The First Ascent of Roraima. ii 
we reached our destination for the night, the first Are- 
koona settlement, called Noonie, on the Wotsa creek. 
Here there were two complete houses and one un- 
thatched and unwalled frame. For almost the only time 
within my experience the hospitality of the Indians was 
insufficient to induce them to give up even a part of 
either of their own houses, and we slung our hammocks 
to the unfinished framework. Immediately behind the 
houses was a hill of considerable height up which we 
were taken just before sunset to see our first real view 
of Roraima, still far away to the west, or rather north- 
west. It was certainly a beautiful picture that lay before 
us. In the furthest distance, reddened by the setting 
sun, rose the famous mountain of our quest ; between 
it and us a vast mountain-covered plain, its hollows filled 
by the dark shades of evening, its highest points touched 
into wonderful clearness and colour by the last light of 
the sun. Soon all was dark ; and then again, even while 
we strolled down to our hammocks at the foot of the 
hill, the mountain encircled valley in which we were 
was new lighted by the strong white light of the moon ; 
and in many places far up on the mountains round us 
rose and fell, with most weired effect, the flames of great 
fires which in that season of dryness were burning the 
scanty vegetation of the mountain sides and sending up 
to heaven many a pillar of fire by night and cloud of 
smoke by day. 
We got off from Noonie the next morning not without 
considerable difficulty in apportioning the extra loads 
among some additional carriers whom we were fortu- 
nate enough to find there. The pleasure of the 
start in the early mornings was nearly always spoiled by 
B2 
