suggested that perhaps we
had better let the canoe down with ropes. I had quite made up my mind
that we should lose the canoe for certain in that spot; and had we gone
down in her ourselves we should undoubtedly have lost our lives as well.

When we started taking her down with ropes--our ropes were all rotted by
that time, and had no strength whatever--the canoe was tossed about in a
merciless manner. I recommended my men as they ran along to beware of the
ropes catching on the cutting edges of the high rocks. No sooner had the
canoe started down the swift current than one of the ropes at once caught
on a rock and snapped. The men who held the other rope were unable to
hold it, and let it go. I saw the canoe give three or four leaps in the
centre of the channel and then disappear altogether. That was a sad
moment for me. But as my eye roamed along the foaming waters, what was my
surprise when I saw the canoe shoot out of the water in a vertical
position at the end of the rapid and waterfall! That was the greatest
piece of luck I had on that journey. By being flung out of the water with
such force she naturally emptied herself of all the water she contained,
and I next saw her floating, going round and round the whirlpool at the
bottom of the rapid.

The next problem was how to recover the canoe, as she happened to be on
the opposite side of the stream. There for more than two hours we watched
her going round and round, while we sat on the rocks, absolutely
speechless. Eventually we saw her gradually come out of the whirlpool and
drift slowly in the _recanto_ or backwater on the opposite shore some 400
m. away, revolving slowly around herself.

My men were perplexed. They now said they would all leave me at once and
proceed on foot. Under no circumstances whatever would they accompany me
any more. They must have their pay and go.

So after a few minutes I paid the salaries of all the men, excepting the
man X. To my surprise the men, instead of going, remained seated a little
way off.

I had a plan in my head of swimming across the river below the whirlpool,
where the water was placid although of great width, but I could not very
well place myself in such an awkward position as to leave on the river
bank the large sums of money which I carried on my person. I certainly
could not swim across such a long distance, and in such a current, with
the heavy bags of coin and banknotes round my waist. I feared--in fact,
felt