nt over a great _filare_--by which
word the Italians cleverly define an extensive alignment in the
stratum--of rock of extreme hardness which had evidently been fractured
in some violent commotion of the earth, and had left sharp edges which
cut just like knives close to the surface of the water. This rocky
obstacle extended as usual from south-east to north-west.

A tiny streamlet entered the river on the left not far from the hill
range on that same side. The trees in that particular region had a most
peculiar appearance: their high, perfectly straight stems, quite free
from branches or leaves up to their very summit, looked like so many
columns, mostly of a whitish colour. Many, however, were encircled,
others absolutely smothered with creepers. The scenery was really
beautiful; it was like travelling through fairyland.

In the centre of the basin 400 m. wide to which we next came was an
island, 80 m. in diameter--Gingillo Island--and to the south-west of it a
small islet with an extensive beach and accumulation of rocks in a
northerly direction. On the southern side of the river a sand beach,
interspersed with rocks, spread almost across, as far as the latter
island.

I took 55 astronomical sights in order to get the exact latitude and
longitude (lat. 10 deg. 30'.7 S.; long. 58 deg. 19' W.), and to check the time of
the second chronometer, which still remained in my possession. We had
made poor progress that day as far as the distance went--only 17 kil. 100
m.

We had come to some nasty rapids, which at first looked quite impassable
by water, some of the waves shooting up so high in the air as to make it
out of the question for any canoe to go through.

There was another extensive _filare_ of rock, so beautifully polished
that it looked almost as if it had been varnished over. It was evidently
an ancient flow of lava, with great holes in it here and there. The flow
spread from south-west to north-east, was of a brilliant shining yellow,
and most beautiful to look at.

I had to make my camp on the rocks near this rapid, where we unloaded the
canoe in order to take her down by means of ropes by the eastern
channel--very narrow and very unpleasant, but it was the only one
possible. It was all we could do to hold the canoe as she tobogganed down
the incline, and we had some nasty falls on the slippery rock trying to
hold her.

We had a dangerous bit of work to do the moment we had descended the
rapid, for we ha