of great height, with yellow ball-like blooms,
enlivened the scenery as we went along. We had little time to appreciate
the beauty of the vegetation--we were too busy with the river. No sooner
had we got through one rapid than we came to another alarming one, with a
sudden drop of over 6 ft. and enormous volumes of water pouring over it.

This rapid described an arc of a circle, forming an awe-inspiring
whirlpool below the actual fall. We had some trouble in finding a place
where we could get the canoe through. Eventually, with water up to our
necks, we let her gradually down the high step in the middle of the
river, we standing with great difficulty on submerged rocks. We had then
to make several journeys backwards and forwards to convey the various
loads to the canoe after we had brought her to a place of safety, our
baggage having been left on rocks in mid-stream. This was extremely risky
work, for the current was powerful and the water reached in some places
up to our necks. I was anxious for the men who could not swim, as I was
afraid any moment they might be washed away, and not only should I lose
them but also the valuable instruments, photographic plates, etc., which
they were conveying across.

Again that day I had seen since the early morning our friend the little
white solitary cloudlet, standing out motionless against the otherwise
speckless blue sky. Not only that, but on that particular day I could
just perceive, directly under that cloudlet, a faint column of white mist
connecting it vertically with the ground. I knew by that sign that we
could not be far off a big waterfall; in fact, I could hear a distant
rumble which made me suspect that we were much nearer than we supposed.

The river was flowing to 70 deg. b.m. Two other rapids--most violent--were
reached within a short distance of each other; then, shortly beyond these
obstacles, where the river described a graceful turn, we had before us a
great surprise. We heard a loud roar like thunder; it had been getting
louder and louder, and grew quite deafening when we turned round the
corner. Behold! we had no more scenery upon the horizon before us on the
river, but the sky came right down to the water. Great clouds of mist
rose up in quick succession in graceful circles. There was an island in
the centre of the stream; then to the left of the island the sky again
came right down to the water. There a curious effect was to be seen, a
high pointed cone o