12 AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



the Venezuelan frontier. The main stream, like all the other watercourses of 

 this region, appears to bear a native name, in which the final syllable ho indicates 

 direction in the Galibi group of languages ; l.ence Essequi-bo would have the 

 sense of " Essequi-wards," in the direction of the Essequi. Nevertheless, Schom- 

 burgk refers to a legend which attributes the origin of this name to Don 

 Juan Esseqiiibel or Jaizquibel, one of Diego Columbus's companions.* Formerly 

 the different sections of this great watercourse bore different native names. In 

 the coast region, Avhere it develops a broad estuary, the surrounding populations 

 called it the Aranaunia, while the main branch was designated Chip Wa, that is. 

 Chip River, by the Wapisianas and the neighbouring tribes. It would appear to 

 communicate with the upper Trombetas, an Amazonian affluent, through the 

 Apini, a river which, like the Cassiquiare, is said to have a double incline. 



Rising in the xlwarriwa mountain, the Essequibo, which has a somewhat 

 shorter cour•^e than that figured on the English maps of Schomburgk and 

 Brown, flows first north-eastwards through the forest inhabited by a few groups 

 of the Chitiu and Taruina Indians. Farther on it is joined by the Yaore, which 

 flows in a winding course eastwards throuo^h the uninhabited wilderness border- 

 ino- on the savannas. A human fio-ure carved on the face of the rock near a 

 cascade on the Yaore is said by the Indian boatmen to be a portrait of Schomburgk 

 sculptured by the explorer himself, whose name has remained famous amongst 

 the natives; but the effigy is too rudely drawn to accept this legend. 



Below the Yaore confluence the Essequibo bends gradually round to the 

 north. Here its bed is still in process of formation ; the stream, interrupted by 

 numerous rocky barriers, descends from reach to reach through a succession of 

 cataracts. One of these, bearing the loyal but somewhat eccentric name of " King 

 William the Fourth's Fall," long marked the limit of legitimate trading operations 

 on the upper course of the Essequibo. None ventured beyond this point except 

 the kidnappers who went to capture slaves for the planters of the coastlands. 



Numerous affluents follow along the left bank of the Essequibo, whose basin 

 broadens out towards the west and contracts to very narrow limits towards the 

 east, from which direction it consequently receives only a few slight contributions. 

 The Cuyuwini, which collects the surface waters of the Avestern savannas, is suc- 

 ceeded lower down by the Rupunini, which is itself joined on its right bank by the 

 capious river Rewa some miles above the confluence with the main stream. The 

 whitish current of this affluent, which mingles with the black water of the Esse- 

 quibo, offers a navigable route towards the west utilised by the native boatmen to 

 reach the Amazons basin through Lake Amuku and the Pirai^a river. The only 

 interruption to the waterway between the two systems is a single portage, which 

 is reduced to about half a mile in length during the rainy season. 



During this period the flood waters overflow in both directions, on one side to 



the Rupunini, on the other to the slope drained by the headstreams of the Rio 



Branco. A great part of this district about the divide between the Essequibo and 



Amazons basins is occupied by savannas, which would appear to have formerly 



* Robert A. Schomburgk, Description of British Guiaua. Hakluyt calls the river Bessekehe. 



