ITIJfEKARY. IX 



Mazaruni is reached with the great sweep around the Kurnbung and 

 Merume Mountains. 



Though the long wet season was over, the water was still high and 

 the current swift, but our boats were strongly manned, and we *ere 

 frequently able to pull up against the rapid water where a weaker crew 

 would have been obliged to haul up with the ropes, wliich is always a 

 tedious process, causing great delay, especially where the boats have to 

 be lightened of load, as had been the case so frequently on our first 

 journey along the Essequibo. 



It was during this time that we thoroughly appreciated the value of 

 our captain, Jacob. His experience had been gained mainly on the 

 gold-mining boats to and from the Puruni river, a branch on the left 

 bank some seven days' journey up, which had been the main mining 

 district in the early days on the Mazaruni fields. His knowledge of 

 the various states of the river and of its channels was complete, and he 

 gauged thoroughly the capacity of the crews, never wearying them out 

 by useless efibrts to do an impossible pull againsi- too strong a stream. 

 It was most exciting at times to watch his handling of the boats, 

 taking them from a difficult point across the entire width of a very 

 i-apid stream to an. open bend on the other bank where there was an 

 easy channel. From rock to rock or small island in front, we would 

 advance by a series of short and rapid spurts, to the slack water behind 

 it. Occasionally, where a gap was too wide, we might have to drop 

 back a little to a point behind in order to make the crossing, again to 

 go forward. 



The operation is one often resorted to on a small scale to breast a 

 strong current, but on a wide stretch requires considerable judgment ; 

 for, if a gap proves too wide or rapid for the span, the boat must drop 

 back, and catastrophe may wait below in a rocky impassable channel, 

 or at the best considerable distance be lost ere a safe course be reached, 

 with the men literally pumped out and badly flurried. So well did 

 Jacob know the river that he never missed his mark ; and it was 

 amusing to see some of the Indians, who could thoroughly appreciate 

 such good work, turn round smiling to Jacob when we weie across, 

 shaking their paddles — always eliciting from him the urgent call 

 " Headway ! " to keep the boat going. Many of our people were captains 

 and bowmen on the Essequibo and thoroughly understood the tactics. 



At one of the dangerous cataracts, we came upon a gold-mining 

 boat with time-expired labourers going down. The water looked ugly, 

 and the captain and bowman were examining it as to whether- it was 

 safe to' run down paddling or to streak down with the ropes, which, 

 though safer, took more time. On Jacob's word they ran down at once, 

 passing us at a terrific pace and cheering for all they were worth — I 

 suppose at the time and trouble saved, for they are always in such a 

 hiu-ry to get back. We had a long haul up, not far from themiddle 

 channel, and grated on rooks most of the time, being heavily laden — 

 so slight is the difierence at times in ^ood between safety and 

 catastrophe ! 



The great falls of the Kaburi were the most serious obstacle, as 

 they were too high to haul the boats up by ropes ; nor were they safe 

 to run coming down, though it has at times been attempted, mostly 



