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39-661: The Mazaruni River is a tributary of the Essequibo River in northern Guyana . Its source is in the remote western forests of the Pakaraima Mountains and its confluence with the Cuyuni River is near Bartica . As it descends from the Guiana Highlands the river runs south-east, past Issano , then northward to Bartica. The river is a source of alluvial gold . The river takes source in

78-562: A distance of at least 80 km north. This could be caused by calculation errors or other mistakes. Possibly he followed a different branch of the river more in the South of Guyana. To further investigate this, additional research is necessary, preferably in the original reports of Robert Hermann Schomburgk from his expedition in 1837/38. For the accurate determination of the headwaters and their proper classification, further extensive geological and hydrological studies are necessary. In 2018, with

117-749: A force inland along the banks of the Essequibo River, reaching what he wrongly believed to be Lake Parime . The next year Kemys, in command of the Darling , continued the exploration of the Guiana coast and the Essequibo River. The first European settlement in Guyana was built by the Dutch along the lower part of the Essequibo in 1615. The Dutch colony of Essequibo was founded in 1616 and located in

156-509: A large amount of alluvial gold during golden era of river dredging (1980–1995). The river remains, to a lesser degree, a source of alluvial gold and diamonds . A few miles west of Bartica, there was an unsuccessful attempt to establish a hard-rock gold mine in 1888. 6°25′N 58°38′W  /  6.417°N 58.633°W  / 6.417; -58.633 Essequibo River The Essequibo River ( Spanish : Río Esequibo ; originally called by Alonso de Ojeda ; Río Dulce )

195-409: A stereoscope to interpret the physical features and the geology of the region prior to making four expeditions into the field to check their observations. On Expedition III they explored the entire Essequibo basin. They travelled separately in two outboard-powered canoes, each team comprising a geologist and five Amerindians. Starting at Kanashen, they canoed up all the major eastward flowing tributaries:

234-674: A total distance of about 1,000 miles (1,600 km). A Guyanese-German expedition in Guyana in April and May 2013 followed the course of the Sipu River to detect the still unknown headwaters of the Essequibo. It was sponsored by the French-German TV Company ARTE and was organized by Duane De Freitas (Rupununi Trails) and the film production team of Marion Pöllmann and Rainer Bergomaz (Blue Paw Artists). The responsible scientist for remote sensing , geodesy and mapping

273-492: Is a region of Guyana . Its capital is Bartica , with villages including Issano , Kartabo , Kamarang , and Imbaimadai . It borders the regions of Barima-Waini , Essequibo Islands-West Demerara and Pomeroon-Supenaam to the north, the region of Upper Demerara-Berbice to the east, the region of Potaro-Siparuni , and borders the Brazilian state of Roraima to the south. It covers an area of 47,213 km². Before

312-931: Is mainly savannas with bands of single canopy jungle, the lowest is a triple canopy jungle. Exotic orchids are found in last two habitats. In the upper Mazaruni River basin, in 1890, near Isseneru village, first alluvial diamonds were found in Guyana. The discovery was made accidentally by Edward Gilkes, was prospecting for gold along the Putareng Creek, a small left hand tributary of the Mazaruni River. Since then, according to Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Mazaruni River, along with its tributaries (Meamu, Kurupung and Eping Rivers), produced over 50 percent all of alluvial diamonds mined up to now in Guyana. The gravels of Mazaruni River and its tributaries are, as well, gold bearing. Some places, such as Imbaimadai, Kamarang, Aruwai, Tiboku, Kaburi and Marshal Falls produced

351-734: Is the largest river in Guyana , and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon . Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil–Guyana border , the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,014 km (630 mi) through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean. It has a total drainage basin of 156,828 km (60,552 sq mi) and an average discharge of 5,650 m /s (200,000 cu ft/s). Territory near

390-806: The Amazon River is joined by the Rio Negro. They followed the Negro upstream to where it is joined by the Rio Ireng that forms the border between Brazil and Guyana . After following the Ireng for a few tens of kilometers they hovered about 40 miles across the North Savannas of Guyana to the Rupununi River, which they followed to its confluence with the Essequibo River at Apoteri. The Essequibo

