High up the River Demerara--on which George Town, the capital of the
colony, is built--where the river forces its way through the dense
forest, is a fall of great picturesque beauty. Here, says Mr Brett,
the cataract precipitates itself in one body over the rocky barrier; and
huge masses of rock, crowned with stately trees, divide it into channels
ere it reaches its lower bed. Of these channels, there are two large
ones in the centre, with smaller ones on either side. All are filled
with great boulders, over which the dark waters toss and dash until they
roll into the wide basin below, covering its surface and margin with
masses of yeasty foam. The length of the fall appears to be three or
four hundred feet, though the perpendicular difference between the
levels of the river above and below is sixty-five feet. Three-fourths
of this cataract is hid from view by the luxuriant forest which clothes
its sides and covers its islands. The misty spray--rising, when the
river is full, from the channels between the tall trees--the rushing
noise, and a glimpse of the torrent here and there, show imperfectly its
divided course. Could a clear view be obtained of it, it would be found
to contain a spectacle full of beauty and interest.
Between that point and the Essequibo, with which the Demerara runs
parallel, is a remarkable--almost perpendicular--rock called Maboora,
the uppermost of a succession of natural terraces. The ascent to the
summit from the forest below occupies some hours. From hence the broad
Essequibo can be seen flowing, partly hidden by the range of hills. Its
face is broken up by the rains of ages into huge boulders, but the top
is level. In its western base is a large cavern, having an inner
chamber with a narrow entrance. Here the beautiful cock of the rocks,
adorned with golden orange tints and double fan-like crest, makes his
abode. The nests of these brilliant birds are at some distance from the
sandy floor, and attached to the rocky sides.