350 
Another Interesting Botanical Discovery. 
sound of a distant salvo of artilloi-y, gave ns a surprise towards even- 
iug: the Indians said it was trees being felled by the wind. 
849. The difficulties increased so much at last that I could no 
longer contend against them with tlie small strength remaiuing at my 
command, and I found myself forced to abandon my plan of following 
the Pomeroon to its source, although it could not ))e very far off now. 
The Sierra Iniataca is at all events the source of the Pomeroon, and judg- 
ing from their entire course, several mountain ranges for which tlie 
Indians Imd no name liowever. appeared to l)e the spurs of this cliain. 
The source must be somewhere about G° 48' hit. N. Tlie thermometer 
recorded but 75° F. to-day. 
850. The rapidly-running current brought us back to Arraia within 
I'l days; after a two dnys' stay we left it in company Avith its intelli- 
gent chief. I soon reached the mouth of the Sururu again, and this I 
turned into with a view to following its course a bit. Like the Pom- 
eroon, it is also occu])ied liy Caribs. Towards evening we met one of 
them fishing: he had to act as guide to the village l)^cause without his 
assistance in and among the thick growth along the banks we Avon Id 
never have found the mouth of the creek on Avhicli the settlement lay. 
These small forest streams generally participate in the rise and fall of 
the tide, but for the most part cannot be navigated by larger boats 
except dui-ing flood, unless the uprooted trees make this imi)ossible, 
85T. The residents received me wnth sullen and sinister looks and 
let me remain standing without taking any notice of me: they did not 
even once ask for rum, which made me ponder all the more over their ill- 
intentioned countenances because this request had on cA-ery occasion 
for-med ]y^vt and i)arcel of tlieir Avelcome. At daybreak, when I Avanted 
to resume my journey as quickly as possible. Stöckle brought me news 
that the corial Avns up and dry, and that Ave should have to wait for the 
incoming flood: this hoAvever Avould not be before 11 o'clock. A num- 
ber of parrots that had flown at dawn over our heads with many a wild 
screech and had settled in the euAnrons of the village upon the Mimnsae 
and other lierry-bearing trees were too tempting for me not to shoot a 
few for our midday meal. It was Psittaciis Dufresnll, a species that 
I had not hitherto come across. 
852. No sooner had the Avater reached the required level than Ave 
left the village with its surly occupants, and paddled iuto the Stirurn 
which we followed \\\) its course. To-day was to be crowned with an 
interesting botanical discovery. A StrijcJinos covered with white 
blossoms ornamented the banks and filled the air with the most delicious 
fragrance. Although I was immediately struck by the similarity of tho 
whole shape of the plant Avith i^tnichnos fo.rifera, I nevertheless could 
not convince myself of the identity because Ave had sought for the blossoms 
over a year in A^ain, and its presence on the low coastal lands as compared 
with the granite and (piartz rocks of the Canuku, 8.000 feet above sea- 
level, seemed too anomalous. And neA'ertheless, where I had not 
searched for the tlOAver, there I had actually found it, because on my 
return to Berlin the species disc(»veied on the Sururu proved to be 
