STEAMER AND LAUNCH TO ITOORIE CREEK. 1 35 



latter were unbroken. The colors were as wonderful as 

 ever; the rich dark green on cither hand, bright copper 

 beneath and azure above. A few hours later we entered 

 Mora Passage and here palms began to rear their heads over 

 the other foliage. The air was cool and bracing, we breathed 

 deeply and watched for the first signs of life. A half dozen 

 Muscovy Ducks *^ swung past, the giant master of the flock 

 in the lead, their white wing mirrors flashing as they flew. 

 Two Amazon Parrots rose ahead of us and the shore was 

 alive with tiny white moths fluttering o\x-r the water. 



Morawhanna is within five miles of the Venezuela bound- 

 ary, and politically is important as being the chief Govern- 

 ment Station for the Northwest District, and being the 

 entrance post for tire gold fields of this region. As we tied 

 up to the primitive wharf, Indians in their dug-outs or wood- 

 skins appeared in numbers, bringing fish, rubber and other 

 things for trade to the little Chinese store. Morawhanna itself 

 consists of a straggling line of thatched huts extending 

 irregularly along the bank and inland between the marshy 

 spots. 



A short walk on shore showed the inhabitants to be Indians, 

 blacks and half-breeds. Birds were abundant, especially 

 Yellow-bellied Callistes,"' Honey Creepers, Tanagers, and 

 the four commoner species of Kiskadee Tyrants ""■ '°^' "'^' '™. 

 A large Skimmer " flew past the l^oat and later we saw 

 several flocks. 



We expected to meet the launch from the Hoorie Mine, but 

 as it had not yet arrived, we boarded the steamer again and 

 went on with it to the end of its route at Mount Everard. 

 We left Morawhanna at half -past ten in the morning and 

 reached our destination five hours later. Although all this 

 country is low and marshy, yet the White Mangrove and the 

 Courida, or Red Mangrove, here give place to a variegated 

 forest growth, and we soon saw our first Mora trees, — huge 



