SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 363 



have smooth hair, and these are very valiant, or rather des* 

 perate people, and have the most strong poison on their ar- 

 rows, and most dangerous of all nations. But by this time as 

 well Orinoko, Caroli, as all the rest of the rivers were risen 

 four or five feet in height, so as it was not possible by the 

 strength of any men, or with any boat whatsoever, to row into 

 the river against the stream. 



" When we ran to the tops of the first hills of the plain ad- 

 joining to the river, we beheld that wonderful breach of waters 

 which ran down Caroli ; and might from that mountain see 

 the river, how it ran in three parts above twenty miles off, and 

 there appeared some ten or twelve overfalls in sight, every 

 one as high over the other as a church-tower, which fell with 

 that fury that the rebound of waters made it seem, as if it had 

 been all covered over with a great shower of rain ; and in 

 some places we took it at the first for a smoke that had risen 

 over some great town. 



" I never saw a more beautiful country, nor more lively 

 prospects, hills so raised here and there over the vallies, the 

 river winding into divers branches, the plains adjoining with- 

 out bush or stubble, all fair green grass, the ground of hard 

 sand easy to march on either for horse or foot, the deer cross- 

 ing in every path, the birds toward the evening singing on 

 every tree with a thousand several tunes, cranes and herons, 



A a a 2 



