Our Search for a Wilderness

PART I.

We left New York on February 22d, 1908, on the Royal Mail Steamship “Trent,” and after touching at Jamaica, Colon, Savanilla and La Guayra, we disembarked at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on March 9th. Leaving this port in a Venezuelan sloop we cruised among the caños north of the Orinoco Delta, and explored the country about the Venezuelan Pitch Lake—La Brea.

To Mr. Eugene André of Trinidad, we are deeply indebted for a hundred kindnesses which did much to make our trip a success. We wish also to express gratitude to Mr. Mole, Mr. Anduse and especially to the late Mr. Ellis Grell.

PART II.

On the 15th of February, 1909, we sailed from New York on the Steamship “Coppename” of the Royal Dutch West Indian Mail, and with only a single stop—Barbadoes—reached Georgetown, British Guiana, on the 24th of the same month.

In British Guiana we made three expeditions; two as the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord Wilshire, having as our objective points two gold mines in the midst of the wilderness, the first at Hoorie in the northwest, the second on the Little Aremu in central Guiana. On these expeditions we were spared all the usual annoyances of transportation; food and servants and everything at the mines were put at our service to facilitate our study of the nature life of the country. The third trip to the savanna region further south was made at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Lindley Vinton, two Americans living in Georgetown, who placed their home at our disposal while we remained in Georgetown.

During our entire stay in British Guiana we received unfailing courtesy and kindness,—from the Governor, Sir Frederick Hodgson, down to the great black hospitable wilderness police. Professor J. B. Harrison allowed us to use the old aviaries at the Botanical Gardens, and with Mr. James Rodway of the Georgetown Museum and Mr. B. Howell Jones, extended to us all the courtesies in his power.

For figures 97, 98, 108, 144, and 158 we are indebted to Dr. Hiram Bingham, and figures 83, 109, 130, and 131 are from photographs belonging to the New York Zoölogical Society and were taken by Mr. E. R. Sanborn. All the others were taken by ourselves with a Graflex Camera and 27-inch Goerz lens, and a pocket Kodak, both 4 by 5 in size.

The first two chapters appeared in their original form in “Harper’s Monthly Magazine,” and the third chapter in “Recreation.”

Our thanks are due to Dr. William T. Hornaday, Director of the New York Zoölogical Park, for the leave of absence which made possible these expeditions.

* * * * *

Three appendices have been added. The first is a classified list of the birds, with their scientific names, which are mentioned in the book; by no means a complete list of those observed. Reference to it is facilitated by the superior numbers affixed throughout the text to the names of the birds. The second appendix gives the native Guianan names of the commoner species of birds. The third is a list of the insects observed at Hoorie which have been identified up to the present time.

Wherever in this volume it has seemed best for any reason that certain chapters should be written by one of the authors alone, the writer’s name has been given at the head of the chapter. In all chapters not thus designated the authors have collaborated.

MARY BLAIR BEEBE, C. WILLIAM BEEBE.

January, 1910.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Part I. Our First Search.

VENEZUELA.

I. THE LAND OF A SINGLE TREE 3

II. THE LAKE OF PITCH 32

III. A WOMAN’S EXPERIENCES IN VENEZUELA 71

PART II. OUR SECOND SEARCH.

BRITISH GUIANA.

IV. GEORGETOWN 111

V. STEAMER AND LAUNCH TO HOORIE CREEK 134

VI. A GOLD MINE IN THE WILDERNESS 165

VII. THROUGH THE COASTAL WILDERNESS WITH INDIANS AND CANOE 214

VIII. THE WATER TRAIL FROM GEORGETOWN TO AREMU 244

IX. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU 285

X. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU (Continued) 316

XI. THE LIFE OF THE ABARY SAVANNAS 350

APPENDICES.