429-667: The Potaro River ) along the route of the Essequibo, and its 20-kilometre (12 mi) wide estuary is dotted with numerous small islands. It enters the Atlantic 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Georgetown , the capital city of Guyana. The river features Murrays Fall , Pot Falls, Kumaka Falls, and Waraputa Falls. Its many tributaries include the Rupununi , Potaro, Mazaruni , Siparuni , Kuyuwini , Konawaruk and Cuyuni rivers. For over 30 kilometres (19 mi) from its mouth,

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468-521: The 1950s, Coffy was diving in the river for diamonds when he got the bends , due to overstaying below and rapid decompression. After few kilometres of relatively calm water, the last set of great Mazaruni River Falls begin. The first falls is the Aruwai Falls and the last is the Peaima Falls. Soon after Peaima Falls, the river, which was flowing north–south, turns east-south-east. It passes

507-599: The 1980 administrative reform most of the area belonged to the Mazaruni-Potaro district. The Government of Guyana has administered three official censuses since the 1980 administrative reforms, in 1980, 1991 and 2002. In 2012, the population of Cuyuni-Mazaruni was recorded at 20,280 people. Official census records for the population of the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region are as follows: (including name variants): Venezuela has renewed its claim to

546-618: The 19th century ended the missionary settlements. At this time, Britain needed to have a colony, besides Trinidad, to serve the large trade sailboats on their large travel trading route around South America. Venezuela claims that the Essequibo is the true border between it and Guyana, claiming all territory west of it. The boundary was set between Venezuela and Guyana's then colonial power, Great Britain in 1899 through an arbitration proceeding. A letter written by Venezuela's legal counsel, named partner Severo Mallet-Prevost of New York City law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle alleged that

585-468: The Dutch colonial era. Sloth Island is an eco-tourism island in the river. The main tributaries from the mouth: tributary tributary (km) (km ) (m /s) The river has a very rich fauna. More than 300 fish species are known from the Essequibo basin , including almost 60 endemics . This may be an underestimate of the true diversity, as parts of the basin are poorly known. For example, surveys of

624-483: The Essequibo' followed the main channel and investigated tributaries until they reached the watershed. There, 20 metres away from the Brazilian border, they logged what is now acknowledged to be the furthest source of the Essequibo River. GPS co-ordinates: N1° 24.5243' , W59° 16.5107' The team then began their world-first descent of the Essequibo River. The team of nine paddled back to Kanashan, aka Gunns Strip, where

663-652: The Isseneru River mouth on the left bank, with the Amerindian village, Isseneru , on the other bank. Then, over the lowlands of greenstones of Precambrian Guiana Shield , the Meamu River , Kurupung River and Eping River join the Mazaruni River. Together, these rivers serve to drain the highlands of the Merume Mountains. Next, the Mazaruni River flows past Oranapai Rapids, Kamakusa Landing,

702-649: The Kuyuwini, Kassikaityu, Kamoa and Sipu rivers, as well as the Chadikar River which on the basis of its north-south trend and a larger flow of water is considered to be the source of the Essiquibo rather than the eastward flowing Sipu River. In his memoirs Richard Johnson records how he had a line cut through the forest to a small hill near the Chodikar headwaters so that he could stand on the border defined by

741-652: The Roraima Plateau, three levels of sandstones and conglomerates, crowned by Mt. Roraima (2,810 m (9,220 feet)). In Guyana, the two highest levels of the Roraima Plateau are known as Pakaraima Mountains and Merume Mountains. The source of the Mazarunu River is in the Merume Mountains. The area is one of the very few places in the world still inaccessible. In 1992, a joint expedition of the Guyana Defence Force and Welsh Guards members

780-660: The Russian and British judges on the tribunal had acted improperly and granted the lion's share of the disputed territory to Britain due to a political deal between Russia and the United Kingdom. As a result, Venezuela has revived its claim to the disputed territory. In August 1995, at Omai mine there was an acid spill in the river by the Canadian gold mining company Cambior . An estimated 4 million cubic metres (140,000,000 cu ft) of waste laced with cyanide

