the Madeira River.]

Filippe and I had already got on board, when Benedicto appeared with a
huge punting pole he had cut himself in case we might need it. He was
excited over the prospect of having no more walking to do. When he got
near he jumped on board so clumsily that the already too heavily laden
raft turned over and we were all flung into the water--there 7 ft. deep.
When I came to the surface again I just managed to pull the craft
ashore and then proceeded to save Benedicto and Filippe, who were
struggling in the water, which was too deep for them.

This mishap was unfortunate. My chronometer got full of water and
stopped; the aneroids, the camera, all were injured beyond repair. Much
to my distress, I also discovered that the watertight cases, which had
been knocked about so much of late, had let the water through before I
had time to turn the raft the right way up and pull out of the water the
baggage which was fastened to it. The four hundred developed negatives
had all got soaked. My note-books, too, were drenched through.

Another heavy task was before me now, in order to save all that valuable
material. It was to spread everything to dry thoroughly in the wind
before it could be packed again.

Filippe and Benedicto were so scared that on no account, they said, would
they go on board that raft again. The accident occurred at about nine
o'clock in the morning; by one or two o'clock in the afternoon everything
was dry and carefully repacked.

We decided to make a fresh start. My feet were so swollen, and with
hardly a patch of skin left on them, that I could walk no more. It was
agreed that Filippe and Benedicto should go on walking along the left
bank as much as possible, while I alone, with the baggage, navigated the
river. We would keep in touch by occasional shouts.

I got along pretty well, floating down with the current; but paddling and
punting were most difficult, the raft being almost impossible to steer.
On several occasions I had narrow escapes, just avoiding striking
dangerous rocks--particularly going down a small _corrideira_.

After I had gone about two kilometres I was so exhausted that I called to
Filippe to come on board again. Eventually--and I must say that I admired
his courage--he came on board, and the two of us proceeded quite well
down the stream, one paddling, the other punting.

We got into a small rapid, where the current was strong. We were
unfortunately thrown violently a