ILLUSTRATIONS (51). SCHOMBURGK's RESEARCHES. 149 



but they were merely ill-formed figures of the heavenly bodies, 

 crocodiles, boa-constrictors, and utensils used in the prepara- 

 tion of manioc-meal. I found among these painted rocks 

 (piedras pintadas) neither a symmetrical arrangement nor any 

 trace of characters drawn with a regard to regularity in space 

 and size. The word " letras" in the journal of the German 

 Surgeon (Hortsmann) must not, therefore, I am disposed to 

 think, be taken in the strictest sense. 



Schomburgk did not succeed in finding the rocks observed 

 by Hortsmann, but he has described others which he saw on 

 the bank of the Essequibo, near the cascade of Waraputa. 

 " This cascade," he says, " is celebrated not only for its height, 

 but also for the great number of figures hewn in the rock, 

 which bear a great resemblance to those that I have seen on 

 the island of St. John, (one of the Virgin Islands,) and which I 

 consider to be without doubt the work of the Caribs, by whom 

 this part of the Antilles was peopled in former times. I made 

 the most strenuous efforts to hew away a portion of the rock 

 carved with inscriptions, which I was desirous of taking with 

 me ; but the stone was too hard, and my strength had been 

 wasted by fever. Neither threats nor promises could prevail 

 on the Indians to aim a single stroke of the hammer against 

 these rocks the venerable monuments of the culture and 

 superior skill of their forefathers. They regard them as the 

 work of the Great Spirit ; and all the different tribes we met 

 were acquainted with them, although living at a great distance. 

 Terror was painted on the faces of my Indian companions who 

 seemed to expect every moment that the fire of heaven would 

 fall 011 my head. I now saw clearly that all my efforts were 

 fruitless, and I was therefore obliged to content myself with 

 bringing away a complete drawing of these monuments." 



The last resolution was undoubtedly the best, and the editor 

 of the English journal, to my great satisfaction, subjoins in a 

 note the remark, " that it is to be wished that others may suc- 

 ceed no better than Schomburgk, and that no traveller belong- 

 ing to a civilized nation will in future attempt the destruction 

 of these monuments of the unprotected Indians." 



The symbolical signs which Sir Robert Schomburgk found 

 in the fluvial valley of the Essequibo, near the rapids of 

 Waraputa,* resemble, indeed, according to his observation, 

 * Richard Schomburgk, Reisen in Britisch Guiana, th. i. a. 320. 



