ty, and without the least exertion on our part, except in the
matter of steering. This was done by means of paddles from the side of
the craft. We made such rapid progress that I felt inclined to go on all
night, but shortly after dusk Yamba persuaded me to pull in-shore and
camp on the bank until morning, because of the danger of travelling at
night among the logs and other wreckage that floated about on the surface
of the water.

We passed any number of submerged trees, and on several of these found
snakes coiled among the branches. Some of these reptiles we caught and
ate. About the middle of the second day we heard a tremendous roar
ahead, as though there were rapids in the bed of the river. It was now
impossible to pull the catamaran out of its course, no matter how hard we
might have striven, the current being absolutely irresistible. The banks
narrowed as the rapids were reached, with the result that the water in
the middle actually became _convex_, so tremendous was the rush in that
narrow gorge. Yamba cried out to me to lie flat on the catamaran, and
hold on as tightly as I could until we reached smooth water again. This
she did herself, seizing hold of the dog also.

Nearer and nearer we were swept to the great seething caldron of boiling
and foaming waters, and at last, with a tremendous splash we entered the
terrifying commotion. We went right under, and so great was the force of
the water, that had I not been clinging tenaciously to the catamaran I
must infallibly have been swept away to certain death. Presently,
however, we shot into less troubled waters and then continued our course,
very little the worse for having braved these terrible rapids. Had our
craft been a dug-out boat, as I originally intended it to be, we must
inevitably have been swamped. Again we camped on shore that night, and
were off at an early hour next morning. As we glided swiftly on, I
noticed that the river seemed to be growing tremendously wide. Yamba
explained that we were now getting into very flat country, and therefore
the great stretch of water was a mere flood. She also prophesied a
rather bad time for us, as we should not be able to go ashore at night
and replenish our stock of provisions. Fortunately we had a sufficient
supply with us on the catamaran to last at least two or three days
longer. The last time we landed Yamba had stocked an additional quantity
of edible roots and smoked meats, and although we