f 
Geographical Distribution of Kock-Gravings, 177 
discovered by him on the granite rocks of the Caycara ou the 
Orinoco, and the Culimacare on the Casiquiare, corresponding 
with those found by von Martins at the Kiver Ynpura, the picture- 
drawings met with here also belonged to the same epoch, the same people. 
When the Indians first noticed; them, they called out in subdued voice 
"Makunaima, Makunaima (God, God) !" The series met by von Martius 
extends between 75° and 70° long. W. a few minutes south of the equator: 
Alexander von Humboldt found his between 3° and 3°, 7° and 8° lat. N., 
and 68° to G9° long W. from Paris: according to an approximate astro- 
nomical observation by my brotlier ours were 4° 40' lat. N. aud| 01'^ 3' 
long ^Y. from Greenwich. If we include the finds of both the above men- 
tioned gentlemen with our own observations the result is that these hiero- 
glyphics and sculptures, as far as they liave as yet been discovered, are 
spread over a superficial area of at least 12,000 square miles (15 lineal 
miles to the degree), in fact pver the waterslieds of the Corentyu, Esse- 
quibo, Orinoco, and portion of the Amazon. My brother found them on 
his first journey of exploration of the Coren'tyn on Timeri Rock in 4° 37' 
lat. N. and 57° 45' long. W. : they were aga/tn met with in the ueighbour- 
hood of the Great Cataracts in 4° 21' 30"' lat. and 57° 45' 30" long. W. 
He also saw them on the Berbice in 4° 56' lat. 1^. and 58° 9' long. W., as 
welt as on his last expedition down the Trombetas in 1° 27' lat N. and 
56° 41' long. W. He likewise noted them on the Cuyuwini, 
that flows into the Essequibo in 2° 16' lat. N. and besides 
this in 1° 40' lat. N. in tlie upper Essequibo itself. On the 
Putiparu they are to be met again in 4° 40' lat. N. and 61" 3' 
loug. W., and at Kukenam in 5° lat. N., 61° long. W. According to 
this review the area over which they were found partly by my| brother 
alone, and partly by both of us together, extends from 1° 40' to 5° 15' lat. 
jST. and 56° 41' to 62° long. W. Thougli I absolutely decline to pass 
judgment on tlie many liypotheses that have been suggested by several 
very well-known travellers and archaeologists over tliese relics of an 
unknown past and its degree of culture, they nevertheless seem to me to 
indicate pretty forcildy tlie existence in its essentials of a similai' state 
of civilisation among an earlier and more nuuierous population. 
418. The summit of the mountain was still several hundred feet above 
where we were. To ascer^tain the height of Putiparu, my brother climbed 
to the! top and found it to 1)e 4,000 ft. above sea-level. After we had 
ascended another 80 feet, there stretched out before us to the north, down: 
at our feet the valley of the Kukenam and several of its tributaries, 
which like silvery l)ands made their way through the smiliug lowland 
to disappear here and there in the dark isolated l)its of forest only to re- 
appear in situations where least expected, until they finally joined their 
main stream. Somlire Poraima loomed up agaiu far away to the north- 
ward. Our attention was directed from it to a steep declivity, at not too 
great a distance away, over which a foaming) torren|t wasi rushing down 
to bury itself in between the tree-tops of tlie fores^t stretching away below. 
The outcry of the Indians ''Rue-imeru, Pue-imeru" told uf^ that it was 
the falls of the river Rue. It was a long time before we could turn away 
from this lovely picture that was displaving its charms in the Kukenam 
valley deep below, even when, on the other hand, curiosity forced ns to 
1^1 
