The Raymer enterprise., 1922-01-19
kaisssur eaIle

The Potaro river. above Potaro land.
ing. 10 divided Into > number ~
stretches b. catarsc,s, ana the only
available craft In the navigable pOr-
tlons are hAt.bottomed punts.
At point about 100 miles from
Georgetown the Potaro river gives up
Its tortuous course and straightens out
Into the lower gorge Of Kaieteur. So
straight is the gorge that proceeding
up the stream. far In the distance the
tiny white patch Of the falls may be
seen. Once the portals Of the canyon
are passed the gorge through which
the falls has cut its way during the
ages opens up more clearly. Massive
precipitous rocks rise out Of the jungle
a. sharply a. the sides Of Norwegian
ford. Suggestive. too. Of the Scan.
dinavian fjords are the lace like water.
falls that come tumbllng down from
these heights.
Though the falls may b. seen from
the lower reaches Of the gorge they
are miles away and days Of labor must
be spent before they are reached.
-Four miles below the fall even small
boats must bs abandoned, for the val
10y from there Is quite impossible.
The land route lies up the steep
side Of the gorge along q trail hardly
to be recognized a. such, but which to
the Indian In this back country 10
the highway to Brasil. With no idea
Of zigxagging up the side Of a noun
tain the indian has applied the princI.
pie that Il straight line Il the shortest
path between two points. no matter
what the angle. The trail, therefore.
resembles Z ladder 0 stone. The
burros Of the Andes are not used here
and It 10 safe to say they never will
be until more gentle grade Is estab.
llshed.
Though the climb 10 through
dense jungle. once the top Is reached
enc finds himself In open country. The
top Of the plateau near the river is al.
most solid rock. and In spite Of the
heavy rainfall only scrubby vegeta.
tiou and orchids can grow.
Majesty u the Cataract
A short walk from the head Of the
trail over the rocky surface brings one
to the brink Of 4 dizzy precipice which
falls away shserly below. Opposite
rises majestically the other side Of the
gorge: and to the right perhaps 500
yards away u The oil but Inaccessible
fall. The beauty Of this great cat.
aract strikes the observer At once. but
II 10 only by degrees that his mind
compasses Ito magnitude. Over the
nd brown cliffs that form the head Of
the chasm pOurs = vast sheet Of wa.
ter ,n0rs than 800 feet in height--a
white curtain oil the more distinct be-
cause Of the dark cavern followed be-
hind II.
The waters pour down into the
depths with 4 tremendous roar, to be
heard for miles around, aud the mists
rise always In clouds that are striped
with rainbow color 70 distinct % to
impress themselves upon the aim Of
the Gamers. tn breadth 70 800 feet
and more In time Of Aood. and tho
symmetry ls wonderful. II IL this per-
feet proportion, In fact, that tricks the
eye Into failure to grasp At nrst the
huge scale Of the scene.
To the American viewing Kaieteur
perhaps the bsst way to realize IT.
magnitude Il to compare Its height
With his well-knowp skyserspers. The
Singer building, II sst with its base
where the water strikes the floor Of
the gorge. would fall to reach the rim
Of the fall BY more than 100 feet; the
top Of the Metropolitan tower would
be 40 feet below the rim, and Of the
Woolworth building only the upper 81
feet would show above the cliffs
But comparisons with he structures
Of man are perhaps the last that
should Be made. The sstting is per-
feet for one Of the worlds greatest
natural wonders. Neither On the
great plateau, nor up the placid river.
nor In the huss, deep sash IN the earth
that extends Tor miles below y to be
seen q Sign ef human hsbitation or hu-
man woskA Al 10 Wild nature at It,
hest.