On the Upper Berbice River. 



323 



the sides of the narrow gorge slope upwards into forest- 

 clad hills — on the left, fronted by an irregular pile of huge 

 black and red rocks, and on the right, by the open sandy 

 bay — the opening of the gorge revealing an amphitheatre 

 of hills behind, against the bright tint of which a tree- 

 clad island at the head of the catara6l appears distin6tly 

 outlined. Seen in the early morning, when the further 

 hills are bathed with light, ere the island and the foaming 

 water are touched with the sheen, the beauty of the 

 view is at its best. 



It was close to this point of view, at the entrance to 

 the lake, that we pitched our camp, in the most advan- 

 tageous position to be found. Here just within the 

 forest shelter, but quite exposed in the front to the 

 breezes blowing across the lake, there was a large, old, 

 but tolerably water-proof benab, at some little distance 

 up the steeply sloping sandy bank ; and here we were 

 able not only to sling hammocks safely, but also to 

 store the provisions, etc. while colle6ling over the 

 district, the rocks close by affording most conve- 

 nient means for drying skins. 



The day after reaching Itabru, we ascended the river 

 in a corial with two of the hands as far as Winter's 

 cataraft, to get an idea of the difficulty to be met with in 

 going to the Christmas catara6ts, both Barrington 

 Brown and SchoMBURGK having referred to the numer- 

 ous obstru6tions in the course. We found the channel 

 crossed by numerous rapids and catarafls, following 

 each other in quick succession, but none of any very 

 serious proportions; and there was plenty of water, the 

 sandbanks being not even visible. As regards life 

 along the waterside, it was in this upper distri6t, which, 



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