d then to navigate the canoe right across the basin,
where whirlpools of some magnitude were formed, directly over a waterfall
of some height and pouring down great volumes of water with a terrific
roar on the north-east side of the basin; then along the really
terrifying rapid on the south-west side. It was necessary to do that, as
I had observed that it was only on the opposite side of the river that we
could possibly take the canoe down, and no other course was open to us
than to go across that dangerous spot.

We had to be smart about it, or we certainly should have perished. My men
behaved splendidly. We had reloaded the canoe. The quarter of an hour or
so which it took us to cross that basin was somewhat exciting, as we
struggled through the various whirlpools, the current all the time
dragging us closer and closer to the waterfall, while my men were
paddling with all their might and Alcides was steering right against the
current in order to prevent the fatal leap.

I urged the men on, and they paddled and paddled away, their eyes fixed
on the fall which was by that time only a few metres away from us. They
were exhausted in the frantic effort, and their paddles seemed to have no
effect in propelling the canoe. The men, who were always talkative, were
now silent; only the man X exclaimed, as we were only eight or ten metres
from the fall: "Good-bye, father and mother! I shall never see you
again!" The other men gave a ghastly grin.

[Illustration: Preparing to descend a Rapid.]

[Illustration: A Cataract in the Arinos River.]

"Go on! Row! row!--For God's sake row!" I shouted to them, as I saw they
had given themselves up for lost. "Row!" I shouted once more; and as if
the strength had suddenly come back to them they made a frantic effort.
The canoe went a little faster for a minute or two--just enough for us to
clear the waterfall and to drift alongside some rocks which stood in
the centre of the stream. We were saved.

My men were so exhausted that we had to rest there for some time before
we could proceed to cross the dreadful rapid down the other portion of
the barrier.

I was glad we had had that experience, because it showed me that after
all it was possible to make brave men of men who were absolutely
pusillanimous before. When I mentioned that we still had to go over the
other dangerous part, they said, much to my delight:

"We are Brazilians--we are afraid of nothing! We will come with you." And