RORAIMA AND BRITISH GUIANA.
RORAIMA.
RORAIMA
AND
BRITISH GUIANA
WITH A GLANCE AT BERMUDA, THE WEST INDIES,
AND THE SPANISH MAIN.
BY
J. W. BODDAM-WHETHAM,
AUTHOR OF
‘PEARLS OF THE PACIFIC,’ ‘ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA,’ ETC.
VIEW ON THE CURIPUNG RIVER.
LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
13 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1879.
All Rights reserved.
“Will no one explore Roraima, and bring usback the tidings which it has been waitingthese thousands of years to give us? One of thegreatest marvels and mysteries of the earth lies on theoutskirt of one of our own colonies—only not withinBritish territory because the frontier line has beenbent in at the spot, on purpose, it would seem, toshut it out—and we leave the mystery unsolved, themarvel uncared for.”
The above words, together with a general outline ofthe wonders to be explored, appeared in a number ofthe “Spectator” for April, 1877, and aroused my interestto such a degree that I thought by day anddreamt by night of Roraima.
After reading Mr Brown’s delightful book on BritishGuiana—which was referred to in the article fromwhich I have quoted—I made up my mind to visitthat colony, with the hope of at all events seeingRoraima and exploring its floral treasures, even if Ishould be unable to make its ascent.
The summit, Mr Brown says, is inaccessible, exceptby means of balloons. “According to the traditionsof the Indians,” says Sir Robert Schomburgh, “the[vi]summits of the flat-topped gigantic sandstone walls,which never can be reached by human beings, containlarge lakes, full of remarkable fish-like dolphins, andcontinually encircled by gigantic white eagles—theireternal warders.”
Full then, of curiosity, with a great longing to becomebetter acquainted with this mysterious region,I arranged my plans so as to arrive in Demerara aboutJanuary, paying a flying visit on my way to Bermudaviâ New York, and so on through the West Indies toGuiana. Fortune favoured me, inasmuch as on myarrival at Georgetown, Demerara, I found that theColonial government was about to send an expeditionto Roraima, for the purpose of trying to reach the topof that mountain. With great kindness, the authoritiespermitted me to accompany it, and I cannot letthis occasion pass without expressing my sincere thanksfor the opportu