858 
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
There is a gentle roar. Only now and 
then a deep, thunderous growl arose 
from the hidden caverns at the bottom, 
giving some idea of the forces which 
contended there. 
Above | could follow the path of the 
Potaro between the trees for a mile or 
so, and further off the country became 
rolling; in the distance, mountainous. 
The precipitous banks of the river curved 
in a semicircle, with the fall at the head. 
Directly below me the river rushed 
among huge boulders, as if terrified by 
the shock it had just received. The gray 
sandstone of which the gorge is formed 
was covered in many places by a thick 
Photo by Leonard Kennedy 
LOOKING DOWN KAIETEUR GORGE FROM THE BRINK OF THE FALL 
growth of brilliant green moss, watered 
by the spray which constantly rises in 
clouds from the bottom of Kaieteur. 
The radiant color of that moss was 
almost the only touch of brilliancy I ever 
saw in the Guiana bush. Looking back 
through the valley up which I had come, 
another glorious view was opened. The 
higher plain was perfectly level as far 
as the eye could see. Through it the 
great gorge was cut, its twisting sides 
in equal slopes covered with tropical 
forests. The sky was of a dazzling blue, 
covered in part by fleecy gray clouds. 
Nature had formed a conspiracy to as- 
tound the eye of man. 
