U n explain jiu Explosion«. 
ID 7 
nipped in tlie bud, when a loud barking indicated that we had reached 
our destination. The manager and hi.-» people were already slumbering 
so soundly that it was only with the assistance of the watchman that 
we succeeded in waking them. Although he was a complete stranger, 
Mr. King's friend having given up the management some weeks before, 
he welcomed us just as heartily as anyone could possibly have done, and 
drove Mr. and Mrs. cook out of bed to prepare supper for us. Without 
noticing it in the darkness we had entered the Essequibo month just as 
ignorantly as we had passed the Capouye w hich falls into it on its western 
bank. This latter river forms part of an irrigation scheme similar to 
that of the Tapacuma where, six miles inland in the neighbourhood of 
these former savannahs, it spreads itself out into an immense lake, sur- 
rounded by forest. It is about If miles in circumference, and is stated 
to be unfathomable: among the Colonists and Indians living iu the neigh- 
bourhood there is a saying that a terrible noise similar to that of a 
cannonade used formerly to be heard within it from time to time.* 
GT8. Xext morning quickly took us into the channel between Tiger 
Island and the western bank, along which we now continued our journey 
up the Essequibo as far as Plantation Sophienburg situate at the 
southern spit of the Island. We stopped some time here at a store- 
keeper’s to purchase the provisions that I was anxious to despatch up the 
Cuyuni to my brother. After concluding the business and saying good- 
bye to Mr. King who, with the black crew, Caberalli and Maicerwari 
proposed travelling from here to Georgetown, I continued my way up 
stream in company with Hancock, Stöckle, Florenz and three coloured 
men. As Wakenaam lay exactly opposite I could not refrain from paying 
the kind-hearted proprietress of Zeeland ia a hurried surprise visit. A 
strong north wind suddenly arising proved unfavourable for the trip and 
almost made me regret my purpose, for the waves rolled high enough to 
have done credit to the Bay of Biscay: however, we fortunately reached 
the estate, but were not to see either Mr. or Mrs. Arindell who Avere still 
in Georgetown. Our white-haired captain soon made a sail out of an old 
piece of sail-cloth that the manager readily sold us. On the morning 
following, what with a good wind and the commencing flood, we shot 
over the angry waves with the speed of an arrow and soon passed the 
eastern point of Parrot Island and a whole row of other ones, the 
flourishing vegetation of which made a fine sight. T recognised the 
major portion of von Meyer’s Flora Essequiboensis, amongst which the 
Vorln/sia. the Cassia enveloped in yellow flowers, and the Jaonranda , 
ofttimes leafless but dotted over with blue blossoms, were especially 
conspicuous: owing to the alternating mixture of colour and the way 
* This is Quite probably founded'on fact as there is a little creek in the vicinity of Waini 
month and a tributary to that r»ver called Thunder Creek from the fact that loud explosions 
are heard in the neighbourhood. I have heard them myself on several occasions while survey- 
ing oil concessions. Mr. Ernest, Farnnm a couple of vears ago had the vicinity examined in 
the hope of locating the supposed pitch volcano, the probable cause of the noise, but did not 
succeed. Again a couple of vears ago when at A man Month in the upper Aruka T heard a 
terrific report in a northerly direction and when that evening T arrived at the Aruka Estate 
the manager Mr. P. C. Pierre told me the explosion occurred in the vicinity of the Barabina 
Hill right behind the plantation. (V.R.) 
