with the result that those former
friends became my bitterest enemies, as he had insulted them. He was one
of the men who cannot open their mouths without offending. Wasteful to an
incredible degree, his only ambition was to show how much he could
spend--especially when he was spending other people's money--a most
trying thing for me when we were, months before, near any shop. When you
mentioned anything to him he immediately said that it was impossible to
do it, no matter how simple the matter was. He spent hours looking at
himself in a small pocket mirror he carried on his person, and would
grumble for long hours over the stings of mosquitoes and gnats which had
dared to spoil his features. He used violent language against the
impudent rocks which had injured his feet.

His brutality to men and beasts alike was most hurtful to me. He once
abandoned his favourite dog on an island, simply because he had kicked it
viciously the day before and the dog would not respond to his calls and
enter the canoe. He now proposed to kill the other dogs, as he said they
had finished their work as watch-dogs, since we never came across any
Indians, and it was no use taking them along.

CHAPTER XV

Mutiny and Threats--Wasted Efforts--Awful Waters--The Canoe
escapes in a Violent Rapid--Another Mutiny--The Canoe
recovered--An Appalling Vortex--The Fall of S. Simao--Cutting an
Artificial Channel in the Rocks

BRAZILIANS of a low class are unfortunately easily led by words. Alcides,
who could not get over his bad temper, once more incited the men to
revolt. While I was busy taking altitude observations with the
hypsometrical apparatus I kept my eye on them, as I saw plainly that I
was coming in for trouble.

Unfortunately for us another bad part of the rapid had to be negotiated,
and the only way possible was to take the canoe overland once more. With
Alcides at their head, all the men were now in open rebellion, and
absolutely refused to work.

"Very good," I said to them. "If you do not like to take the canoe along
we shall stay here. I like this spot very much, as it is most
picturesque."

The men filled the magazines of their rifles with cartridges, and then
came threateningly toward me, shoving the muzzles right in my face.

"You must give us food," said they. "We want to eat, and we want to be
taken back to our country."

I advised them to take a walk in the forest and see if they could shoot
s