192 
Rev. W, II. Bhett’s Mission. 
037. With the commencing Hood that on the coastland streams fixes 
departure as well as arrival, we left. Caledonia and resumed our journey 
up the Pomeroon the bed of which continues to make its way between 
estates that once were flourishing but now are. overgrown with weed. 
The vegetation in such places appeared so rank, so thick, and with it 
all so uniform in growth, that the whole had really a very regular ap- 
pearance and it seemed as if these dark flats which of course were still 
far from reaching the height of the virgin forest, had been kept controlled 
and in order with hedge-shears. The Cinewynv, a small creek about 1 1 
miles above the Aikoni and upon the same bank, falls into the Pomeroon. 
Close to its mouth one of fhe Indians drew my attention to a tree upon 
which a family of eight sloths seemed to want to confirm the statement 
that this creature never leaves a tree until it has completely stripped it. 
038. During the course of the day on the western bank we passed, in 
addition to that of the Wadaris, a number of other mouths of unim- 
portant tributaries, as well as some small areas of cultivated land about 
au acre in (extent, which the coloured people or Negroes had planted up, 
so as to pass their lives in floloe far nientc. The Suriby and Harly-Piak 
were the most important affluents on the eastern bank. The once so 
celebrated estate ter Hooge, which naturally retained nothing beyond its 
name, had been established on the latter. Commencing ebb now forced 
us to look for camp which we soon discovered on the farm of a coloured 
man, a boat-builder. A large schooner freighted with truli leaves 
( Manicaria saccifera ) for Georgetown, afforded us the opportunity of 
lightening our heavily laden corials and rendering them fit, for the voyage 
to the Essequibo mouth. As the owner was quite willing to meet our 
wishes and take some of our baggage, we freed our boats of it, and then 
all the more cheerfully took possession of the farm parlour which the 
owner had hospitably given up for our use. 
G39. The thick border of C ala (Hum arborcsccns enclosing the river- 
lied was the surest- indication that the Pomeroon banks are still swampy 
here: the luxuriant growth of truli palm with its generally 25 to 30 ft, 
long, complete leaves four to six feet wide, sufficiently notified it 
besides. These leaves are the most suitable and lasting material for 
thatching houses and sheds. Formerly they were chiefly used for 
thatching the boiler-houses and megass-logies and constituted an im- 
portant article of trade, a thousand of them at that time costing 50 
dollars: however, as these buildings are now covered with shingles from 
the timber of the Eprrua falcata Aubl. and Pariroa grand if loro Aubl., 
the Wallaba of the Colonists, the price has fallen to 20 dollars. The 
Indians who are mainly engaged in cutting them receive from four to 
six dollars per thousand, and at this price have to transport them to the 
riverside. 
040. We resumed our journey next morning and soon reached the 
mouth of the some 100 to 120 yards broad Arapiacro on its eastern bank. 
A Mission Station* under the charge of Mr. Brett, the Missionary of 
1 The Mission was subsequently shifted further up the Pomeroon f-o Cabacaburi on its 
right bank where it still flourishes. (Ed.) 
