Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



331 



rustling sougli some 80 or 100 feet over head. I have often been think- 

 ing that the .usual description given of the luxuriance of the vegetation 

 during the coal epoch might be applied with great effect to the vast 

 forest of Guiana. The most remarkable feature of the bush is perhaps 

 the immense quantity of parasites, but particularly epiphytes, with their 

 long descending cord-like roots of all lengths, up to 90 or 100 feet, and 

 not thicker than an ordinary writing quill. They are usually very tough. 

 In one of our excursions my companion and I set to work to pull at one 

 of these. We could not see from what height it came, nor to what kind 

 of plant it was attached ; however, we pulled, and with great success, as it 

 happened, but we brought a tremendous shower of water upon our heads, as 

 well as a host of black ants, which teased us dreadfully for a while by get- 

 ting under our clothing. We had dislodged one of the air-plants belonging 

 to the pine-apple order, and the ants' nest must have been attached to it. 

 The root was, I think, about thirty feet long. The Indians always use 

 them as cables for mooring their canoes. In April last a friend and I 

 started off to see the Victoria regia up the Essequibo river. We were 

 away nearly a week. It was a delightful excursion. The scenery all along 

 the river was really magnificent — thoroughly unlike anything I ever saw 

 at home. The clearness of the atmosphere, the rank luxuriancy of the 

 bush all along the river, mirrored in its gently flowing stream, gave to 

 the whole a picture of exquisite beauty. The habitat of the lily in this 

 district is a lake on an island in the river about the 6th parallel of N. 

 lat. ; where Schomburgk first saw it was up above Berbice on the Coren- 

 tyn river. This lake (Essequibo) was surrounded by dense vegetation, 

 which rendered it very difficult to approach. It was covered with the 

 lily in all stages of its existence — the large white flower, the beautiful 

 crimson edges of the young leaf changing into green as it grows. When 

 it has attained its full dimensions the leaf begins to wither and die at its 

 circumference ; but as fast as it decays its place is taken up by a new 

 one. Thus the great struggle goes on. I managed to get a good view of 

 the place by climbing along the trunk of a tree which partly overhung the 

 lake. A drizzling rain had been falling for ao hour or so before we 

 arrived at the lake ; but just as I had ascended my perch on the tree it ceased, 

 and a gleam of sunshine fell on the water, with a slight breeze, causing 

 the vast flotilla to roll gracefully to leeward, throwing out various shades 

 of colours. It was certainly the prettiest water scene I ever witnessed. 

 A day or two afterwards I saw the Indians poisoning a small lake with the 

 "Hiari" bush rope. I entered into the sport with right goodwill. The 

 Indians cut the " Hiari " into pieces of about two feet long, then proceed 

 into the water and beat out the juice of it as a blacksmith beats hot iron 

 with a hammer. The fish begin to show signs of uneasiness, very soon get 

 regularly intoxicated, and often jump clean out upon the dry land, unable 

 to bear the poisoned water any longer. When they were in this state of 

 helplessness the Indians, as well as my friend and I, with some half a dozen 

 negroes, speared or caught them with nets by the dozen. They were 

 most extraordinary looking fish. Some of them bite like dogs, and have 

 very sharp teeth. One of the Indians got a severe wound from one of 

 them. The most ferocious fish I have met here is what the Indians call 

 the "piari;" it cuts as clean as a knife. The quantity of fish in these 

 rivers is perfectly surprising, and if I am not mistaken, their natural his- 

 tory has yet to be commenced. 



We spent a day at an Indian settlement, where the inhabitants were 

 most scrupulous in painting themselves with red paint all over, but con- 

 sidered themselves amply clothed by wearing a lappet about six inches 

 square. I asked one young man who had painted his body various 



