26 h 
The Eappu Bambu. 
upon the madly roaring eddy, associated with the heavy fuming and 
foaming of the unbridled waves: then again, the glaring streaks of 
light upon the dark-leaved giant trees of the immediate neighbourhood, 
as well as the tremor of their foliage which, started by the heat, seemed 
to presage the early death of the fairy-like brightly coloured blossoms 
of the innumerable Orchids and Tillandsiae covering their aged 
branches: together with the peaceful picture of the vegetation reflected 
in the still water on the distant eastern riverside: — in short, all and 
everything combined to stage an evening’s entertainment that I am 
unable to delineate at all, and which even a deeply poetical soul could 
only describe approximately. After the main gulf had for a long time 
blazed up its mighty column of tire in solitary loneliness, larger or 
smaller smoke-clouds gradually commenced to rise as before, from all 
the bigger branches that likewise must have been hollow: these clouds 
soon changed into equally plentiful lesser columns of fire, so that the 
illumination ever became more enchanting, and fairly-like. Really, 
here was a Christmas Tree such as no Croesus in the world possessed. 
At last one huge bough after another broke away from the immense 
trunk with a frightful crash, until this alone Was left, standing like a 
giant chimney out of which the flame continued shooting high up to 
heaven, and scattering a real rain of fire in all directions. We had to 
thank our informants in some fashion or other for this lovely spectacle — • 
and how could we express our gratitude in any better way than by an 
extra ration of rum? 
76G. Fortunately getting over the Aclira-mucra Falls next morning 
by way of the channel already mentioned, we fixed up a comfortable 
place in Mr. Youd’s corial for our two patients who were unable to sit 
up straight: we had given up all hope that the Waika would live the 
evening. After making our way for about another 12 miles up stream 
towards South East, we reached the Eappu Falls and the mouth of the 
Rappu River streaming into them from the West: this has received its 
name from the quantity of bambu. Guadua latifolia Kth. growing here 
which is called Eappu by the Indians. A rocky barrier of coarse-grained 
gneiss with red felspar crosses the river from East to West. Strange 
to say we searched in vain for the slag-like glassy coating of the rocks 
which had been met so generally in all previous falls. On the farther 
side of Rappu Falls the mighty bend of the Essequibo which we had 
followed since Potaro mouth for a stretch of 90 miles towards the S.E. 
came to an end and the surface of the stream now again lay for 13 miles 
straight south ahead. A long island, about 2 miles above the falls, 
divides the river into two channels of which the eastern is called 
Wenkobat. The big bight (Kirahagh of the Indians) Aruan or Tokutu 
encroaches deeply on the western bank. With the Rappu Falls the last 
rocky dam, the last of the rapids, was passed, and continuously smooth 
water would earn 7 us now all the way to Pirara. What wonder then 
that, overjoyed with the luck that had hitherto favoured us, we stopped 
in still water at the last crag and handed our crews and captains an 
extra draught, we ourselves opening a bottle of Champagne to celebrate 
the successful passage of the dreaded cataracts. This being done, a 
