338 TIMEHRI. 
to sit and slide down by means of my hands as guides 
and brakes, but on attempting this my feet slipped on the 
moss-covered rock and I went down with the speed of an 
express train. By the impetus thus given, when I arrived 
at the bottom my legs instantly went through the bush- 
ropes and I found myself in a most uncomfortable posi- 
tion over the precipice, the prickly jungle only keeping 
me from falling. The Indians burst into loud laughter 
when they saw my disagreeable situation, but came 
quickly to my help and soon drew me out. My body 
was scratched in several places by the thorns, but 
the thing that annoyed me most was that I had slipped 
back at the same place where I had left my sandals and 
stockings, and kicked these indispensable articles down 
the precipice. Since I had not another pair, and none 
of the Indians could help me, I was put to the sad neces- 
sity of descending Roraima barefoot, which since I had 
never yet attempted to dispense with shoes and stockings, 
was a great discomfort, especially in such a place. To 
climb down the rocky surface of the mountain, walk on 
the sharp-edged pieces of jasper which covered the 
savannah, pass over the natural bridge of bush-ropes, 
climb the branches of the low thicket and then pass 
through the moist tunnels, were indeed no pleasant tasks 
that evening. However, at last I arrived at my tent 
with feet wounded and sore, and found the three Arekunas 
who had remained behind busy cutting up a deer, 
which they had shot in hunting below the steep precipices. 
Fires soon blazed underneath each hammock and the 
little tough legs of venison were quickly roasted upon the 
barbecues to satisfy our hunger after so much hard work. 
A cold wind blew, which drove the clouds about us; 
