On the Upper Berbice River. 339 



slippery, and crowded with loose and sharp-edged 

 masses of the quartz-porphyry which is the common 

 surface rock of the distrift. 



After passing this obstru6lion, three more rapids, one 

 long and very inclined, are encountered ere the foam 

 from the Christmas catara6ls is met with and the rush 

 of its waters heard. Rounding the bend of the river 

 from North to East, a magnificent panorama of the 

 rushing waters of the cataracts bursts upon the view. 



The whole scene, as one turns suddenly round the 

 corner, is altogether superb, and is very different from 

 the painting given by SCHOMBURGK in the " Views in 

 the Interior of Guiana," where the first catara6l is repre- 

 sented as seen from the side. In the foreground, the 

 foaming flowing stream is backed by a high irregular 

 dyke of pinnacled rock, about 8 feet above the level, 

 through which rush variably sized channels of foaming 

 water, breaking up into white masses as they tumble 

 over the rocks ; while btyond, in the distance, seen over 

 the dark dyke, appears a higher catara6l looking like 

 terraces of rock and rushing foaming water, studded 

 with rocky and tree-clad islands, the centre of the cata- 

 ra6l a steep foaming torrent, sloping outwards into 

 alternate masses of rock and water — the contrast being 

 heightened by the red and dark colouring of the rocks ; 

 while in the background rises the tall forest, clad with flow- 

 ingdrapery of green creepers, hanging like curtains across 

 the field of view, and passing outwards to the sides, fol- 

 lowing the high arching of the forest on the steep banks. 



The set of catarafts really consists of four, but the 

 upper two are hidden from below by a bend of the river. 

 The first dyke is formed of a hard and close felstone, 



UU 



