KAIETEUR AND RORAIMA 



231 



A GROUP OF BEARERS AND ONE OE THE NATIVE BASKETS IN WHICH THEY CARRY 



THEIR BURDENS 



The basket is borne upon the back. It is supported by bands of tough bark which pass 

 over the shoulders and across the forehead. This is the noon hour and the toilers are making 

 their midday meal of boiled rice and roasted meat. 



many days of labor elapsed before we 

 came to a close acquaintance with Kaie- 

 teur and completed the first stage of the 

 memorable journey.' 



At Tukeit, four miles below the falls, 

 the end of river-boating was reached, all 

 the goods were landed, and two of the 

 three Indians engaged at Kangaruma 

 were dispatched to the further country 

 for additional bearers, who would trans- 

 port upon their backs the equipment for 

 the journey to Roraima. 



The burros of the Andes do not exist 

 here, but if they did they would be un- 

 able to replace the human carriers, for 

 only these can successfully traverse the 

 steep places of the rough and narrow 

 mountain trails. 



AT THE BRINK OE THE EALES 



Then came the memorable day in mid 

 July when I stood upon the brink of the 

 great falls. Taking a small party of 

 bearers with the provisions and the tar- 

 paulin for a base camp on the plateau 



above and leaving Dr. Lutz to look after 

 affairs at Tukeit, I made the ascent to 

 the upper level and followed the roar of 

 the waters to the edge of the gorge, from 

 which an unimpeded view of Kaieteur 

 was obtained. 



The magnificence and impressiveness 

 of the scene are immeasurably greater 

 than words can convey. Over the red- 

 brown cliffs at the head of the chasm 

 (see Plate XIII) pours a vast sheet of 

 water more than 800 feet in height — a 

 white curtain all the more distinct be- 

 cause of the dark cavern hollowed be- 

 hind it. 



The waters pour down into the depths 

 with a tremendous roar, to be heard for 

 miles around, and the mists rise always 

 in clouds that are striped with rainbow 

 colors so distinct as to impress them- 

 selves upon the film of the camera. The 

 breadth is 300 feet and more in time of 

 flood, and the symmetry is wonderful — 

 so perfect, indeed, that the huge scale of: 

 the whole scene is incomprehensible. 



