ch a wall, 100 ft. high, of brilliantly yellow rock
in its lower part, with 15 ft. of vivid red rock above, diverted the
stream almost at a right angle toward the west. Rapids and eddies were
encountered after passing an obstruction of accumulated gravel in the
centre of the river, there 50 m. wide.

Giant trees, not unlike weeping willows, bent over the river, their
streamers touching the water. A rocky barrier extended as far as the
centre of the stream, leaving only one safe passage on the left side
close to the bank. The stream was at that point 100 m. broad, and of
great beauty, in a straight line north for 7,400 m.

My men were beginning to paddle a little better, and we were travelling
at a considerable speed with the current. We had glorious weather, and
although the heat was great our travelling was perfectly delightful. In
the daytime we were not worried much by insects. The canoe now and then
stuck fast in shallow places or upon rocks, but we all jumped gaily into
the water and pushed her along until she floated again. Those baths in
the deliciously clear water were quite refreshing. We generally jumped in
clothes and all, and left it to the sun to dry the garments upon our
backs and legs. I usually wore pyjamas while travelling in the canoe, as
they were more comfortable than other clothes and dried quicker when we
came out of the water again.

Many sharp successive turns were met next in the course of the river,
which then showed stunted vegetation on the right bank and thick forest
on the left. A high natural wall, 100 ft. high, of bright cadmium yellow
for 30 ft. in its lower part, of vivid red for 50 ft. above that, and
darker red above, barred our way in front (north). On its summit were
peculiar white-barked slender trees--so white that they looked almost as
if they had been painted, but of course they had not. The entire centre
of the river, forming there an extensive basin, was blocked by a high
bank of gravel, leaving merely narrow channels close to the banks. The
high wall deflected the stream from 290 deg. to bearings magnetic 30 deg.. A
range of hills some 300 ft. high then appeared before us, extending from
N.N.W. to S.S.E.

We went over a stony place which obstructed almost the entire river,
except a narrow channel close to the banks. That was followed by rapids.
Some 2 kil. 300 m. farther, a hill range to the north switched the stream
sharply from north to north-west, which direction it kep