CHAPTER V. 
Commencement of thcJoiirncij to Roraima — Brccdhuj Season of Mijctcria 
amerivana — Mouth of the Virua, the lUanticuiopa of the iiiap.s^ 
Banks of the Tukutu — Friar Jose's Fazenda — Month of the CotuKja 
■ — Camp on western hank of the Cotinya — tiicarms of Ihitierflies — 
— Pimelodus arukaima — Delphinac; anuconieus ( f) — Taeniur.i 
motoro — Crotophaga major— Visit of the Elite of Fort HaoJoaqniin 
to the Zurnnm camp — Ricer M'arami — W'aranii Settlement — 
Huntin;/ the Dicotyles torquatus and] J), labiatus — Immense bed of 
hifnsoria— -Tapir-hunting — Com mencement of the Cataracts — 
Rapid.s of Aratiari — River MaU'itzi — Rocks Maikan<j-Yepatorl and 
Arawanna — Cnidoscolus Curcas — Junction of Zuruma witli Cotinga 
— Camp at their junction — Course of the Cotinga — Mounts l'i)iu'ai 
and Maikaug-pati — Piriicai Cataracts — Second, Series of Cirtantcts 
on Cotinga— Rapids of Panatsikamcri — Matural Fountains — Foot of 
the Pacaraima Range — Piatzang — Overland joiirneg — C-amp at the 
foot of Morokai — Macnsi settlement, Torong-Yauwise — Celebration 
of loth October — Cants cancrivorus. 
291. Morning of thö 10th September, 1S12, founrt lis on llic way to 
the mouth of tlie Pirara which, owino; to tlie heavy flood-waters we hart 
to try anrt reacli on its southern bank. After crossing the oasis that 
stietclies sonthwai'rts from Pirara, Ave proceertert in a rtirection W. hy S. 
over a savannah anrt soon came n])on a biisliy spot, the peculiar vegetation 
of which inrticatert tlie earlier existence of a settlement here, a fact tluit 
was sufficiently confirmert by the many blackeuert anrt half-charrert posts. 
As soon as our ]nirty reachert tlie ruins, they stoort still anrt burst into 
lourt lamentation crying ''Caraiba, Caraiba.'' A lawless gang oP man- 
Imntei-s from the Eio P>ranco hart some three years previously set fire to 
the peaceful homes anrt rtriv^eu off their occupaiitsi to rtie in slavery far 
fi'om their native country. 
292. Getting tirert on the way, we took a rest amongst these ruins 
whence the blackeuert posts rose mournfully in the heatert atmosphere. 
It was only on the green bush surrouurting the flourishing cotton anrt 
Bi.r a -alwxihH that uuin's hanrt hart left no traces of its rtestructiveiiess, 
anrt the refreshingly welcome verrture formert a glaring contrast with the 
sartrtenert countenances of our companions who, relievert of their loarts, 
were either squatting on their lieels or stanrting upright anrt gazing at 
the charrert timbers and broken walls. Our party were greatly 
rtepressert. This strange anrt really affecting spectacle reminded me 
much of Bendemann's beautiful picture : the Jews bewailing the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem. To banish these unwholesome thoughts we dirt not 
stay long but went on. 
293. To reach the estuary of the Pirara as quickly as possible, my 
brother took a turn-off and Av'as soon out of sight. The high rolling 
ground over which we had been travelling now^ became level, and 