819-699: The Wai Wai members returned home and Romel Shoni and Anthony Shushu joined the expedition. This team, accompanied later further downriver by Fay James ( Macushi people), then paddled the remaining distance to the mouth of the Essequibo where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. This expedition lasted a total of 10 weeks. Team members: Laura Bingham (expedition leader), Ness Knight, Pip Stewart, Peiman Zekavat (film director), Jon Williams (cameraman), Nereus Chekema, Nigel Isaacs, Jackson (Elijah) Marawanaru, Aron Marawanaru, James Suse, Fay James, Romel Shoni, and Anthony Shushu. Cuyuni-Mazaruni Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region 7)

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858-612: The first of which is a few kilometres long gutter known as Chitigokein Falls, which finishes in Coffy pool, a deep pool named after Mehir "Cousin Body" Coffy, one of the last pork-knockers (small-scale diamond and gold miners) of Guyana. The term "Porknockers" comes from the old prospectors having to carry in all their food one of which was salt pork which attracted flies and had to be knocked regularly to keep flies away. According to legend, during

897-487: The hovercraft were laid down at intervals ahead of the expedition, by boat on the Rio Negro, by plane in the North Savannas and by float-plane on the Essequibo. As there were no reliable maps of the route, navigation in Guyana was done by 1:60,000 scale aerial photographs and by scouting rapids in a motorised inflatable dinghy ahead of the CC7. This was the first expedition to travel by river, land, and sea from Manaus to Georgetown,

936-426: The hundreds, live on swampy flat of the river. Pumas and the much smaller ocelot are also found there but rarely seen since they hunt at night. Many monkeys , of which the howling monkey is the noisiest, inhabit tree tops, sharing the space with many types of birds. Pairs of red, yellow or bleu Macaws, united for life, often can be seen to fly by. In 2015, a jaguar attacked a three-year-old indigenous girl near

975-444: The large and dangerous black electric eels (numfish), piry (relative of piranha cutleback), haimara, and baiara. However, the most famous fish is lau-lau , with specimens weighing up to 200 kg (440 pounds). Lau-lau lives in deep pools of Mazaruni River hunting in the night. The waters are also home to a largest water snake, that is anaconda , locally known as the "water kamudi." Large herds of peccaries which sometimes number into

1014-565: The mouth of Merume River, Banana Landing, Tiboku Rapids, the mouth of Equeribisi River, Issano Landing, the mouth of the Puruni River, Kaburi rapids, Marshal Falls, the last set of rapids, Itabali Landing, the mouth of the Cuyuni River, then, near the village of Bartica , finishes into the Essequibo River , the largest river of Guyana. The iron hydroxide stained brown waters of Mazaruni are home to many fish . The most abundant are

1053-573: The region of the Essequibo River that later became part of British Guiana . The Dutch colonists remained on friendly terms with the Native American peoples of the area, establishing riverside sugarcane and tobacco plantations . The Dutch deterred many attacks from the British, French and Spanish for nearly two centuries, though they would later cede their territory to the British in 1814. The Independence war of Venezuela beginning in

1092-577: The river is argued over by Venezuela and Guyana. The river is administered by Guyana after being previously colonized by the British . Historically, Venezuela has claimed the Essequibo River as their most eastern border, though in practice it was under Dutch control . The river runs through the Guianan moist forests ecoregion. The average annual rainfall in the catchment area is 2,174 mm. There are many rapids and waterfalls (e.g., Kaieteur Falls on

1131-411: The river's channel is divided by the large flat and fertile islands of Leguan , about 28 square kilometres (11 sq mi), Wakenaam , about 44 square kilometres (17 sq mi), and Hogg Island , about 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Fort Island is off the eastern side of Hogg Island . Fort Zeelandia is located on the island, and was the seat of government of the country during

