Notes on the Geological Reports, 273 



" The cultivated portion made accessible by roads is 

 but an atom of the whole territory, and lies along the 

 sea coast, so that to explore the interior we had to 

 ascend the rivers in boats, and make walking journeys 

 across country along Indian paths. To penetrate to the 

 utmost limits of the colony it became necessary to make 

 long excursions, sometimes of eight months' duration, 

 upon which, owing to the dangerous rapids and catara6ls 

 on the rivers, strong boats with crews of river-men had 

 to be employed, and most of the provisions for our 

 maintenance carried with us. At times, on long walking 

 journeys, we had to depend for sustenance on coarse 

 food procured at the Indian villages passed through on 

 the route. Thus it frequently happened that in places 

 where I wished to stop and examine interesting geolo- 

 gical areas, I was obliged to hurry forwards for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining provisions ; whilst in other parts, com- 

 paratively valueless, I was sometimes detained whilst 

 food was being prepared for us. Oftentimes the task of 

 making out the geology of the country was rendered a 

 hopeless one by the dense forests through which we 

 travelled for days together, hiding completely the contour 

 of the country, as well as the outcrop of the rocks. 



" During four months of the year, the rain falls 

 heavily, the rivers are flooded, hiding all the rocks, and 

 the surrounding country bordering them to some extent 

 submerged ; even in the high lands the mountain streams 

 and torrents are rendered impassable." 



As the result of a geological survey^ of such a region, 

 and under such difficulties, carried out in the first 

 place, by two men for 2^ years, and then by one 

 alone for a further 3 years, the series of reports 



