The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-03-30
BRITISH GUIANA.
The FanAWWs FalIs Of Demerara Explorations
Niagara RIVnIed Wonderful Dimensions.

Dbl x0n OO1ANA
The FanaSWs FalIN Of Demerara Explorations
Niagara RIVnIed Wonderful Dimensions.
A Georgetown. Demerara correspondent
Of the Boston Globe writes
In my last yonr readers were reminded
of the discovery in 1870 by Mr.. Brown,
the Government Surveyor and Geologist,
of the Great Falls Of Demerara" When
the report If a wonderful fall first reached
those to whom British Guiana was known
as a low-lying swamp, only saved from in
undation by dykes and bitches, and pene
trated BY sluggish rivers for some hundreds
Of miles, the tirst feeling was Of increduh-
ty, and the inquiry arose, if these are
falls rivalIng Niagara, where does the
water fall from and wnere fall to! The
surface of British Guiana, which for one
hundred miles or more from the sea pre-
sents dead level, then rises towards the
Andes in succession Of plateens or terra
ces If varying height from one hundred to
Thousand feet each. In ascending its
rivers, particularly the Essequibo, and its
tributaries many cataracts are encounter
ed. many of which are impossible to ca
noes, and are only passed by tedious, car
ries" through dense tropical forest these
difficulties have until lately prevented such
extended explorations as were necessary to
arrive at a proper knowledge Of this unex-
plored country
In 1889. the colonial government COM
menced a systematic examination Of its ter
ritOry, with a view to settlement Of its
boundaries which are still disputed on the
west by Venezuela and on the South by
Brazil. In April, 1870, Mr.. Brown having
assembled the Essequibo to the Massardony
and thence to the Potars river, came upon
a cataract far surprising any previously
seen, and indeed, III many respects any pre-
viously heard of This fall was known to
the Indians as the " kaiteur. Its slgnit-
canoe seems t. have referred to some acci-
dent of local tradition. no doubt in time
some musical or romantic definition will be
given to this plain, matter of fact buck
Indian" appellation, but the kaiteur
needs no Interpretation Of laughing wa
ter" or voice of the Great Spirit, to at
tract attention Of the world, as will pres
emily be seen. Not being provided with
the assistance and instruments necessary to
careful observation, Mr.. Brown returned
to Demerara, contenting himself with an
nouncing his discovery and awaiting anoth-
er exploration before giving the details Of
measurement and characteristics In Aug
gust following, accompanied by Sir George
Young, one Of the Coolie Commissioners,
and the necessary boatmen and laborers,
he again assembled to the fall, after inter
ruptions and hardships which would have
etfectually discouraged less determined ex-
plorers Thirty-four cataracts were to be
passed-thOse unused to stropical wilderness
will hardly realize the labor this involved
in the latitude Of five degrees north. They
reached point about mile below the fall
after ten days arduous travel, and leaving
the canoes encamped at the base Of the fall
with Catsatas and Bakers barometers they
made careful observations. To Sir George
Young we are indebted for minute ac-
count Of this most interesting wonder OF
nature. 1t is much to be regretted that
natural obstacles will for long time pre-
vent any number Of travellers exploring fOI
themselves this cataract. The Government
has contemplated using convict labor t.
clear a road through the forests, but the
great expense and continued care necessary
to keep in this country forest path open,
has hitherto deferred them in the mean
time we must depend upon those more
fortunate in time, strength and means fol
a report upon this secret resource Of ma
ture.
The Kaiteur Fall, then, on the Potar'
river is found to have perpendicular de
! scent Of seven hundred and thirty-seveI
feet, and cataract above, falling eighty
one feet, making fall of eight hundred
: and eighteen feet. Not until the width il
considered does this appear in its true mag
nitude in August the width was eighty
seven yards III April, when first discovered
by Mr. Brown, the width was estimated a
over three hundred feet the depth Of wa
ter at the centre was estimated at twent,
) feet two hundred yards above the brinl
Of the fall the river was found to be fou
hundred and eleven feet wide, and the wa
ter fifteen feet deep, with high waite
mark Of twenty feet.
By comparing these dimensions with Nj
agara Falls the height Of which is from on,
hundred and fifty to one hundred and six
ty-tive feet, and Montmorenci, or even tn,
70 Semite, whose height although 50 far be
| yond this, lacks the depth and breadth her
} attained, realizing sense is obtained o
their true magnitude. But perhaps com
parsons are needless enough is shown Il
Indicate the interest which will attach b,
the Kaiteur an its characteristics becom,
known. For some feet from the brink tn,
falling water preserves its consistency, ant
! then is dissipated into an immense avail
! anche Of spray Of wonderful variety ant
beauty. Several rainbows were noticed
One from the summit was reversed, form
ing huge loop into which the fall SCENE.
L.
} their homes behind the fall in the cliff, re
turning at nightfall with melodious twit
tering which rose far above the roar of tn
cataract.
wrsrrnN editor sneaks of his rival /.