54 



TlMEHRI. 



changes to a dull, dead white, for about a mile ; and bare, 

 <raunt, leafless trees spread out their withered branches 

 against the sky. It is impossible at a venture to surmise 

 what has caused the death of the vegetation. Perhaps 

 there is really a substratum of pitch below the mud on 

 top, for thick brown mud is the surface covering, and 

 the tree roots may have struck this impenetrable sub- 

 stance, and meeting with no nourishment therefrom have 

 died. The only way, however, to test the truth of the 

 reported presence of bitumen, will be to make borings or 

 excavations for some considerable depth downwards, 

 and very possibly something of that nature may be dis- 

 covered. 



There certainly does appear to be an indication of the 

 presence of petroleum, for in many cases the surface of 

 the small pools of water at the place is covered with a 

 thin film of oleaginous matter, which phenomenon occurs 

 also near the Barima sand Police Station at the Barima 

 mouth. 



About six miles from this putative pitch lake, and on 

 the same bank of the river, is the Morawhanna or yEta 

 palm passage, about ninety yards in width, which leads 

 by a more or less winding course of six and a half miles 

 to the Barima River. 



At its Waini end, it is the haunt of numbers of water 

 fowl, currie-currie (Eudocimus ruber), muscovy ducks 

 (Cairina moschata), and vvicissi ducks (Dendrocygna 

 autumnalis) , besides the local snipe (Gallinago frenata) , 

 and one or two species of sandpiper and other waders. 

 Occasionally a heron (Ardea), may be seen standing 

 statue-like at the side of the stream, or, when alarmed, 

 winging its heavy flight into the forest beyond. Parrots 



