ravel
which stood in the middle of the channel. After we had travelled for
2,500 m., a basin some 1,400 m. wide opened again, with a small
island, 400 m. long, in the centre--M. Adams Island. This charming islet
had a picturesque headland of rock on the south side, and a long spur,
also of rock, to the north. We made our camp here. The river was really
marvellously beautiful at this point, the vegetation all round being
vigorous and healthy, with a great wealth of rubber trees, while the huge
volcanic rocks strewn about added much to the picturesqueness of the
scene.

It was warm during the night (minimum temperature 63 deg. F.), and we were
treated to a most tormenting concert of mosquitoes. They swarmed
positively in millions around us. With my bed and bedding which I had
lost in the rapids I had unfortunately also lost my mosquito net, and I
now was suffering greatly from the stings of all the troublesome insects.
My bones were aching all over from sleeping on the uneven packing-cases
placed in a row which now formed my bed. It took too much time and
trouble to unfasten the straps and buckles which kept the boxes tightly
closed, and they did not add to the comfort when one lay spread on them.

When we left in the morning of July 28th, going along a beautiful stretch
of close upon 25 kil. in great expanses from 4,000 to 6,000 m. long, we
passed first of all an elongated quadrangular island 1,500 m. long; then
farther on great masses of volcanic rock. At the end of that stretch the
river divided into two channels separated by an equilateral-triangular
island, the side of which was 2,000 m.--Minerva Island. Another island,
also of great beauty, and with a considerable number of rubber trees upon
it, was found a little farther, and there a bar of sand spread beneath
shallow water right across the stream.

We had gone 31,500 m. that morning. When we found a most beautiful beach
of lovely sand we could not resist the temptation of halting on it to
prepare our lunch. Our surprise was great when we set foot on the beach
to hear shrill whistles beneath us. The beach was formed of whistling--or
singing--sand. The reason the sand was musical was because some large
insects had bored thousands of holes of great depth into its moistened
mass, which allowed the holes to retain their form. When the sand was
trodden the pressure drove the warmish air contained in those holes with
great force through the contracted apertures and cau