The " Oood Old Times" in Guiana. 137 



people of the West Indies. Like their predecessors, the old Dutch 

 settlers, they have had great obstacles to contend with, and have battled 

 bravely with them, and in the main successfully. The waters of the sea 

 and rivers are only kept out by a great expenditure of labour. Quite 

 recently a long strip of coast just beyond the Fort, at Georgetown, has 

 been swept away. The breach is being repaired mainly by convict 

 labour." 



Brown and Sawkins' Geological Survey and Brown's ' Canoe and 

 Camp Life," 1876, are very important. The latter is a readable book from 

 which I extract the following account of the discovery of the Kaieteur 

 Fall :— 



" When we came to the northern end of the savanna I observed that 

 heavy masses of vapour were drifting before the north-east wind, making 

 the trees, grass, and shrubs on our right dripping wet. This came from 

 the great fall to which we were in close proximity, but which was hidden 

 from view by a grove of trees. Making a detour to the right through 

 this grove we came out on the flat rocks at the head of the great fall, and 

 walking to the edge of the precipice, down which the water was pre- 

 cipitated, I gazed with wonder and delight at the singular and magnificent 

 sight that lay before me. Not being prepared for anything so grand and 

 startling I could not at first believe my eyes, but felt that it was all a 

 dream." 



" Standing on the edge of the water near the brink I looked down 

 a long and comparatively straight valley, bounded by wooded bluffs and 

 cliffs; with precipices of gray sandstone rock in places. In the bottom of 

 this valley curves of the river, in its onward course from the foot of the 

 fall, could be teen, the distant ones resembling little streaks of silver. 

 Beyond the mouth of the valley lay a great wooded plain, stretching 

 away to the horizon northward." 



Mr. J. W. Boddam-Whetham gave the results of an attempt to scale 

 Boraima in his book " Roraima and British Guiana," 1879. He went with 

 Mr. M. McTurk prepared with ropes and other necessaries to climb the 

 great rock, but they failed. 



" Gradually the conviction was forced upon us that the Indians were 

 right, and that Roraima was impregnable." 



" As daylight faded, the mountain fortress loomed more and more 

 mysterious ; the battlements were touched with a light rose colour, and 

 the clear-cut summit was sharply defined against the purple sky. For 

 a short time the mists rolled away, and this great ' sermon in stone ' stood 

 out in vivid faultless accuracy, all the more impressive from the perfect 

 stillness of the scene, then darkness fell; but presently the moon arose, 

 and lo ! the recent rich colouring gave place to a fretwork of pure frosted 

 silver. The edges of the woods and the pencilled lines of the delicate 

 foliage were burnished with the soft rays, and then, indeed, Roraima 

 looked weird and solemn." 



