ITINERAEY. 



The second journey to Eoraima in August 1898 was specifically 

 undertaken by Mr. McOonnell for the biological exploration of the 

 mountain, and more especially of the summit. By the permission 

 of the Directors of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of 

 British Guiana, I was enabled, to accompany him as his guest. Un- 

 fortunately at the last moment Mr. McOonnell found that the time at 

 his disposal for the expedition would be much more limited than he 

 had intended, and we were thus unable to make as detailed researches 

 as had been planned, and as the district, in fact, requires. 



From the fragmentary collections made by the various naturalists who 

 have visited Mount Koraima, it is quite clear that really remarkable 

 results await the exploi-ers who, with sufficient time and means, can 

 make a fairly exhaustive examination of the Fauna and Flora of the 

 region generally. For a single naturalist such an undertaking would 

 be probably one of years, thus affording him the opportunity of 

 training, as assistants, native boys in the locality, who are very quick 

 to learn. 



An expedition limited in numbers is a comparatively easy one for 

 experienced travellers, as the difficulties of transportation and food- 

 supplies, on a small scale, can in time be met, though they are always 

 found to be much more serious than anticipated, and often prejudicial 

 to the objects in view. In large expeditions these difficulties become 

 so great that the time is likely to be limited, and the results therefore 

 by no means really representative either of the localities or of the 

 various seasons. 



In these little known and often trackless parts of the hinterland, 

 the paucity of people is generally so marked, the numbers varying 

 much at different times and even settlements being wholly deserted, 

 that it is unsafe to trust to any great accession of food-supplies. Once 

 it was our experience on the first journey, after waiting a day for fresh 

 supplies at a small settlement, that the quantity gained was actually 

 much less than had been consumed by our own rather large party 

 while waiting. Nor is the question of carriers more easily dealt with : 

 and as, owing to the physical differences between the high sandstone 

 formation and the alluvial coast-lands, aboriginals of the district 

 rather than the ordinary coast-settlers become practically essential as 

 carriers for the success of these expeditions, it may become of first 

 importance — double journeys with a deficiency of carriers involving a 

 very considerable extra waste of time. 



Conditions of weather, too, have carefully to be considered in relation 

 to these overland journeys. Through heavy flooding in wet seasons 

 many places may become too dangerous or even quite impossible to 



