I have given to know that my friend had
escaped! I could scarcely feel as thankful as I ought to have done for
my own preservation, when I thought that he had been lost.

The whole river seemed filled with uprooted trees; in some places bound
together by the sipos, they formed vast masses--complete islands. On
several we could see creatures moving about. Here and there several
terrified monkeys, which had taken shelter from the storm in a hollow
trunk, were now running about, looking out in vain for some means of
reaching the shore. Ahead of us we distinguished some large animal on a
floating mass, but whether jaguar, puma, or tapir, at that distance I
could not make out. No trace of the Indians or their canoe could we
discover. It was evident that they had been entirely overwhelmed;
indeed, as far as we could judge, the landslip had commenced close to
the spot where we had last seen them, and they could not have had the
warning which we received before the cliff was upon them. Not for a
moment, however, notwithstanding all the terrifying circumstances
surrounding me, were my thoughts taken off Arthur. Wounded as he had
been by the poisoned dart, I feared that, even had he not been struck by
the bough of a falling tree, he would have sunk through weakness
produced by the poison. It made me very sad. Duppo was trying to
comfort me, but what he said I could not understand. Our own position
was indeed dangerous in the extreme. Any moment the tree might roll
over, as we saw others doing round us: we might be unable to regain a
position on the upper part. Should we escape that danger, and be driven
on the bank inhabited by the hostile Majeronas, they would very probably
put us to death. I had, however, providentially my ammunition-belt
round my waist, and my gun had been preserved; I might, therefore, fight
for life, and if we escaped, kill some animals for our support. Should
we not reach the land, and once enter the main river, we might be
carried down for hundreds of miles, day after day, and, unable to
procure any food, be starved to death. Ellen and John would be very
anxious at our non-appearance. These and many similar thoughts crossed
my mind. I fancied that had Arthur been with me I should have felt very
differently, but his loss made my spirits sink, and I could hardly keep
up the courage which I had always wished to maintain under difficulties.
Duppo's calmness put me to shame. True looked up in