SUFFERINGS OF THE MEN 259 



their hammocks and blankets they are forced to lie on the 

 damp ground or hard rock, so that they do not obtain the 

 rest they are so much in need of. 



May 4. — Pieces of the raft my companions had built 

 floated past our camp. Started early, drifting with the 

 current, the rest of our party cutting their way through 

 the forest. At about nine o'clock we reached our camp- 

 ing-place of the 4th of last month. How different it 

 looked ! When we had stopped here on the up trip the 

 men had built several huts on the open stretch of sand 

 and rock which then formed the river's bank. The whole 

 place is flooded now, only the roofs of the huts being above 

 water. It had been a cheerful-looking spot a month ago ; 

 now it has a desolate appearance. As we had heard no 

 firing in the forest, nor any shouting, we dropped down 

 stream a little ; then we landed and blew the horn at 

 intervals, so as to let the men know that we were waiting 

 for them. When they joined us they brought no game. 

 The Trinidad boys went into the bush and returned in 

 about an hour's time with a curassow. This was boiled, 

 and the water and bits of half-cooked meat divided up. 

 The men would not go any farther to-day. They said 

 they were tired and chilled, and that they wanted to build 

 ranchos, so that they might have a dry night with fires. 

 Some of the men have borne their hardships and priva- 

 tions well. Others have lost flesh and look quite haggard, 

 Pedro Asoque and Juan Silva have their faces quite 

 swollen, Freddy went out with my twelve-bore and 

 killed a Marimunda,^ which Pancho roasted whole. It 

 was then divided up and the men devoured the limbs like 

 so many cannibals. At night Maite and some others 

 tried to catch fish off the rocks, but without success. 

 ' A species of monkey. 



