the latter, the Hills Estate, operated 

 by G. B. Withers. On the opposite bank of the Mazaruni 

 is the Penal Settlement and a government Colony House. 

 A mile upstream is Katabo Point at the junction of the 

 Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers. Here is located the suppl}" 

 bungalow of the Peters Mine Company. Except for occa- 

 sional Indian and Boviander clearings this constitutes the 

 human occupancy of the region. All else is untouched jun- 

 gle or "high bush." The needs of this tiny community arc 

 catered to bj^ a little steamer which makes three trips each 

 week between Georgetown and Bartica. Our Research 

 Station was situated at Kalacoon House, a recent addition 

 to the Hills Estate. This is two and a half miles south-west 

 of Bartica, on a two hundred-foot hill overlooking the Maza- 

 runi River. 



With the exception of occasional trips to the first falls 

 of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers, across to the Penal 

 Settlement and down to Keow Island, all our work during 

 1916 was done witliin two miles of Kalacoon House. In 

 fact, one-half square mile of the jungle south of the Station 



