New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-10
UP Il TROPICAL RIVER.
A TRIP FOR PLANTS AND BIRDS.
BEAUTIFUL PICTURES IN THE TRopIcs-A
MONTH IN SMALL BOATS.

d" tho ionR, long ago" Saio Captdn ~, A'i"'-
ROD ana scmramis ruled In Babylon and Nineveh the
one on the Euphrates the other on the Tigrs Great
cities grew up along the Nile. and the monster monu-
ments at Thebes have looked down on many strange
scene; but none stranger than that IL few years
back when small army Of Dritons we're sailing ana
hauling mp stream to good man at Khattoum
1t was one mans fault that they started one DAY
too late. Never has river. however, looked SO lovely
as did the Nile at Metammeh to the men who had
marched and fought the desert from korti-
xenophon's men cried The sea the scav after their
terrible march ended. Parchcd British threats
shouted The rvcr the riverp and it was hard work
to keep the from breaking the ranks and rushing
down to the water.
"Aong the Ganges have been cities since the world
began-Dehi Allahabad and Benares Along the banks
stalk the aduant birds gigantic crane, ever on the
lookout for floating garbage, while the pous Buddmst
after perhaps months of travel, battles In the holy
water and, believing himself cleansed OF his sins, re-
turns homo happy man.
"There are no moro beautiful rivers however, than
those OF tropical America small river which
once assembled in British Honduras In a 'dngout was
tnged deep brown from contact with the mangrove
bushes whose strange roots form perfect network In
the water. 1t was however, impossible to see where
the bank began and the river ended owing to the clear
reflection In the waters. Among the roots were num-
bers OF spder-egged black Lizards that actually
walked upon the waters as they dashed from one
angry with some comradc who had been wagging his
head and blowing out his air-bag challenge for
fight while some dusky sauran maiden looks on I'M
concernedly from ncighboring bough.
@Now and again an object closely resembling log
at distance floating down the river; but ono
neared it 1t sank under the surface. 1t was an ALL
gator Here and there one passed q grassy patch,
always tenanted by few of these saurIans and 1t
sometimes possible to get shot. The result, how
ever, generally proved failure, the brute generally
rolling into the water and disappearing from sight.
"There are prettier sights than these, however.
ingfshcr, all abaze with light, flies up the river, and.
perching friendly bough, half turns its head to
watch for unwary fish. Gorgeous humming
birds hover about the Towering shrubs, twtcr from
some withered twig and then fash upward like
Jewell to fall back with their strange melody to the
same perch. Bright-colOred butterflies enliven the
scene and then in the background are the great trees
Of the primeval Forest fesoned with lanas and with
here and there a gorgeous orchid snake wrigges
the river and the verpresent mosquito reminds
one that he Is not in Paradise.
"Therc few prettier rivers than the Essequebo.
I'm British Guiana. As one enters from the muddy
sea the steamer passes around hundred islands, each
one a gem in ITSELF At the waters edge are tree
ferns and the slender feahery eta PALM the loveest Of
all palms. Caow Island now @ leper asylum,
but celebrated as the place where SchOmburgh
discovered the Victoria Rega. queen of lilies, was
passed in the afternoon, and then we came to Mazurn
the penal settlement OF the colony Life there for the
convict is not a bed Of roses for the weary.
large stone quarry faces the river and is exposed TO
the full MONDAY There is no chance of escape.
Now and then man breaks away into the forest, but
has back for food, which II he tries to steal
from the garden, generally ends in his being shot
sight
at is at Mazurini that the Cayuni and Mazurini
Join the Essequebo Opposite the prison Is Bartica
Grove, mission station. and now large mining sta
ton. We there Sunday. All the good peo-
pie went to church, and while the service was in
progress voice at the porch suddenly broke In upon
the religious quiet with the cry Hogs crossing the
river Instantly the men, women and children
on their feet, tumblng over one another in their
anxiety to get ont, and within minute there were
only the pastor and his family left large herd i
peccaries swimming the river. These wild pigs
are by means pleasant to meet In the forest but In
the water they deenceess Into the boats batteaus
and woodskins f:ie men tumbled and were soon In
full pursuit The painter, or any chance piece Of rope
was used for securing hind leg of an animal and
then the pursuit continued till the pigs gained the
opposite shore. and then turned savagely at bay.
Those that were captured were slaughtered In the
water, some boats returning with as many as half
dozen. Great the rejoicing In the village, for
a peccary barbecued over cinnamon wood fire. is
dish fit for Helogabaus There were no further
church services.
"The next day we started for the Kaiteur Falls,
our objective point In two batteaus our crew being ten
copper-colored Ackawais, five for each boat. One
boat carried us, guns and some provisions; the
other, our kit, consisting Of hammocks, some rice,
flour, salt fish, timed provisions and few cooking
utensils.
"The men padded stolidly till nearly midday,
when landing was made and breakfast cooked and
then on again up the river. But as there was no
hurry, took time, landing now and again In
search Of game and usually had our larder we'll
Cd with nj nd
with an accuracy that wonderful, shot the pera
a most vicious member of the pike tribe, with their
arrows. The heads Of these arrows are attached to
the shaft with thin gut linc and as soon as the fish
Is struck the shaft becomes detached and the hoatng
reed shows where the fish is Our landings were not
always without adventure At one place, where some
pigeons had been TO enter the forest my com
panion landed and climbing up the shelving bank
and had just topped the ridge when we suddenly saw
him reappear with squirt him worthy Of spriner
while close behind him was an angry cayman. Met
made one wild jump into the baeau. while the brute
in full chase took to the water. bullet ended its
life and found in the half rotting leaves nest OF
nine eggs
The tent was useful on rainy nights as shelter,
out ruie the hammocks were slug between trees,
and In the open air one slept the sleep OF the tired
There are few things weird than the approach
of storm tropical river. The gentest sound
first strikes the ear, growing gradually louder and
louder as the heavy rain drops paterng on the miloh
advancing like solid wall, turns the placid river into
d of bubbles
zone night storm gave notice of its approach
and we took refuge In the tent. How it did rain
But above the noise OF the storm there arose yell
from Indians and before we knew what the
matter our tent came down with run and we were
as fairly scared We're Some beast of the
forest had amuck and carried rail shelter in
It's mad 1t turned out TO be tapir, that
doubt was being chased by a jaguar but 1t not
till dawn that we knew who the enemy had been, and
We were very wet and Dad-tcmpered couple.
The padding up the river was by no means
holiday for and again, after grand stretch OF
long. sun water, ripples gave notice that rapid was
near at hand. Only the teersman remained In the
boat; all the rest waded ashore aud lowed the boat
through the scething, turbulent waters. Yes, the
waters dubbed and curled round this and that rock,
but their noise gentle whisper TO the giant
cataract that reached at last. Sheer down clih
over eight hundred feet volume Of water more than
three hundred feet wide dropped In solid wall. One
rock in the very centre Of the stream stood out as an
ever present sentinel the roar the spray, ana the
allday shmmering Iris. II was crude legend, TOO,
the Indians had about that solitary rock.
In the higher lands an old man OF the tribe had
become absolute nuisance from the raid Of ClIgoes
IL took a troop OF women and children 10 Keep MS
feet a decent FORM but 10 became great drag upon