eave at eight o'clock the next morning; we seldom could
make an earlier start, owing to the slowness of my men in getting their
breakfast and mine ready, and reloading the canoe, as all the baggage was
taken out every night. Where we had made camp, Victor Emmanuel Island
came to an end, the length of the island being some 14 kil. We had great
fun just before leaving, the _ariranhas_ coming boldly to attack us as we
were getting into the canoe. Our dogs, which had been squealing and
growling the whole night at the unmusical shrieks of the _ariranhas_, now
jumped into the water, and there was a fierce fight between them and the
amphibious animals. My men, as usual, fired a great many shots.
Eventually we recovered our dogs and started off once more on our
journey.

The river flowed from that point at first mostly in a north-easterly
direction and in a somewhat winding course; then gradually tended toward
the north-west. In the western part of a large basin 1,200 m. broad were
two islands and innumerable rocks. Then, farther on, one more long rocky
barrier extended from north-west to south-east in the north-western part
of the basin. Once more did we have to let the canoe down the terrific
rapids by means of ropes.

Where the river turned to the north-west it was 500 m. wide and most
beautiful. A great many islands were seen, and innumerable rocks barred
the entrance of the channel at the end of the basin above described. Soon
after, however, we entered another basin 1,000 m. wide, with more islands
and rapids fairly easy to negotiate. Once more did the river turn due
north for 6,000 m., after we had gone over another swift and most
troublesome rapid, where we had to unload our baggage and take the canoe
down carefully with ropes. After that we entered a long channel strewn
with rocks. We had not gone far when another strong rapid was
encountered, over another great barrier of rock. No sooner had we
negotiated that difficult passage than another great barrier of rock,
also from south-west to north-east, had to be gone over through a
troublesome rapid.

My men were getting tired of exploring, and were perplexed, because the
more dangers we surmounted the greater seemed the dangers confronting us.
They were beginning to lose the nerve they had temporarily acquired, and
were now so scared at the vicious waters that they tried to keep the
canoe all the time close to the banks or islands, the river being so deep
that they th