12 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



to Venezuela as one of the superintendents of the Societe 

 du Haut Or^noque. This concern was a company formed 

 for the purpose of exploiting the forest products and sup- 

 posed mineral wealth of the country on the banks of the 

 Upper Orinoco. It was started with a large capital. Its 

 operations were undertaken on a magnificent scale. 

 Expensive steamers were sent out with men who knew 

 absolutely nothing, not only of Venezuela, but of any- 

 thing connected with the tropics or tropical products. 

 After large sums had been wasted the concern collapsed, 

 leaving in the lurch those of its employes who had not 

 returned in disgust to their native country, or who had 

 been fortunate enough to escape from the malarial fevers to 

 which many had fallen victims. I had almost forgotten 

 the Societe du Haut Orenoque and my old acquaintance, 

 Richard, when I ran up against him one afternoon in 

 August 1897, close to the club in Port of Spain. We 

 spent the rest of the day together comparing notes, he 

 telling me all about his travels on the Orinoco, I relating 

 events connected with my orchid and bird collecting 

 excursions into the northern mountain range. It was at 

 dinner, while he was speaking of his plans for the future, 

 that he said to me suddenly, ' I am going to the Caura at 

 the end of next month ; why don't you come with me ? ' 

 Before we parted I had agreed to join him in Ciudad- 

 Bolivar by the end of September. 



