Mathematics
Grenville expounds, "As a chaplain had his Gospels, Rooke had his own sacred text in which his God made himself plain: mathematics. Man had been given a brain that could think in numbers, and it could not be coincidence that the world was unlocked by that very tool. To understand any aspect of the cosmos was to look in the face of God: no directly, but by a species of triangulation, because to think mathematically was to feel the action of God in oneself." Equating mathematics to religion underscores' Rooke's passion for mathematical principles. His interest and focus on mathematical studies are comparable to a study of religious texts. Rooke considers mathematics to be a material subject in the deconstruction of the universe.
“Black faces”
Grenville writes, "Everywhere Rooke saw the black faces of the slaves that Lancelot Percival had spoken of. He saw women in a muddy yard, doubled over tubs scrubbing away at laundry, shouting to each other above the splashing. He paused to listen, hearing a language like nothing he had ever heard before." Here, the black faces are representative of Africans who are subjected to poor conditions that are evident. They are unique in terms of language and mannerisms. Rooke's encounter with the back faces is vital for him to revaluate the predominant notion concerning the British Empire's endorsement of slavery.
Ravines
Grenville recounts, “They climbed down ravines full of creepers that caught around their ankles and hauled themselves up the steep rocky slopes on the other side from which they could see another ravine.” Ravines have not been fully explored as evidenced in the overgrown creepers. The ravines are symbolic of an archetypal Old World.
Compass
Grenville remarks, “At the back of the line, Rooke had a compass in one hand, a notebook in the other, his pencil behind his ear, counting his paces and noting each direction.” The compass is useful in guiding them throughout the ravines. Rooke consults it so he can discern which direction the team is headed.
'Namelessness'
Grenville writes, “the place flowed past, a blur of namelessness. Tree. Another tree. Bush. Another sort of bush. White flower. Yellow flower. Red flower. To be unable to give things their proper names was to be like a child again.” Rooke and the team come across a myriad of plants which he is unacquainted with. He is not familiar with the names because he has never encountered them before. Equating Rooke to a child accentuates his lack of knowledge concerning the existence of diverse plants they encounter in the course of their exploration.
