The Essequibo

The finest river of British Guiana is the Rssequibo, into whieh flow tlie uiagnifieeiit waters of the Cuyuui and the Mazaruni, foriuing a confluente at Bartica point over four miles broad, the streani then wideniug out through its subsequent oourse of 60 miles into au estuary 20 miles from bank to bank. The Essequiborises in the Acaroi mountains, 40 miles north of the equator, and teara a sinuous way through and dowu the terraoed surface for a distance of over 600 miles. It is not navigable for steamers much beyoud Bartica point, and the farther it is explored the higher, grander, more beautiful and more dangerons become the rapids. One of its tributarles, the Potaro, which joins it about 130 miles from the coast, has a waterfall surpassing Niágara in height. This is the Kaieteur faü (the Old Man's fall, to translate the Indian name), which was discovered by Mr. Brown, who made a geological survey for the government a quarter of a century ago. At this point the Potaro f alls over a sandstoue tablelaud precipitously for 741 f eet, and then over a sloping cataract of 81 f eet into a great rocky basiu. In flood time the width of the fall is about 370 f eet and in the dry seasou 240 f eet or less. "If, " says Mr. Thurn, "the whole valley of the Potaro is fairyland, theu the Kaieteur ravine is the very penetralia of fairvland. " -