certain--that in the mood in which my men were that day, the moment
I entered the water and was quite helpless they would fire at me and get
away with everything I possessed. I knew that they would never dare to do
it unless they could catch me in a helpless condition.

[Illustration: Rapid through which Author took his Canoe.]

I called Antonio--who was an excellent swimmer--and said that I offered a
reward of L10 to any men who swam across and recovered the canoe.
Antonio reflected deeply for some time, then consented to go if another
man went with him. For nearly an hour he confabulated with Filippe the
white man, who was also a splendid swimmer. It was with some relief that
I saw the two eventually enter the water, after a paddle had been tied
with long strings round each of their waists in order that they might be
able to bring the canoe back.

At the point where they started the river was 200 m. wide. Although
seemingly placid the current was strong. They drifted down some 300 m.--I
with my telescope keeping a sharp watch on the canoe, which was still
going round and round, and was now once more almost entirely filled with
water. No sooner had the men, quite exhausted, reached the opposite bank
than the canoe, which had been in that spot for some hours, for some
reason or other started out and proceeded to float down stream in the
very centre of the river. Filippe the negro and I at once started on a
chase on our side of the water, in case she came near enough to seize
her. I shouted and signalled to the men on the opposite bank to swim
across once more to try and catch her in mid-stream.

As luck would have it, after a chase of several kilometres, over cutting
rocks and great banks of sand in which we sank up to our knees--while the
naked men with their paddles ran as fast as they could on the opposite
bank--the canoe drifted close to the other bank once more, and the men
were able to board her. It was a great relief to me when at last the
canoe was brought over to our side and we towed her back so as to get
the baggage on board and proceed on our journey.

Each of the two men who had rescued the canoe at once received the reward
I had offered, and Filippe the negro, who had shown willingness in
recovering the boat, also received a handsome present.

The entire day of August 12th had been spent in going those few hundred
metres of the rapid. Our camp that evening was but 400 m. from that of
the day before.