rt of half an
hour in the formidable current. For a moment, when the canoe was in the
centre where the current was strongest and we were making no headway, I
saw a bad look-out for us. I urged them on with shouts of "_Rema!
rema!_" (Row! row!) and at last, in a desperate effort, the canoe once
more moved forward. It was a relief indeed when men and baggage were
safely landed on the opposite side.

All were so exhausted that for a couple of hours it was out of the
question to resume work. I occupied that time in taking observations for
altitude and longitude, tortured to death as usual by the innumerable
bees and _piums_. (Lat. 8 deg. 54'.6 S.; long. 58 deg. 51' W.)

The temperature in the sun was 107 deg. F. The red and black volcanic rocks
radiated such heat that we were nearly stifled in the enclosed basin
which was formed by the hill range.

In the afternoon we began with the second part of the dangerous task of
endeavouring to take the canoe through the current in a north-easterly
direction. The channel in that cut was 200 m. long and only 50 m. wide.

The rock was laminated in layers 6 ft. thick, which had been subsequently
baked into a solid mass. The lower portion, of beautiful black and quite
shiny, threw up by contrast the vivid red colour of the upper part.

[Illustration: The Salto Augusto (Upper Terrace).]

We had an exciting time when we started the canoe with ropes down that
rapid. We ran with bare feet upon the sharp broiling rocks. We could not
possibly stand on them with our shoes on. We ran along for all we were
worth, in order to prevent the canoe escaping. We climbed up and down
great cuts from 10 to 30 ft. high in the rock, never letting go the
ropes. Our agility that day was remarkable. Even poor Alcides, whose
foot I had wrapped up with a piece of my shirt, was coming along
pluckily, regardless of the pain which he certainly suffered. Once or
twice, when we remained slightly behind in that awful race, the canoe
nearly pulled us into the water from our high point on the rocks some 30
to 50 ft. above.

Those 200 m. of channel seemed miles long to us. Eventually, the canoe
was brought out safely at the other end. With bleeding feet and hands we
returned once more to our point of departure in order to convey all our
baggage upon our backs. After two or three journeys backwards and
forwards we were able to proceed a short distance down the river, where
we could find a suitable camping-place to r