land. Had it not been for the fear of
being caught by an anaconda or alligator, this would have been the less
fatiguing mode of proceeding; but as we made our way through the dark
waters, I could not avoid having very uncomfortable feelings on the
subject. In some places the water was sufficiently shallow to enable us
to wade without difficulty, showing that the land must here be much
higher, and giving us hopes that we should, before long, reach dry
ground. The most difficult work was walking along the submerged logs,
for we had carefully to balance ourselves, to prevent falling off. At
the end we had generally to climb up the roots or branches, and make our
way along the low boughs, sometimes having to swing ourselves off from
one to the other by means of the sepos. Several times the boughs
threatened to give way beneath our feet; and once Arthur and I were
plunged into a mass of rotten brushwood and water, where we should
certainly have lost our lives had not Kallolo quickly hauled us out
again with the rope. At length, thoroughly fatigued, we saw, just as
the dawn was breaking, the log and our friends on it, who were anxiously
looking out for us, as we had been absent much longer than they had
expected us to be.

We were thankful to take off our wet trousers and shirts, and cover
ourselves up in Uncle Paul's and my father's cloaks while our own
clothes were hung up to dry. This did not take long in the hot air. We
were too tired to eat, and therefore lay down to sleep till
breakfast-time; while Kallolo, who was well accustomed to that sort of
work, gave an account of our expedition to my father and Uncle Paul.

When I awoke, I found breakfast prepared; and putting on my clothes, I
sat down to eat it. We had ventured to light a small fire, as Kallolo
assured us that the Indians would not observe the smoke at the distance
they were from us. A decoction from some leaves, which served us as
tea, had been boiled in the iron pot. I could have drunk any quantity
of it, but found myself utterly unable to eat anything. Arthur was much
in the same state; indeed, he felt even worse than I did. Our friends
became very anxious, for, without shelter or any remedies against
disease, should we become really ill the matter would be very serious.
Kallolo, seeing the condition we were in, immediately set to work and
cut a quantity of palm branches, with which, aided by Tim, he formed a
sort of arbour to shelter us from t