The sun., 1892-05-11


ridiculous. though some OF them-like that
which credited the mountain with being the
habitntion OF human survivors OF prehistoric
race were very startling,
jungies. and iloatel down tho Esseauibo River
10 Georgetown and the other cents Of civiliza-
tion were that Roraima was tai, ana IL ipatees ate
in which gods and devils lived. which was
guarded by demons who sawto It thntno man
people. It was said that from the foothills
around 1t Indians had seen tho figures OF men
wh1 wse ySy S9 the
animals. the largest Of which were Iik" wal.
rnsas. with the heads. necks. and wings OF
birds. The curiosity these tales aroused in the
minds Of Europeans. may be Imagined. and 1t
was not long before the partial truth that there
inaccessible. lent a new interest to lii" place
1t was seen that in all pro liability the summit
OF this mountain was spot no part OF which
white. black. or rcd. since thnt extra-rcmote
period when perhaps tho Amazon or some nm
America and had left this mountain projecting
in tho form, OF an island ahov. the waters.
Since it could not be said that there were no
human beings on this mysterious mound OF
rock. the human mind easily lent itself to the
theory that there might bc such creatures
90 Venus or Mars. and that they were OF u
type from which we have descended.
@ is not s yet t9 TGa to
that takes in tho principal West India islands.
Guiana. is rcachcL. the explorers troubles
have not begun. Though that colony is 10000
ms in sna as1yfs @
ber. coffee. sugar, molasses. and feathers. 1t is
nevertheless SO little populated and cultivated
plough than 1t has square miles OF area. and
its population is not much above 25OOOO. The
sot ap the rxer
have h i desired to attempt tie solution of Rora. @
periences OF other travellers to satisfy them
that in few other parts of the world are there
%d Il Is
esting to note what risks men will run and
what irritatIons and prosecutions. they would
vfsea Passns s'a ths d.nser Ne 81 Tt ieyor especially
eaeh year ssH exporers as % have made tho
journey had to outfit for at least n three
%R H. sa o H n nGr ind ndns aS aSd ps pary
through the territories Of warlikc and savage
tribes. The Indians near '; tho coast are a
ries to great extent. and are often re-
duced to wretched condition. The. men wear
eacn aronnd their ons and tie s,. are
inches. square Both sexes deck their black
laces and wristlets of tecth or other orna-
ments The savage tribes of the interior who
boRs Eass ou Of
them stain their front hair. their knees; and
ers and lip ornaments. They make their blow
pipes Of hollow cane which grows without
S larger tubes Out Of these p ppes esf they blow T1"
The Esseauiyo River which. with its trbu-
taries. penetrates farthest into the country. is
2 majestic waterway: but voyagers uEon it
frequently encounter the cascades and rapids
ing land that inclines from the high mountains
of the interior down to the sea. The Mazarpni
is the tributary that is next pursued. but It has
soon TO be abandoned. and varied journey by
way OF faint trails. broken once by difficult
hit Of canoing; is made to tho mountains
indescribabe and ,frightiul. Cries screams.
shouting al the air; birds make great many ANY
as the bell birds. cnlf birds. and trumpeters.
suggest tho sorts Of uproar they contribute.
the campanero toucans. egrets. matcnws and
parrots OF many sorts tanagers. fire birds. ori-
oles. humming birds. and crested cassidues.
aud bell birds. and those cocks.of- the. rocks
that dance deliriously until they are exhaust
But in tha rivers are electric cells that are
being whose hand or foot they touch, ,alliga.
rays. with knife pointed tails by which they
make most ser!ons and painful wounds upon
partially conceatcd in tile shoal water at the
edges Of tho rivers. Snakes OF many deadly
kinds. including the ra,tlesinake and the boa
nre there called tigers. Ant-enters ri II
.ssi s s1G bother "se Vino tat b" d Ea
alone. But OF all the annoyances to explorers,
the ns lnfsr,t world furnishes m ile most and the
get under the toe nails to lay eggs and breed
mirroscropic devils nre very common. YAM
and suck conious draughts OF blood are ev"ry. cry
whero in tho interior. and there are ticks
whose sin bites turn into ulcers. wasps whose
worthy OF attention.
Seven white men are known to haye m ade this
Seatpe accidents.and some. ike j. fdi " soddam ann
and Whitsv failed to Climb the tl.M Mountain. A A.
Thousands Of feet. were Of red ID sandstone. tm tar
retrd. hattlemented and polished tin they
fnSsG aSs Es ass ss on which fly could hardly
saw three sides. but all were alike. apparently
imp9ossible Of ascent. The, smooth red sides.
Hudson. stood betweon lower and upper for. .
est, and from their tops, large and little rivers
poured down-the little ones like wisps Of
%s0 whites s wntsr f ones little majestic nFcfss Ss
side Roraima was its counterpart except
TO those Who Who wished % to Climb bitfttons t. It. too.
gave birth to river by means Of n cascade
l.0Oo feet high. It looked as though the only
be Tss as sS 81 Ssm
wished to make the trial intended to take
balloon with them. Baddam- Whetham. who
wrote an interesting book about his adyen-
tures. I F. was followed by Eyerard Thurn in 1884.
but, being out Of provisions. returned to the
foothills on the same day. The orchid hunters.
Cromer and seyler who explored the whole
port nothing more than the finding Of several
lakes. forest, some, queer rock formations.
oSs Of and
ored mammal" II that Is so 1t is q tame
ending to most promising mystery