4 A NATURALIST IN THE GUI AN AS 



eighteenth century that Humboldt finally dispelled the 

 mythical beliefs that clung to the El Dorado of the 

 conquistadores. The veil of enchantment which shrouded 

 the unexplored interior of Guiana has been torn aside. 

 In place of the fairy city gleaming with gold and precious 

 stones, with a vast population revelling in luxury, we 

 now know that there is an immense stretch of im- 

 penetrable forest interspersed here and there with open 

 savannas, with mountains of fantastic shapes and sur- 

 passing grandeur, rising abruptly from the surrounding 

 country — a region of abundant rains and rapid rivers, 

 thinly peopled by small tribes of Indians who for centuries 

 have carried on a series of cruel blood-feuds with their 

 neighbours — a region rich in bird, insect, and vegetable 

 life, but difficult of access and deadl}^ in climate. Beyond 

 this our knowledge is vague and uncertain, and is likelj'' 

 to remain so for some time to come. The difficulty of 

 navigating rivers which consist of a series of rapids and 

 falls, the utter absence of population for considerable 

 distances on their banks, the almost impossible task of 

 transporting a sufficiency of provisions where only boats 

 of no great size can be employed on account of the 

 frequent portages, make the exploration of the highlands 

 of Guiana an undertaking replete with danger and hard- 

 ships. Added to these natural difficulties there is a rooted 

 disinclination on the part of the natives to undertake long 

 and arduous journeys outside of the immediate district 

 with which they are familiar. 



Of all the rivers flowing through this region none 

 is more picturesque than the Caura, but none is more 

 difficult to navigate. Under the name of the Merevari it 

 rises near where the Pacaraima and Parime mountain 

 ranees meet. For a short distance it flows almost due 



