90 Timehri. 
for the purpose. Those who gave me the information had several but could not 
be induced to sell hire or lend them. The summary and arbitrary manner of 
dealing with any one who may give assistance to those suspected in any way to be 
opposed to the existing authorities, rendered those resident within Venezuelan 
influence at that time exceedingly careful in their dealings with travellers. 
As a consequence of my being unable to procure woodskins on the spot, I had 
to send to another place one and a half day’s journey further up the Cuyuni. 
A few hours after I had sent away the men for this purpose I met a man who had 
just come down the Yuruari. Thisman I had met and been friendly with on my 
former visit to these parts in 1880. He said there was water enough for the 
smaller batteaux to ascend the Yuruari to where we had met at the Savannah on 
the former occasion. As this was as far as I intended to go by water, I determined 
to start as soon as the men sent for the woodskin should return. 
For those unacquainted I may state that a woodskin is simply a piece of bark 
stripped from a variety of the purple heart tree, known by the Indian name of 
Mowrawinaroo. The tree is felled and the requisite piece of bark wedged off. 
Short slits are made through the outer thickness of the bark perpendicular to the 
length at each side some distance from the ends. The endsare then lifted and the 
slits made to overlap and strongly tied. After being exposed to the sun for 
three or four days, the woodskin is then fit for use. In my perigrinations through 
the Colony I have made long journeys in these frail crafi. To a novice they are 
most distressful to sit in, owing to their shallow depth and the seat generally 
consisting of a stick or piece of bark of limited size. They are essentially smooth 
water craft, and float in very shallow water. Their faults are in rough water, 
liability to break at joints and no self contained power of flotation. 
Previou: to the return of the men sent for the woodskins, I shot a Tapir. 
Although there was more meat than our party could consume, one of my crew 
(an Accowois Indian) would eat no part of the animal except its entrails. He 
became very ill after it, and was quite unable to proceed farther. I left him with 
some of his own tribe and he died there soon after my departure. A similar event 
though not so serious in its consequences happened to me after, while ascending 
the Mazaruni in pursuit of a murderer. One of the witnesses (an Accowois) 
ate the entrails of an acourie I shot ; she became very ill, but a timely dose of 
medicine cured her. 
The men I had sent away for the woodskins returned on the afternoon of the 
9th January and at 5 o'clock on the following morning I resumed my journey up 
the Uruan. At about 9.30 a.m. this day there was an earthquake. The noise of its 
approach was very perceptible, but, perhaps it may have been owing to being on 
the water, the vibratory motion was hardly felt. I cannot say I felt it at all, 
but some of the men said they did. The quivering of the trees on the bank was 
plainly perceptible. 
Entering the Yuruari this day I got both batteaux up at 9.30 a.m. on 11th 
to the Falls of Corewa. Here it was necessary to unload and haul the batteaux 
a considerable distance over the rocks, As this would entail both time and 
