CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 148 
or a root of the manioc, examining the articles offered him 
fifty times, giving them back, taking them again, exchanging 
them for something else, and after putting patience to the 
test for an hour, often taking up his goods and marching off, 
because he could not get twice or thrice what he first asked. 
Aug. 12. At nine this morning we weighed, and with the 
aid of the oars, and a track rope at times, got the boats up 
along the south shore, until we came to a large sand bank ex- 
tending two-thirds across the river ; here we crossed over to 
the other side, and ran along it as far as a little island named 
yt eet Here we found the current so rapid, that with 
a strong breeze and the oars we could not pass it ; besides, 
having observed when up here in the gig, that the north shore 
above this island was extremely foul, I crossed over, and 
after considerable difficulty succeeded in getting to an anchor 
in a fine little cove named Nomaza, entirely out of the cur- 
rent. In crossing the river we passed several whirlpools, 
which swept the sloop round and round in spite of her oars 
‘and sails, and not without some danger to so low and deep 
laden a boat. These vortices are formed in an instant, last 
but a few moments with considerable noise, and subside as 
quickly. ‘The punt got into one of them and entirely disap- 
peared in the hollows, so that the depression of the vortex 
must have been three or four feet. The schooner could not 
