266 TlMEHRI. 
given to the Essequebo River at a place called Hiawah, 
some twenty miles above the mouth of the Potaro. Pros- 
pecting was pushed to the westward until the head- 
waters of the tributaries flowing to the Canawarook 
were reached. Again we find CAMAN coming to the 
front in being the hrst to ascend the Canawarook it- 
self, where he was successful in establishing some rich 
workings. Meanwhile Groete Creek and the Demerara 
and Barama Rivers had been opened up, but after the 
first rush had subsided a feeling of disappointment set in 
with regard to those districts, and they have since been 
comparatively neglected. In the course ol 1889, a suc- 
cessful French creole prospector named STANISLAUS 
made the discovery of a wonderfully rich deposit of 
alluvial gold at Cumacka, on the Essequebo, ten miles 
below the Potaro, and this was followed soon after by 
the discovery of the marvellous placers of Oumai. In 
the meantime, it had occurred to Mr. Ralph SMITH, 
Catechist of the Potaro Mission, that the country lying 
between the Potaro and the Canawarook might be worth 
investigating, and acting upon his suggestion the 
RHODIUS BROTHERS made a start from a point on the 
former river about 20 miles from its confluence with the 
Essequebo, the terminus in view being the locations of 
CAMAN on the Canawarook. In this way, the Potaro 
field came to be discovered, which has certainly produced 
more gold than any of the others hitherto, and is likely 
to yield largely for years to come. 
In 1 89 1 the colony was electrified by the reported dis- 
covery by the BARNARD Syndicate of a goldfield on the 
Upper Massaruni River of quite unprecedented richness, 
and an extensive rush of gold-diggers at once took place 
