WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 49 



creek about three-quarters of the way, it eases the 

 labour, and twelve Indians will arrive with it in 

 the Essequibo in four days. 



The traveller need not attend his canoe ; there 

 is a shorter and a better way. Half an hour below 

 Sinkerman's he finds a little creek on the western 

 bank of the Demerara. After proceeding about 

 a couple of hundred yards up it, he leaves it, 

 and pursues a west-north-west direction by land 

 for the Essequibo. The path is good, though 

 somewhat rugged with the roots of trees, and 

 here and there obstructed by fallen ones; it ex- 

 tends more over level ground than otherwise. 

 There are a few steep ascents and descents in it, 

 with a little brook running at the bottom of them; 

 but they are easily passed over, and the fallen 

 trees serve for a bridge. 



You may reach the Essequibo with ease in a day 

 and a half ; and so matted and interwoven are the 

 tops of the trees above you that the sun is not 

 felt once all the way, saving where the space which 

 a newly-fallen tree occupied lets in his rays upon 

 you. The forest contains an abundance of Wild 

 Hogs, Labbas, Acouries, Powisses, Maams, Ma- 

 roudis, and Waracabas, for your nourishment, 

 and there are plenty of leaves to cover a shed 

 whenever you are inclined to sleep. 



The soil has three-fourths of sand in it, till you 

 come within half an hour's walk of the Essequibo, 

 where you find a red gravel and rocks. In this 

 retired and solitary tract, nature's garb, to all 

 appearance, has not been injured by fire, nor her 

 productions broken in upon by the exterminating 

 hand of man. 



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