XXXIV ITINERARY. 



The dense untlergvowili and the forest- ti'ees are of iufiiiite A'ariety, 

 both in form and species, strange growths of ti-unks or leaves, of lianas 

 and pai-asites, atti'act the attention. Birds are more numerous than 

 in the higher reaches of the rivers, Parrots, Pigeons, Scarlet Ibis, 

 Sandpipers, and Plovers fly in countless flocks in their respective 

 seasons ; Ci'anes, Herons, and other wading-birds congregate in open 

 spaces on the cattle-farms and uncultivated portions of sugar-estates 

 on the coast, and small birds are found everywhere, the nearer 

 civilization the greater the number — in fact, in Georgetown alone over" 

 one hund)ed species have been observed. Occasionally one passes an 

 Indian settlement consisting of one or two houses, but, with the excep- 

 tion of the little clearing in which a few provisions are grown, the 

 whole forest is untouched. 



The three routes by which travellers have I'eached the Roraima 

 district all commence by the lower waters of the Essequibo, and branch 

 westward either up the Mazaruni, the Potaro, or the Rupununi. 



The scenei-y of the two first-named is the most striking and 

 attractive, but the last or Rupununi route presents a greater variety 

 of scene and facilitates an insight into the life and customs of the 

 tribes dwelling in the savannas, especially the Arecunas and Macusis. 

 It was for these reasons that the explorers selected the Rupununi route 

 on the occiision of their expedition to Roraima in the latter part of 

 1894. There is no record of anyone having approached the mountain 

 from the Venezuelan side, although, so far as can be seen, there are no 

 natural obstacles in the way. 



Bartica Grove, a small town.ship situated at the junction of the 

 Essequibo and Mazaruni, was then the usual starting-place for most of 

 the expeditions into the interior of the Colony. It is easily reached 

 from Georgetown in a few hours by means of a small river-steamer, 

 and as it commands the mouths of the ]\la/,aruni and Cuyuni, as well 

 as the Essequibo, it promised at one time to become a place of great 

 importance as a base of operations for the gold-diggings. 



Within the last few months, however, a short railway ha> been 

 opened iip from the Demerara River to a point above the falls on the 

 Essequibo, .and as this has diverted the greatei- part of the traffic from 

 the lower part of the Essequibo, Bartica seems to be doomed and has 

 already assumed a semi-abandoned appearance. 



"VVe have been unable to find any account of the late Mr. F. V. 

 McConnell's expedition to Roraima in 1898; but the collections of 

 zoology made during his journey were described in the 'Transactions 

 of the Linnean Society,' Zoology, (2) viii. p. 51, 1900, and the following 

 abstract, which has been made from the work mentioned, will show the 

 route taken on that occasion : — 



"The specimens were obtained by Mr. J. J. Quelch and myself 

 (F. V. McConnell) on our second expedition to Roraima in August, 

 September, and October, 1898. The route taken on this occasion was 

 by the Mazaruni and Curubung rivers to the Falls of Macrobah, 

 a boat-journey of twenty days, and thence by land to a point on 

 the Upper Mazaruni whei-e that river flows at a height of 1300 feet. 



