we were in a basin 800 m. wide and 1,000 m. long.
Strong _corrideiras_ or rapids occurred all the time, and rocks alone or
in groups standing wherever they were not wanted. Farther on we came to
another big basin, 1,000 m. wide, with a square island on its western
side. The island--Eva Island--was 400 m. broad and of course of an equal
length.

Another island, triangular in shape, 700 m. long--Rose Island--was then
observed, after we had gone over some strong rapids in the passage on the
east side of it.

The river was flowing in a northerly direction, and shortly afterwards
formed two channels--one north-west, the other south-west--which soon
joined again.

A beautiful bank of white sand 120 m. long and 4 ft. high stretched along
the edge of the water on the left side of us. Soon afterwards we entered
an immense basin, 1,300 m. broad with a large island--May Island--on its
western side.

One kilometre farther the island ended at a place where a lot of rocks
stood out of the water. A little lower down other rocks spread right
across the river in two parallel lines, forming very strong rapids, which
were shot, our canoe coming within an ace of turning over.

The basin which followed was extremely rocky, with strong whirlpools,
most troublesome to negotiate. Another island of irregular shape, 200 m.
long and 200 m. wide--Rita Island--was found in a large basin, 1,000 m.
broad, where we came to strong rapids and violent eddies and whirlpools,
the latter most dangerous-looking. The water revolved with such force
that it formed in the centre of each vortex holes from one to two feet in
diameter.

The channel flowing north on the left side of the river seemed the better
of the two, but it was strewn with rocks against which we had many
collisions, owing to the strong current, the unmanageable canoe and the
disobedient crew.

Another island 350 m. long--Eloisa Island--was to the north-east of Rita
Island. Fifteen hundred metres farther on another _corrideira_ occurred.
A small tributary entered the Arinos on the right side.

We were then travelling in a N.N.E. direction, the river being in a
straight line for some 3,000 m., in the course of which we came to a
small island on the left side; then to a great island, 3,000 m.
long--Albert Rex Island--with beautiful forest upon it. There were two
other islets in this channel, one a mere cluster of rocks, the other,
north-east of the first and 150 m. in diameter--Belgium