On the Upper Berbice River. 343 



catara6l, and across two creeks, the bed-rocks of which 

 were composed of quartz-porphyry and greenstone. A 

 magnificent view of the second catara6l is obtained from 

 this side, where the huge dyke of greenstone is seen 

 rising in broken terraces for about 20 feet, cut back in 

 the middle for some distance so as to form a steeply 

 sloping amphitheatre, down which the water rushes in 

 one continuous mass with a noise like the distant 

 rumbling of thunder ; while at the open sides great 

 masses of rocks and tree-clad islands break up the rush- 

 ing waters into numerous foaming channels, till they are 

 lost against the forest on the high banks, which, with 

 their pendent creepers, close in the river. Higher up, 

 the two further catara6ls are seen.; but these, though 

 fine, are much less grand than the second. 



A day's journey through the forest and along the West 

 bank was made above the set of catara6ls, where the 

 land gradually becomes less elevated, and swamps again 

 began to make their appearance, the course of the river 

 being quite unobstru6ted ; but except a good specimen 

 of Zebrilus pumilus, nothing but common specimens of 

 Ibis, Trogon, Peristera, Columba, &c., were met with. 



On our return we sought for, but could not find, the 

 heap of stones and tablet that marked the burial place 

 of Mr. Reiss, who was drowned while descending these 

 catarafts during the visit of SCHOMBURGK. 



It is a notable thing that during the whole time of my 

 visit to the Upper Berbice, not a single cayman 

 (Alligator niger) came under notice, while during the 

 visits of ScHOMBURGK and Barrington Brown, to 

 judge from their written accounts, these reptiles were 

 remarkably abundant, and were obtainable at all parts 



