454 TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



Indian names (many of which are onomatapoetic) of the 

 various creatures. ISIr. James Rodway has done his best, 

 upon insufficient particulars, to furnish me with scientific 

 names and those popular names which I had not discovered. 

 To give only Makuchi names w^ould serve little purpose : so 

 it is necessary to afford some sort of guide to readers by 

 means of the scientific names. 



One of my first duties was to learn the ^lakuchi lan- 

 guage, and to make translations. Natural history records 

 were, until latterly, of a rough and ready kind. It was found 

 that a knowledge of the language enabled me to tap a mine 

 of information, as the Indians, collectively, though not indi- 

 viduallv, know the outer life history of most forms of wild 

 life in their country. An Indian interpreter cannot get this 

 information, as he has no personal knowledge of the subject 

 as handled by scientists. A European, with some personal 

 knowledge of natural history, can do better when he has a 

 working knowledge of the language. 



General nature of the conntry: The district under men- 

 tion lies between Latitudes 3 and 4.20 N., and is enclosed 

 by Longitudes 58 and 60 W. In the North are the Maka- 

 rapan and the fringes of the Pakaraimas. The South is 

 walled by the Kanukus. The Essequibo forms a natural 

 boundary, on the East; the Takutu and the Ireng, on the 

 West. The district is drained by the Rapo-nunni, with its 

 tributaries the Katoka, the Thewarikuru, the Binoni, and the 

 Rewa, with the Kwatata and the Kwitaro, which are afflu- 

 ents of the second and the fourth named. The ^lokamoka 

 and the JNIanari are tributaries of the Takutu; while the 

 Piara flows from the fabulous Lake Amuku into the Ireng, 

 receiving its affluent, the Napi, entering from the South. 

 Numerous other creeks need not be named. Most of them 

 have no continuity during the dry season, at that period, 

 but a series of disconnected ponds and sw^amps. The trav- 

 eler should be provided with water ere setting out across the 

 savannahs, especially in the dry season, for it is possi])le to 



