144 
Sorcerer Fails to Blow Away Bain. 
ed by us on the glorified grogru — but When he shortly after saw Glascott, 
Hancock and myself laying hold of the roast ducks, he angrily stamped 
on the ground as much as to say that the Europeans knew just as little 
about what tasted good as those did. The general expression of cheeri- 
ness that ruled our table to-day was still further increased at the sight 
of the clouds breaking after a lengthy period of gloom and ,mist, and 
finally promising us a pleasant and cloudless night, a promise in which 
we were not deceived. My brother hurriedly set up his instruments and 
soon found that Warina Village was situate 7°50'15"lat.N. and 59°24'3ü" 
long.W. 
504. It might have been about 2 o’clock when we were roused from 
sleep by dementi’s loud conversation with the Indians. Although this 
was nothing exactly unusual, such talk however had not commenced at so 
early an hour either in Cumaka or in Honobo. On awaking we noted 
that the sky had again dashed aside our hopes and had wrapped itself 
once more in its dark drapery. Not a star was visible, and the rain pour- 
ed down anew in thick streams. To take our departure was out of the 
question and all dementi’s magic spells with which he attempted to mas- 
ter the rain proved fruitless. He stood in front of the house gesticulat- 
ing most violently, as if he wanted to break off the clouds, and forcibly 
inflating his cheeks as if then to blow them away. He continued at this 
manoeuvre, until his lungs refused him further service when, by gaining 
renewed strength through muttering some spells, he started blowing and 
swinging again. We had long watched his senseless exertion with re- 
strained laughter, till it finally gave way to such an outburst as even to 
silence the noise of the rain: our gaiety however did not in the slightest 
degree appear to upset the sorcerer’s composure : it was rather a case of 
his movements becoming still more lively, and it was only after half an 
hour’s efforts that, convinced of the powerlessness of his art, he withdrew 
peevishly into bis hammock. About 11 o’clock the sky finally cleared a 
little and the rain slackened : this was of course due to the incanta- 
tions of dementi whose eyes now sparkled with pride and joy. 
505. The range of bills stretched in a Northern and Southerly direc- 
tion, N. 12° S., and S. 12° W., and the one upon which dementi’s house 
had been built was 70 feet above the Barima water-level. We noticed 
upon their slopes a flourishing growth of all the plants thalt are usually 
found in an Indian’s field. The upper layers of the ground consisted of 
a fat, ochreous clay which was plentifully mixed with mould, pebble, and 
sand : this tract must be exquisitely adapted for coffee-growing because a 
vast quantity of ferruginous hardened-clay boulders specially assures the 
necessary moisture for its prosperous cultivation. 
50G. At one o’clock we finally left in company with dementi where- 
by our flotilla was considerably increased : for besides his two step-sons 
and his two favourite wives he brought liis entire wardrobe. This con- 
sisted of some coloured cotton shirts, a white, jacket, the blue dress-coat 
and some white trousers : at the last moment there was even displayed 
a hat-box, out of which he took a light blue felt hat which, in spite of its 
evident decrepitude, was carefully rolled in paper, probably the wrapper 
in which he may have received it when bartered for in Georgetown. With 
folded arms he gave directions to bis wives as they were packing all these 
