Picturesque Patches of Foliage. 
241 
723. On the morning of the 2nd January we resumed our up-river 
journey. The next island that we came to was Hubucuru, where the 
river had a width of 1,520 yards, just as at the same time the Arissaro 
Mountains came into view towards South half-East. The Cortuahara 
and Mucu-Mucu empty themselves into the Essequibo, on its eastern bank 
from which a much frequented trail branches off in a south-easterly 
direction to station Seba on the Demerara which must be about 20 miles 
distant as the crow flies. 
724. If in times to come the opening up of the country should 
advance farther inland, the Cortuahara and another small stream, the? 
Coreta which flows into the Demerara, would then offer the most suitable 
highwayf of civilisation: the dangerous obstacle of the Itaballi Rapids 
could thus be avoided. 
725. The luxuriance of vegetation that had already become apparent 
after passing the Aritaka Falls, aroused my keenest admiration on 
approaching the Arissaro Mountains. Just as on the upper Barirna, an 
almost impenetrable virgin forest reigned over the whole, and behind 
the immediate hemmed-in river edges that, in the most delightful play of 
colour, formed truly picturesque patches of foliage, there rose hill upon 
hill, each of them draped with the vast Avealth of a profusely tropical 
growth, and shaded by Mora excelsa, those giant Mimosae of the torrid 
Zone. We gazed on this glorious picture with the deepest Aimnder: Oh, 
what a charm would be cast over our northern landscapes by such a 
group of trees with their changing tints of foliage! Oh, for only a patch 
of forest composed of Mora excelsa, the leafless Jacaranda procera Spr. 
with its numberless blue blossoms, the stately Martin excelsa Benth. and 
its dark yelloAV floral embellishment, all associated with the delicate 
yellow” of the Yochysia guianensis Aubl. interwoven in the glowing red 
of Elisabeth a coccinea Schomb. with the scarlet enamelling of the 
climbing Norantea guianensis and threaded by all the ravishing colour 
tints of numerous Bignoniaceae] and Passiflora ! Each stroke of the 
paddle brought new and more surprises* * before my astonished gaze: 
every bend unfolded a fresh and more delightful picture before my 
enraptured vision, while every tree, every bush, every blossom seemed to 
say “Stranger, keep our memory green: in fairy fancy ever free take us 
with you to your homeland where the blossoms of our brothers droop 
beneath the winter's icy breath, and when the cold ingratitude of Life 
destroys the many hopes you set upon your Future, fly on the pinions of 
remembrance back to us!” Yes, even to-day the memory of those 
times of inexpressible enjoyment still abides within my inmost soul along 
side the full fascination of the Present, and serves to brighten many 
a sorroAvfnl hour. Not only did the vegetable world alone unfold its 
t Compare the site of the present Demerara-Essequibo Railway.— (Ed). 
* Among those still partly unknown to me and to Botany in general I would mention 
but a few : Calynthrantes ob tuna Benth., Clidemia elegant Don., Outea avaciaefolia Benth., 
Cassia moschata Humb. Bonp., C. bacillar is Linn., C. fleruom Linn., C. lati folia Benth., 
Spennera dichotoma Benth., S. ditoph.gl.la Benth., S .lati folia Meyer., Lisianfhnt gracilis Griesb 
Hibiscus bicornis Meyer., Pavonia typhalea Car., Aeschynomene cilia! a Vog., Chrysohalanus 
pellocarpus Meyer, etc, 
