On the Upper Berbice River. 333 



about the length and thickness of an immense asparagus. 

 No pacu (Myletes) are to be found on the Berbice ; so 

 that these plants flourish undisturbed except by the fall 

 of the water during a very dry season, when the rocks 

 are found to be covered with their dried remains. 



The banks on both sides, all along these upper 

 reaches, are generally very high, and on the western sides 

 the slopes pass gradually upwards to the Itabru moun- 

 tain which lines the way to the Christmas catara6ls, and 

 runs inland as a ridge of hills. Some few miles above 

 the Savannah rapids, a sudden curve of the river brings 

 into view one of the high peaks, with a sharp escarp- 

 ment and mural precipices facing nearly S.E., and at a 

 distance only of about three miles from the water 

 side. The view is soon lost, however, though it 

 appears again higher up, where a long reach of the 

 river in the same dire6lion faces the escarpment. Close 

 to this point we camped late on Saturday evening 

 (nth). 



Just above this traft of the river, not far below the 

 foot of a long and sloping rapid with very shallow water, 

 we were fortunate in catching two large haimura 

 (Macrodon trahira), one being of very unusual size 

 and having a large protuberance on the top of the snout 

 — perhaps due to injury or age. These gave two 

 splendid skins, and several very delicious meals — a con- 

 sideration by no means to be scorned. Iguanas had 

 been common all along the river, so much so that even 

 the crew got tired of eating them. Often as many as 

 six or seven were in sight at one time, though several 

 made haste to throw themselves headlong into the river 

 in their fright, sometimes from a height of about thirty 



TT2 