A. CLASSIFIED LIST OF BIRDS MENTIONED IN THIS VOLUME 389

B. NATIVE GUIANAN NAMES OF BIRDS 395

C. ALPHABETICAL LISTS OF BIRDS 397

INDEX 399

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE

In the South American Wilderness. Frontispiece

1. Map of our Trip through the Mangrove Wilderness 2

2. Our Sloop entering the Mangroves 5

3. Scarlet Ibises in Flight 7

4. Young Mangrove Plants 11

5. The Crucifix in the Catfish 13

6. Parrot Puff-fish 15

7. Four-eyed Fish 16

8. Our Floating Home at La Ceiba 18

9. Exploring the Caños in a Dug-out 21

10. White Orchids 23

11. Sun-bittern 25

12. Solution of the Mangrove Mystery—an Anaconda 27

13. Hoatzins in the Bamboos on the Guarapiche 28

14. First Glimpse of the Venezuela Mountains 31

15. Colony of 150 Cassiques’ Nests in One Tree 33

16. Nest and Eggs of Yellow-backed Cassique 34

17. Venezuelan Tree Porcupine 36

18. Wild Chachalaca near a Guanoco Hut 38

19. Scorpion and its Young taken from Milady’s Shoe 39

20. Yellow Woodpecker 41

21. Owl Butterfly on Cocoa Bark 42

22. Lizard Alert on Trunk of Tree 44

23. The Same Lizard a Moment Later, Obliterated by Change of Position 45

24. Nest and Eggs of Great Blue Tinamou 47

25. Woodhewer clinging to the Trunk of a Tree 50

26. Streaked Flycatcher 51

27. The Jungle Railroad 56

28. Spider Lilies near Pitch Lake 57

29. La Brea—The Lake of Pitch 59

30. The fatal “Mother of the Lake” 61

31. White-headed Chimachima Hawk and Eta Palm 62

32. Amazon Parrot Roost, Pitch Lake 63

33. The Home of the Amazon Parrot in the Middle of Pitch Lake 64

34. Amazon Parrot at Entrance of Nest. Fifteen feet away 65

35. Amazon Parrot at Entrance of Nest. Ten feet away 65

36. Amazon Parrot about to take Flight 66

37. Eggs and Young of Amazon Parrot in the Nest 67

38. Fish from the Pools in Pitch Lake. Aequidens sp. 69

39. Fish from the Pools in Pitch Lake. Hoplias malabaricus 69

40. Our Sloop at Guanoco 72

41. Venezuelan Soldiers on the “Pontón” Guard Ship 76

42. Captain Truxillo paddling us up the Guarapiche past Caño Colorado 78

43. Sunset in the Mangrove Wilderness 80

44. The Silent Savages 81

45. Guarauno Indians coming to trade at Caño Colorado 83

46. Guarauno Squaws and Child with Monkey 85

47. Pitch Lake, showing freshly dug pit filled with water; an older pit filled with soft pitch, both surrounded by the hard surface pitch 88

48. Digging out the Black, Waxlike Pitch 90

49. Loading Pitch on the Hand Cars 93

50. Mangrove Wilderness from the High Land at Guanoco 95

51. Inhabitants of Guanoco assembled for a Dance 97

52. A Palm-sheath Rocking Toy 100

53. Sheath in Fig. 52, covering the Flower of a Palm 102

54. Priestless Chapel at Guanoco 105

55. Guarauno Indian Papoose 107

56. Map of our Three Expeditions into British Guiana 110

57. Street in Georgetown 113

58. Kiskadee Tyrant Flycatcher 114

59. Coolie Woman and Negress 117

60. The Georgetown Sea-wall 119

61. Toad 123

62. Arc-light 123

63. Victoria Regia in the Botanical Gardens 124

64. Lotus in Blossom 126

65. Taliput Palm in Blossom 128

66. Canal of the Crocodiles 130

67. Young Elania Flycatchers 132

68. Typical Indian House at Morawhanna 136

69. Three-year Olds at Home in their Wood-skin 138

70. Mount Everard 140

71. Sir Everard im Thurn’s House at Morawhanna 143

72. Palm Tanager 147

73. Frederick, the Carib Indian Boy 152

74. Our Tent-boat on the Barama River 159

75. Indian Boys in Dug-out 162

76. Crossing a Stream on the Hoorie Jungle Road 166

77. The Wilderness Trail 168

78. Engine House and Flume of Hoorie Gold Mine 172

79. The “Little Giant” at Work 175

80. Carib Hunter and His Children at Hoorie 178

81. Three Generations of Carib Indians 180

82. Mr. Wilshire and Crandall with Bushmaster 182

83. The Terrible Bushmaster 183

84. Panning Gold 186

85. Whip Scorpion or Pedipalp Spider 190

86. A Jungle Blossom 193

87. The Drowned Forest 199

88. Nests of Red-backed Cassiques 204

89. Barama River from Farnum’s House 216

90. Scene on the Barrabarra 219

91. Wake of a Manatee swimming up River 221

92. Manatee browsing close to the Bank 222

93. Manatee taking in Air and about to dive 224

94. A Vista of the Biara 226

95. Father Gillett and his Indian Boys 228

96. Tropical Luxuriance 230

97. Capybara on the Bank of a Stream 232

98. South American Thatched House and Nests of Green Cassiques 236

99. Miles of Lilies 239

100. The Road to Suddie 243

101. Gray-breasted Martins nesting on the Steamer 245

102. Coolies and their Wives fishing on the Essequibo 247

103. Falls at Lower Camaria 249

104. A Butterfly Mimicking an Orchid 251

105. Fresh-water Flying Fish 252

106. Salt-water Flying Fish 253

107. Cuyuni River 254

Continue reading Our Search for a Wilderness free in the Wunder reader →