The Schomburgks in Guiana. 



of an Indian path, to the Essequebo, the journey being 

 accomplished in } hours and 20 minutes. There was 

 not the slightest trace of the Demerara River to be seen 

 at this place. Returning to the Berbice next day, he 

 was obliged to proceed down that river on account of 

 being short of provisions. In coming down the Christ- 

 mas Cataracts, Mr. Reiss was drowned by the upsetting 

 of a corial. Undaunted by starvation or the continual 

 drenching rains, after a few days rest at Wickie, lie 

 started up the VVieronie Creek, and proceeded partly bv 

 canoes and then overland to the Demerara River, where 

 he arrived at Seba, and visited the Great Falls. Return- 

 ing to the Wieronic he made a short trip to the Upper 

 Canje, and returned to New Amsterdam on the 30th ol 

 March 1S30,. 



His collections in this journey included 58 birds, 400 

 Natural History specimens which were unfortunately 

 lost on board of a vessel wrecked on the voyage home, 

 and 8000 plants of 400 species. The other results were 

 however almost left in the shade by the disco^erv of 

 Victoria Regia. This wonderful plant, of which SCHOM- 

 BURGK sent coloured drawings to England, was first 

 made known to the scientists at a meeting of the British 

 Association, on the nth of September 1S3S. Almost 

 immediately, descriptions were published in all the 

 scientific journals, and almost every newspaper. It having 

 been named after the young Queen, together with its 

 grandeur and beauty, helped to bring it into more notice 

 than perhaps any Botanical discovery ever made. The 

 colonists even began to wake up a little and to pay some 

 attention to the expeditions. Copies of the narrative 

 from the Geographical Journal were laid on the tabic- at 



