experience of the day. Their remarks were quite
amusing, especially their imitations of the rush of the water, the
bumping of the canoe, and Alcides' sudden disappearance and narrow escape
from drowning.

The waterfall and rapids spread across the river at that spot for some
650 m. During the night of July 24th the thermometer showed a minimum
temperature of 62 deg. F.

I noticed a small streamlet 1 m. wide on the left bank, and to the W.S.W.
a conical hill rising over a gently sloping undulating range 350 ft.
above the river level--that is to say, about 1,400 ft. above the sea
level.

A strong wind sprang up, which caught us sideways and produced such high
waves breaking over the canoe, and so severe a motion, that my men became
ill. We had to stop, until the wind abated, on a small charming island.
As we were approaching the island Alcides sent us right over a rock which
was sticking some 2 ft. above water. The bottom of the canoe was so
scraped in the violent collision that a good deal of the stuffing with
which we had filled the longitudinal crack was torn off, and she quickly
filled with water. When we halted more garments had to be destroyed in
order to fill up the aperture to the best of our ability.

When the storm was over we continued our journey, going over some rapids
in quite a novel way. The men were quarrelling among themselves and had
stopped paddling, the paddles being waved in the air in a threatening way
as they spoke violently to one another. Alcides had also left the
steering gear, and in his fury against the other men had seized his
rifle in order to give force to his words. We were approaching the rapid.
I advised them to continue their quarrel after we had gone through, but
they would not listen to me. The prow of the canoe, just as we were about
to enter the rapid, was caught in a rock, and the canoe swung right
round, so that we shot the rapid floating down stern first. We shipped a
lot of water, the refreshing bath somewhat cooling the excitement of my
men, who, realizing the danger when we entered the whirlpool, took to
paddling again.

I discovered from their conversation during the night that my men were
imbued with the idea that I had a guardian angel attending my person, and
that no matter what happened while they were with me they would have no
mishap.

The river gradually turned northwards again. I noticed on the right side
a hill-range 350 ft. high, extending from south-west to