ITINERARY. IxxV 



agriculture and the support of quite a large population, Tlie fine 

 quality of the vai-ious products indicates the nature of the soil ; and 

 though in some cases they have been grown in lands just cleared and 

 brought under cultivation, yet in others they had been oljtained where 

 many other crops had been produced : and this is noteworthy con- 

 sidering the very pi-imitive methods in use by the people, and what 

 might be done by advanced methods and suitable appliances. True, 

 large areas are quite unsuited for agriculture ; and this is more 

 especially the case with the Brazilian territory, west of the Upper 

 Ireng and Kotinga rivers, which includes the south-eastern districts of 

 Roraima by which travellers reach the mountain. The British 

 terx-itoi-y to the north and east is mostly wooded, showing its 

 possibilities ; and Avhere savannahs occur much of them wovild be 

 available for grazing, as in the eastern Ireng lands occvipied by 

 Mr. INIenzies for a cattle-ranch. If these elevated tracts were opened 

 out, there would be oj^portunities for products characteristic of the more 

 temperate climes, with the great benefits of healthier conditions in 

 such hill-stations, as compared with the lowlying swampy coast. 

 There can hardly be any doubt, from what is already ascertained, that 

 considerable mineral wealth also lies stored away in these legions, 

 awaiting exploration ; and in the case of the diamond, which has been 

 found broadcast in the eastern and southern districts below the 

 gi-eat escarpments of the sandstone plateau, and in disintegrated 

 fragments of that formation, theie is every reason for believing that 

 research will some day lay bare many hidden sources of supply, if not 

 indeed some original " chimneys "of its formation. 



By the end of October I was able to tell McConnell I thought I could 

 manage the journey. He was anxious to get back, and the Indians 

 were restless after the long stay. I had been the unfortunate log 

 blocking the path. Little by little I had been training mv?elf, at fir.st 

 by getting in and out of the hammock and up and down the steps of the 

 house, more and more quickly, and then by ranging around the village 

 as fast as possible, and up and down the I'ocks and slopes, farther and 

 farther afield. The long tramp would be very diflerent, especially those 

 terrible ascents and descents -after two or three days, with streams to 

 be gone through, and pei'haps much of it in lain ; but it had to be 

 done, and that was all to be said. 



Schoolmaster assured us there was a track round the we.stern part of 

 Roraima by Kukenaam, across the savannahs to the Kako, that was 

 much shorter and easier tlian the route by wliich we had come. "While 

 this would have been welcome news at the start, if we had had a guide, 

 it was of no use now. Our woodskins were nearly at the head of the 

 Aruparu ; besides we had supplies awaiting us at the villages, and 

 the half-day camps would now just suit me, taking the whole day to tho 

 half-jovumey. 



The loails were quickly arranged — among them some fine clumps of 

 Cattleya Lavrenceana, the rare and beautiful liornima orchid which 

 grows to such perfection in tlie moist gorges and for wliich so many 

 collectors liad already made the journey. Schoolmaster's people had 

 j)ropared large supplies for us ; and there was some also from tho 

 village, thongh Jeitmiali had not been in favour with McConnell 



