Up the Cuyuni in 1837. 323 



in the granitic region, greatly to my disappointment. 

 Even the forest trees were similar, only that about here 

 a tree unknown below, with a black heart, called the 

 " Taou " supersedes the Mora, which was till now the 

 undisputed lord of the forest. 



After five days' halt and exploring the creek and the 

 upper settlements I therefore returned. The river had 

 fallen fully four feet and the falls were becoming more 

 and more dangerous. The rains were evidently setting 

 in and I determined on returning. Little interest can 

 be excited by a description of the difficulties attending my 

 return with a crew reduced by desertion to only four 

 hands. It is even infinitely more hazardous than the 

 progress up, but I was prepared for it, and after a descent 

 of 15 days I arrived safe at Calicoon without any mate- 

 rial accident. 



The Cuyuni river is by no means so picturesque as 

 the Massaroony. The land is nevertheless superior in 

 quality to that of any other river I have yet explored. 

 Hills of a very fertile red sandy clay here and there 

 occur, and these the Indians cultivate to great advantage. 

 None however can compete with the alluvion of the 

 coast. Two crops of ground provisions, and three or 

 four of plantains are the extent of prcdu6lion, but the 

 crops for these two years are enormous, and they are 

 soon restored. Native cottons I found of the finest 

 quality. The race of Indians are, in stature, appearance 

 and condu6li far superior to any I have seen on the 

 coast. This is solely attributable to the labours of the 

 Missionaries, under whom polygamy was forbidden and 

 those premature sexual connexions common on the 

 coast also prohibited. The effe6l is evident in an 



