idently at one time joined together, forming a lozenge-shaped island,
and had been eroded in the centre by the back-wash of the stream at the
spot where it formed an angle.

Where the river turned from 315 deg. b.m. to 340 deg. b.m., it was much strewn
with sharp cutting rocks. We were thrown with great violence on one of
these and very nearly capsized. Great heaps of volcanic boulders were now
seen on the right side of the channel, and one island 50 m. long--Nora
Island--with a few shrubs on it.

[Illustration: A Dangerous Rapid.]

[Illustration: Taking the Canoe and Part of the Baggage down a
Narrow Passage among Rocks.]

A great heap of rock was fixed in the centre of the stream, forming a
kind of spur, beyond which a regular barrier of rock spread from
south-west to north-east right across the stream. We had difficulty in
finding a suitable passage, but eventually got through close to the right
bank in a small _corrideira_, easily recognizable by subsequent
travellers, as by the side of it was a rocky hill of a conical shape 30
ft. high with a tuft of trees on its summit. On both banks of the stream
rubber trees were plentiful. For 5,000 m. the river had been proceeding
in a perfectly straight line to the N.N.W.

My work was extremely tiring, as not only was my time employed surveying
the river carefully and writing up plentiful notes, but also I had to
control the navigation as much as I could and be ready for any emergency,
owing to the capricious nature of my men and their unbounded
disobedience. Orders could not be given direct, as they were always
disobeyed, so that to obtain what I wished I generally had to give the
contrary order. For instance, if I wanted to avoid a rock I ordered
Alcides to run the canoe on to the rock; if I wanted to shoot a rapid I
ordered them to take the canoe down with ropes, and so on.

Innumerable rocks were now encountered all the time. In places regular
great tables or platforms of polished rock were to be seen under the
surface in the clear water. A wonderful group of gigantic rocks was then
reached, with a most charming island peeping through behind.

We came to an island 450 m. long and 30 m. wide--Anna Island--where two
more barriers of rock were found right across the stream. Beyond, a bank
150 m. long of deliciously white sand was observed, where some 2 kil. of
placid navigation was gone through; but no sooner had we covered that
short distance than strong eddies were