IVMIA 199 



them. It was truly an ideal spot for a camp. While I 

 lay on the sand enjoying the beauties of the scenery, 

 Maite, who like old Nestor delighted in telling stories of 

 his youth, sat beside me, and related how his brother and 

 four others of his tribe had perished in the pool many 

 years before when he was but a boy. They had started 

 from their home in the mountains at the sources of the 

 Erewato with the intention of reaching San Pedro, where 

 they expected to obtain knives, beads, and such other 

 trifles as gladden an Indian's heart. "When they got 

 to Para they found that the river ^vas in flood and the 

 whirlpool looked dangerous ; still five of the party 

 determined to make the attempt in their boat. In 

 describing the incident Maite made use of a series of 

 impressive gestures. He pointed to the middle of the 

 pool ; he swept his arms round wildly ; then he made a 

 movement as of one about to dive, and he gasped like a 

 drowning man ; finally, he lay his head upon his hands 

 and closed his eyes. The boat had been drawn into the 

 whirlpool, had been swept round and round, and had 

 then been sucked in. The men had struggled awhile, 

 fighting wildly for that life we prize so dearly, but their 

 efforts were vain. They had gone to rest with those who 

 sleep eternally. 



Perhaps some day the falls of Para will be put to a 

 remunerative use. Considering that in the forest around 

 are many valuable tropical woods, the erection of a saw- 

 mill in this spot might be a paying concern, but I do 

 not believe that there is any chance of this occurring 

 in the near future. Personally I prefer to think of Para 

 in its wild uninhabited beauty, than to conjure up the 

 picture of some hideous timber building surrounded by 

 hovels at the foot of the falls. 



