WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 127 



Not far from the banks of the river Oyapoc, to 

 windward of Cayenne, is a mountain which con- 

 tains an immense cavern. Here the Cock of the 

 Rock is plentiful. He is about the size of a fan- 

 tail pigeon, his colour a bright orange, and his 

 wings and tail appear as though fringed; his 

 head is ornamented with a superb double-feathery 

 crest, edged with purple. He passes the day amid 

 gloomy damps and silence, and only issues out 

 for food a short time at sunrise and sunset. He 

 is of the gallinaceous tribe. The South- American 

 Spaniards call him "Gallo del Rio Negro," (Cock 

 of the Black River,) and suppose that he is only 

 to be met with in the vicinity of that far-inland 

 stream ; but he is common in the interior of Deme- 

 rara, amongst the huge rocks in the forests of 

 Macoushia ; and he has been shot south of the line, 

 in the captainship of Para. 



The bird called by Buffon Grand Gobe-mouche 

 has never been found in Demerara, although very 

 common in Cayenne He is not quite so large as 

 the jackdaw, and is entirely black, except a large 

 spot under the throat, which is a glossy purple. 



You may easily sail from Cayenne to the river 

 Surinam in two days. Its capital, Paramaribo, 

 is handsome, rich and populous: hitherto it has 

 been considered by far the finest town in Guiana ; 

 but probably the time is not far off when the capi- 

 tal of Demerara may claim the prize of superior- 

 ity. You may enter a creek above Paramaribo, 

 and travel through the interior of Surinam, till 

 you come to the Nicari, which is close to the large 

 river Coryntin. When you have passed this river. 



