ITINEltAKY. li 



Oil reaching the village at the foot of the mountain we were very 

 much disturbed at finding that there were no people ; nor did there 

 appear to be signs of recent occupancy, as fai- as we could judge. We 

 did not, in fact, examine the empty houses veiy carefully, for, after all, 

 the report of some virulent disease might be true. It looked like it, 

 ^Yith the total absence of all the people from so hu-ge a village, for 

 there were some six large houses, each capable of holding some dozens 

 of inhabitants. There were, however, no signs of burial to be seen in 

 the immediate proximity, as might have taken place if large numbers 

 had had to be buried ; and we wondered whether peihaps the people 

 were merely away on some kind of celebration. 



However, we took no chances ; and we all slung our hammocks in 

 the central building, known as the church. This was a very large and 

 open structure, raised some three feet from the ground, with a low 

 open railing around the sides, but C[uite open above that, and with a 

 wide-spreading roof coming low down outside the railing — so that it 

 was perfectly sheltered inside from rain, even in the strongest winds, 

 while thoroughly ventilated. The other houses, in wliich the people 

 had lived, were all of the ordinary clay-wattle at the side, and were 

 much warmer, being thus inclosed ; but oui- men all had blankets, and 

 had been very glad of them in many of our cold camps. Our exti'a 

 carriers had been sent back, some two days earlier. 



We had reached Roraima early in October, and were thus about a 

 month earlier than on the first journey. As vegetation in the savan- 

 nahs was not parched or hardly dried up by the dry Aveather, we 

 hoped the results on the summit would be all the better. Our supplies 

 would allow quite a fortnight or more in the district; yet we could 

 not help thinking of the extra cassava and fresh provisions we might 

 have got from the villagers from the fields under Kukenaam and 

 elsewhere. We wondered if there were jjeople up at the farther 

 village below Kukenaam, across the river, but it did not seem worth 

 wliile to waste a day going there. Besides, they would soon know we 

 were here. 



Preparations were at once begun for the ascent, Ritchie remaining 

 in chari'e with instructions to send out huntsmen for meat and irame — 

 for deer and maam and marudi can be obtained in the outer districts 

 — and other men Avith smaller shot to get whatever specimens of 

 smaller mammals and birds, etc., were to be found. Cozier and 

 (Jold were to remain below to skin and prepai-e what was possible. 

 McConnell intended to remain on the summit only long enough to 

 make a selection of photogiaphs, and then to come clown and organise 

 the best collection procurable, chiefly of birds, of which Whitely had 

 obtained so many new and lare species; wliile 1 hoped to stay on t(>]> 

 as long as possible or till collecting was exhausted. From our foimei- 

 trip we knew there was little of animal life to be got; liut the ilora 

 was extensive, and the ai-ea to be examined laige. 



McConnell had brought a .small tent for use on the summit, with 

 thick waterproof sheet for the ground. Tliere were besides ])Ii<)to- 

 giaphic appaiatus, plant presses, papers for them and collecting tins, 

 l)ottles an<l tubes with formalin, painted canva.s bags with clothes and 

 hammocks, and tarpaulins for camps on the slopes, all these to be taken 



