NATURALISTS C)l EARTICA 39 



exact indication of tlieir (listri])ution. Tlis list of ])ir(ls num- 

 bers 418 species. 



In 1837 Williiini TTIllionse made a trij) np the Cuynni 

 in search of orchids, and writes: "1 readied C'ahcoon Creek 

 in the ISIassaroony llivei- on tlie first of March, and had to 

 return to town foi- craft and sui)])hes, as 1 found literally the 

 whole population without bread." 



A natui'alist and botanist who was intimately associ- 

 ated with this ])articular region was Carl Ferdinand Appun, 

 who spent twenty-three years in Venezuela and (ruiana, 

 being sent out by King Frederick Wilhelm IV of Prussia 

 on the recommendation of the great Humboldt. The sum- 

 mai'v of his many years of travel in British (luiana is "iven 

 in the second volume of his "Tenter den Tropen." Tliis is 

 a conscientiously but stolidly written w^ork, with a few (juaint 

 bnt charming illustrations from pencil by the author. Twb 

 of the originals are in the Georgetown INIusenm. The sec- 

 ond chapter of this volume is devoted to his excursions in 

 the vicinity of the Penal Settlement and Bartica. He spent 

 two years there, 18.57 and 18.59, but his fifty pages of obser- 

 vations could quite easily have been made in a month's time. 

 Fourteen years later we find the following pathetic entries 

 in his journal, written w^ien at Kaiateiu" Falls and repro- 

 duced in the Royal Gazette at Georgetown. 



June 1.5 — Returned to Hymyyeug. We were not re- 

 ceived very pleasantly, the old Pankoo seemed to be quite 

 disappointed that ^ve were not killed during onr expedition 

 to the top of the fall. The Indians have a suspicion that 

 we are looking for gold; an old tradition of the Indians of 

 British Guiana is, that when the white man digs for gold 

 in their territory, the Indian race will be destroyed forever. 

 Commenced to |)aint the view of the upper fall. 



Jnne 10 — Painted on the pict\n-e; a general consulta- 

 tion among the Indians about our looking for gold. 



Monday, 17 — Painted the whole day, no sleep during 

 the night. 



