CHAPTER VIII. 
Arrival of the Military Expedition — Our departure for Pirara — Saran* 
nah flora — Ant-hills — Canuku Bange — Pacaraima Bange — Pirara — • 
Source of the river Pirara — Aberisto , the Brazilian — Mar de aguas 
blancas — Lake Amucu — Islas Ipomuccna — Watershed of the 
Bupununi and Bio Branco — Flora and fauna of the neighbourhood 
of Pirara — Herds of wild cattle — Arrival of Friar Jose Qos Santos 
Innocentes and of Captain Leal — Senora Liberadina — Baducca — 
Catching and killing wild cattle — Brazilian vaqueiros — Arrival of 
a party of Maiongkong Indians from the Orinoco — Bc-crcetion of 
dilapidated houses at Pirara — Construction of Fort Few Guinea. 
847. After we luul crossed the lake-like enlargement of the River 
Awaricuru and the stream had resumed its previous width, the low 
state of the water forced us to lind a place where we could land our 
belongings. We had got four miles nearer Pirara. A suitable spot was 
quickly cleared so as to make room for the large amount of luggage, 
which we could hardly have conveyed to Pirara under eight days had we 
not had so much assistance. All of a sudden as if by magic every busy 
hand stopped still; we heard in the dim distance bugles striking up the 
beautiful melody of “Rule Britannia” which was carried from tree to tree 
through the virgin forest and notified the approach of the military 
detachment. It. was a strange and affecting moment for me when the 
absolutely harmonious sounds of the glorious tune swelled ever more 
strongly and then died far ahead of us in an expiring echo. In the 
course of an hour the big boat came into view round a bend of the river: 
it was chock full of a motley-dressed crowd of black figures whose full- 
voiced throats broke out into a thundering hurrah. Soon after, a 
landing was made by the officers with Lieutenants Bingham and Bush 
in the lead, all cursing and swearing at the uncustomary exertion : they 
greeted us with a hearty handshake. What must the rapids have been 
to upset their military bearing, what must the undergrowth of “pimplers” 
have been like to tear in tatters the tunics adapted for parade! A dirty 
coloured shirt, ten times dirtier linen, half-torn trousers which had long 
forgotten their original colour, and a broad straw hat constituted the 
uniform of the commandant, as well as that of the rank and file. When 
the officers, who were only distinguished from the latter by their white 
faces, learnt of the peaceful state of affairs, they seemed to be anything 
but displeased, while the full-toned “God save the Queen” on the bugles 
rang triumphantly in thousands of echoes through the forest which 
otherwise was so noiseless. The detachment had left Georgetown only 
on the 11th January. 
818. The remaining eight boats with provisions had been held back 
at Haiowa owing to the disquieting news that had been received there, 
as well as to the serious differences that had arisen with Police-Inspector 
Crichton and the Post-Holder, McClintock. The former, who had 
traversed the route twice already, had been sent by the Governor with 
