MAWS FOOTPRINTS. 275 



The benab of the Indian and hut of the 

 boviander (river negro or half-breed) are, of course, 

 more quickly broken down, as they are so much 

 more fragile than the houses of European settlers. 

 Perhaps a gourd vine climbs upon the roof, and 

 brings it down in a month or two by its weight 

 and the action of the moisture that trickles from 

 its leaves on to the thatch. What was once the 

 cassava or sweet potato field quickly becomes a 

 jungle of prickly solanums interlaced by a thousand 

 creepers, and the whole clearing is an example of 

 rampant vegetation and the intense struggle for 

 the mastery of one by another. 



It will be seen from this that although man's 

 footprints may be discovered in the forest, they are 

 by no means obvious to a casual observer. On 

 the savannahs and sand-reefs, however, as we have 

 seen, they are more permanent and conspicuous. 

 The great plain of Pirara the traditional site of 

 the Golden City of Manoa, the seat of El Dorado 

 is covered with slight elevations. On these may 

 sometimes be discerned the marks of footpaths 

 which once led to the Indian settlements on the 

 top. How long they have been deserted it is im- 

 possible to guess perhaps for centuries ; yet from 

 a distance they are quite obvious, although not so 

 noticeable when under foot. Here and there, too, 



