Why Mountains Sparkle in the Sun. 
47 
quartz fiagmeuts as well as with larger blocks: this made walking 
particularly paiuful for me with my feet wouuded by the rubbing of 
the sandals. 
117. Ou reaching the crest of Aruatimau, a hill about 100 ft. high, 
also covered with large quartz and granite boulders, the beautiful moun- 
tain-panorama of Kai-irite lay in really fairy-like magnificence before us. 
From the half-moon shaped contour of its ridge, the Wapisianas call the 
mountain-chain Kai-irite (Kaira, the moon), the Brazilians, Serra da 
Luna. This sui^ernatural splendour, as in the case of aonie of the moun- 
tain-masses of the Canuku and Pacaraima Ranges, is due to the moisture 
precipitated on the cold quartz, and to the solar rays reflected at a par- 
ticular angle, with the result that as soon as the sun reaches a certain 
height, the crags commence casting their intensely white sparkling lustre 
a distance of from 30 to 60 miles : nevertheless, as the position of the sun 
varies, this always happens only at definite tames. Thus one of tlie Paca- 
raima crags only shines fromj May to August, because, previously and 
subsequently the rays do not strike its damip surface at the angle neces- 
sary to reflect them to the degree required. The Curassawaka and Quari- 
waka Crags in the Canuku also possess similar situations where the 
quartz shines, but the Kai-irite sur-passes them: all hj far. Thongh situate 
near the Eio Braneo, this mi,ountain range is as little known to the 
Brazilians as it is to the Indians. The former regard it as the district 
for the wildest and cruellest Indians, and avoid its neighlionrhood for 
fear of its people : the latter however believe it to be the meeting-place 
and playground for all evil spirits, and shun its proximity throngh fear 
of a bad re.ception from them. The range extends from to S.E., but lias 
no connection with those of the upper Essequibo.. The highest point 
of the range rises to 3,100 feet. 
118. When the ti^igonomfetrical measurements were completed, we 
climbed down the hill and stepped upon a narrow forested mountain 
valley the right hand side of Avhich was formed of a OOU-ft. high pyra- 
midal mountain, called Aruatintiku (Tiger Mountain) by the Wapisi- 
anas. In spite of our companions' assertions that mjany a jaguar must be 
lurking here, we pitched tent at its foot, for we were more tired and 
thirsty than we had ever been since the Mahu. The mountain is timbered 
up to the top, from: wliich a bare pointed crag yet rises above the dark 
aaass of foliage. The hills on the left are only of moderate height. 
119. Some smjall hollows filled witli thick bluish milky water were 
Insufficient to quench our thirst or fill the pots for boiling. Fortunately, 
the Indians found several Melicocca trees, the fruits of which supplied 
what the cavities denied. A furious storml that broke about midnight in 
tlie S.W. blustered with such force and fury through the narrow valley, 
that we were momlentarily afraid of being struck by some uprooted tree. 
Thirst drove us out of our ham'mocks already before daybreak and started 
us on the day's trip. The ^-ay soon led over tlie Tahaitiku, detached 
groups of hills that form a fairly regular semi-circle, and are connected 
with the western spur of the Aruatintiku. Here also the bases of the 
if?olated eminences were thickly timbered, \\'hile their tips ended in rugged 
and bleak rocky pinnacles. A beautiful blossoming tree-like Cassia lent 
