THE ESSIQUIBO. 601 



though the scenery is of that enchanting character which, as 

 the enthusiastic Waterton describes it, made his soul overflow 

 with joy, and roam in fancy through fairy-land, yet, as it is 

 through an almost uninhabited country, with numerous rapids 

 and torrents, woods to be traversed, and mountains to be 

 climbed, the difficulties are not contemptible. 



"To surmount these obstacles to navigation," say Mr. 

 Brett, " it is necessary in some places to cany or haul the 

 canoe overland at the sides of the fall. At others, advantage 

 is taken of the eddies which are found at the base, and huge 

 rocks that intercept the stream. The Indians pass from rock 

 to rock by leaping, wading, or swimming, and, by means of a 

 hawser, haul the boat through the rushing water from one 

 resting-point to another, the steersman keeping his seat, and — 

 sometimes lashed to it — striving with his large paddle to guide 

 in some degree her course. The roar of the water dashing 

 and foaming against the surrounding rocks renders this opera- 

 tion as exciting as it is difficult. Still more exciting and 

 difficult is the task of descending these rapids. The safety 

 of all then depends on their perfect steadiness, and on the 

 bowman and steersman acting in concert, and with instant 

 decision. The canoe is kept in the very centre of the current, 

 one of her best hands kneeling with quick eye and ready 

 paddles in the bow, and the rest of the crew exerting their 

 strength to give her headway. Darting swiftly along, she 

 arrives at the head of the fall, and bounding downward, 

 shoots into the surf below it, dashing it up on either side, and 

 leaving her crow alone visible. If all be well, rising above 

 the foam, she obeys the guiding paddles in stem and stern, and 

 dances over the tumbling waves, while her excited crew exult 

 at their success. \yhole families, however, even of Indians, 



