In grandiose country, part equatorial forest, part savannah, between the Amazon and the Orinoco, lies a zone of intruigingly strange mountains. Their tabular summits disappear into the mist, which for centuries kept them apart from man. They belong to the Guyana shield, a geological entity that dates from time immemorial; more precisely, they are part of what is known as "Gondwana", the super continent that gave birth to Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America.

The "discovery" of these "tepuis" - the name given by the Indians to these mountains, the dwelling place of their gods - is recent. Even more recent are the first scientific expeditions that braved their steep slopes in search of an animal and plant realm which includes numerous endemic species and varieties hitherto unknown to modern science.

The "tepuis" are in fact "inselbergs" (mountain-islands), with completely original ecosystems, cut off from the world below. Life here has gone its own way for thousands of years; evolution has been determined by a rigorous climate in which winds, rain and mist occasionally subside, allowing a scorching sun to shine through.

This lunar environment, engendered by constant erosion, has produced a world of its own. Animals and plants cohabit in precarious equilibrium. The genius of nature has excelled : hairy caterpillars, tough, leathery-skinned frogs, prehistoric lizards, hairy tarentulas and the most fierce-looking aquatic larvae fight ferociously for survival amid weird and wonderful plants, many of which have become carnivorous, possibly because the barren soil could barely feed them. These carnivores sport an array of dazzling colours, all the better to attract their prey, or hide their mortal traps behind long, falsely protective leaves. Wild orchids have also found here the perfect place to exhibit their multi-coloured flowers.

The aim of the Franco-American scientific expedition to several of these mountains in December 1998 was to explore and testify to the extraordinary beauty of this little-known area. To the scientists, who had first to climb to the summit of the tepuis to begin their task, the identification of these little-known or totally unknown animal and plant species was nothing beyond the normal call of duty. But the team also included scent specialists who for the first time ever were to attempt to gather and analyse there and then the fragrances given off by these hitherto unknown flowers, mosses and plants.

It was indeed the first expedition of its kind in the world, using an incredible machine designed and built in the United States - a "Head Space", which "picks up" the odoriferous molecules of flowers and plants without removing any part of them or damaging them in any way. The aim of the exercise is to show the world that such wonders as the tepuis exist, whilst preserving these "islands" of original nature for future generations.