3l8 tlMEHRl. 



into an extensive grass-covered savannah, limited in the 

 distance by a forest-clad ridge. 



Above this point, the river passes through another 

 swampy distrift and takes on a special chara6ter owing 

 to numerous lake-like openings and wide etaboos, of which 

 some are as wide as the river, though they become choked 

 up and impassable further in. The main channel is thus 

 difficult to distinguish except by the strength of the current. 

 A few miles below Mappa lake, another ridge with a very 

 steep escarpment on the river, composed chiefly of dark 

 red and white sand, and known as the Red Hill, is passed, 

 but this might easily be missed if one of the wide etaboos 

 just referred to be followed. 



On Mappa lake, some fifteen miles above the Youa- 

 courie creek, is situated the chief Ackawoi settlement on 

 the river, but it is seldom, it appears, that the great 

 bulk of the residents are to be found at the settlement. 

 The lake is a wide expanse at the mouth of a creek on 

 the East bank, and communicates with the river by a wide 

 channel, from which, however, none of the benabs can be 

 seen. The chief men of the settlement were further up 

 the river, with the head man SiMON, known as Captain 

 Simon, engaged in hauling out timber for transportation 

 by one of the wood-cutters' punts which was soon to 

 start down, and it was only after a long palaver with 

 Simon that I was able to procure two hands for a week. 



Just above the opening to Mappa lake, the river bends 

 away suddenly to the left, flowing in from the East, 

 though an open channel continues on in a straight line 

 and seems to be the dire6l continuation of the main 

 stream. As below, the greater extent of the land by 

 the riverside was continuous swamp, crowded with the 