1170-579: The river, in Cuyuni-Mazaruni . She nevertheless survived. The Mazaruni River flows over three distinct habitats; the flat tops of Roraima Plateau, known in Venezuela as “ tepuis ”, the lower two plateaus and the low lands. Each habitat is characterised by its own vegetation. The upper one is a fantastic land of rain swept sandstone eroded into fantastic forms with exotic plants trying to survive this inhospitable land of denuded rocks. The middle one

1209-581: The source at 0°41`northern latitude, while not giving a longitude. In 1908 the German-American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann traveled on river Essequibo and confluent Potaro. He described 336 fish species in these rivers. As part of a British Technical Assistance project "Operation El Dorado", geologists Dr. Jevan P. Berrangé and Dr. Richard L. Johnson made the first topographic and geological maps of Guyana south of latitude 4 degrees north. They examined 1:60,000 scale panchromatic aerial photos with

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1248-480: The support of the First Lady, Sandra Granger , a group consisting of five Wai-wai , two English, one Iranian, and one South African located the furthest source of the Essequibo River. They built upon information and experience from the above 2013 Guyanese German expedition alongside topographical maps, local Wai Wai knowledge, GPS, and machetes to follow the Sipu River to its source. The multinational team 'Running

1287-660: The two systems. The first European discovery was by the ships of Juan de Esquivel , deputy of Don Diego Columbus , son of Christopher Columbus in 1498. The Essequibo River is named after Esquivel. In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda explored the mouths of the Orinoco and allegedly were the first Europeans to explore the Essequibo. Alonso de Ojeda called it "Rio Dulce" which means Sweet River in Spanish . In 1596 Lawrence Kemys , serving as second-in-command of Walter Raleigh 's British expedition to Guiana, led

1326-513: The upper Mazaruni River found 36–39 species (variation in number due to taxonomy ), of which 13–25% still were undescribed in 2013. At least 24 fish species are restricted to Mazaruni River alone. During floods the headwaters of the Branco River (a part of the Amazon basin ) and those of the Essequibo are connected, allowing a level of exchange in the aquatic fauna such as fish between

1365-542: The watershed, and when he told his line-cutting team that they were looking south across the forest into Brazil his foreman disagreed on the basis that "there are lots of nightclubs in Brazil." After mapping the tributaries the two teams joined forces and travelled down the Essequibo to its confluence with the Rupununi river at Apoteri. On February 26, 1971, an expedition set off by hovercraft from Manaus in Brazil where

1404-723: Was Prof. Dr. Martin Oczipka from the University of Applied Sciences Dresden (HTW Dresden). The expedition was only realizable with the support of the Guyanese government and the indigenous tribe of Wai-Wai-Amerindian settling in the very south of Guyana. With the support of the Wai-Wai, satellite maps, topographic maps, GPS and a small drone, the source valley was discovered in 2013. The coordinate determined by expedition teams in 2013 deviates by approximately 40`, which corresponds to

1443-593: Was released into the river causing much destruction. The spill was preceded by a smaller sodium cyanide spill in May that killed hundreds of fish. Sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society the German researcher Robert Hermann Schomburgk (1804-1865) investigated the river Essequibo and followed its course to the south-west, while Sipu River flows to a westerly direction. He specified the coordinates of

1482-824: Was then traversed down to its mouth near Georgetown . The primary purpose of the expedition was filming for the BBC series " The World About Us " with the episode "The Forbidden Route" broadcast in November 1971. The secondary purpose was to demonstrate the abilities of a new type of small hovercraft, the Cushioncraft CC7 , thereby promoting sales of this British invention. The expedition team comprised Bob Saunders (BBC producer and team leader), Tommy Tomlinson (CC7 pilot), Jevan Berrangé (navigator and logistics consultant), Len Chrisophers (hovercraft engineer), Peter Smith (sound recordist), and Tony Morrison (cameraman). Fuel dumps for

1521-401: Was unable to reach the source of Mazaruni River, even with training, finances and equipment. The river drops down from each Roraima plateau through three steep sided canyons with many picturesque sets of falls. The first set is Chai-chai Falls. The next is near village of Imbaimadai and the last set is below the village of Kamarang where the Mazaruni River tumbles through last few major falls,

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