The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-15

When the party arrived at the con-
fiuence of the Cuyani and the Caruno,
a camp was pitched and several ex-
cursions were made into the Jungle in
search of the old Spanish mine which
the Indian had described in George
town. He had drawn a very rough
map of the place, but it proved use
less. To cut long story short, the
mine was not found Perhaps the
jungle had grown over it: perhaps 1t
was never there at all.
Adventures in the Jungle.
But during the search of nearly three
weeks in the jungle there was no lack
of excitement.
Once Jerrold reached over Thorpes
shoulder, as they were going along in
single file through dense underground
and cut in half "bushmaster" snake
which was coiling itself on a branch to
dart it's venomous fangs into Thorpe's
cheek.
Another time Thorpe killed snake
over six feet long which was about
to attack one of his men. But snakes
were common enough, and in time the
hunters grew to mind them less than
the nests of marabuntas and red ants
which they sometimes stepped upon
and as a result, We're smothered with
GlAll6Ss L VIZ vi lllICC VI tilG bOebNhlCh
got attacks of fever through these
stings, and were only saved from
death by careful nursing on the part
of their leaders.
Eventually the Englishmen were
compelled to give up the hunt. Pro-
visions were running out, and small
canoe with relief supplies had not ar
rived as it should have done. They
decided that they must go down
stream and meet it if they were to
escape starvation.
AS a matter of fact, they nearly did
starve. Almost two weeks passed be-
fore they came upon the canoe. The
provisions ran out completely, and for
three or four days the party just con-
trived to support existence by catch
ing two or three fish, shooting four
birds, and killing a few iguanas. When
the canoe was finally met with several
of the boatmen had become so weak
that they could no longer work at the
oars.
Attacked by Outlaws.
Returning down the Cuyani, the
party searched now and then for dia-
monds. clearing the underground in
likely places, excavating to pay gravel,
and washing 1t in rough troughs. Sew
eral stones were found, but none of
any great value, so it was. decided to
go down to Bartica and strike SOUTH
ward up the Mazaruni to the principal
diamond fields.
After a long and toilsome journey
the fields were reached and a claim
was staked out, close by some of the
best paying mines. Clearing the jun
gle was a herculean task. A tropical
tree being intertwined and connected
with it's fellows and often rotten, can
not be depended upon to fall in a
certain way. often it will fall on the
woodman. Several of the negroes
We're badly crushed in this manner,
and others sustained minor injuries
But the principal adventure in the
Mazaruni country happened when
several outlaws tried to jump the
claim. Several shots were exchanged
before the attacking party withdrew,
vowing vengeance. Nothing more,
however, was heard from them, but a
close watch was kept, for the diamond
fields are filled with lawless characters
and the only law there is Might Is
right
The expedition was fairly lucky on
the Mazaruni, finding over seventy
stones. Most of them were diamonds,
but few were small sapphires and
rubies.
Cnpsfzed IN Dangerous Rapids.
Subsequently, the prospectors went
some distance up the Essequibo, which
flows to the eastward of the Mazaruni,
and searched for diamonds there, with
only moderate success. Coming down
this river, they had their worst. ex-
perience with the rapids. On the Gu
yani and the Mazaruni they had had
many narrow escapes from capsizing,
but the Essequibo adventure led them
all.
This river has a chain of rapids and
falls which continues unbrokenly for
miles. Nearly an entire day must be
spent shooting them, and every mo-
ment is full of peril.
AS the first rapid is reached and the
boat gets drawn into the rush of the
current, the men bend to the paddles
and give full Roadway to the boat,
until she flies over the water like an
arrow to the mark. Hardly is the
boat at the head of one fall than it is
on top of another: scarcely is one
rapid left before seven or eight others
have been passed. The captain and
the boatmen need wrists of steel and
nerves of iron to guide a boat safely
between the huge boulders, drifting
logs, and snags, which spread like a
network all along the route. Trees
and islands fit by as If seen from an
express train: and it is impossible to
stop except by running aground on
an island at the risk of being dashed
to pieces.
j.. At the last fall but one, as the Eng
lishmen's boat was passing between
two huge boulders barely the boats
width apart, the bowman's paddle
struck the side of the starboard rock,
swerving the boats head around until
it struck the port rock and capsized.
The river curved inwards about 100
yards below, and the swift current
dashed the struggling men on a bank
of mud and sand. AS If by a miracle
no lives were lost, though several of
the party were nearly drowned and
resuscitated with difficulty. Most OF
the stores were saved. but rifles. hat
chefs, and other heavy tools were
lost The boat. much damaged. was
picked up lower down the river by
another expedition. and the English
men were able to patch 1t up enough
TO insure a safe return to Bartica.
Three Months of Adventure.
When the members of the expedl-
ton finally reached Georgetown after
many other similar adventures. they
disposed OF their ninety diamonds for
81, 700--a slight reeompense for dar-
ing death IN many forms for three
months In treacherous tropical for
ests.
Miss Priscilla Redheld OF Giouees-
ter City, n. j., has taught IN the pub
he schools Of that town for little up