«68 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



sand at the rapids of Arichi. Again it rained all night, 

 and when day dawned we found that the river had risen 

 so much that there was nearly a foot of water under our 

 hammocks. 



May 11. — By ten o'clock the men had got the boat 

 over the portage and we were ready to continue our 

 journey. It would have been impossible to get the boat 

 through this last part of the rapids with the whole of us 

 in her, so * the Pirate,' Maite, and myself took our places, 

 paddle in hand, while the others started to walk over 

 the hills so as to meet us lower down. We had to take 

 Jacobson with us. Not only was he unable to move 

 about, but if he attempted to stand he would topple over 

 in the most ridiculous fashion. In spite of our sufferings 

 and the gravity of our position, we could not help laugh- 

 ing at his strange performances. We crossed over to the 

 right, and then lowered the boat for some distance along 

 the bank, keeping close to the shore. In this manner we 

 managed to get below the ledge which is at the head of 

 the gorge forming the last channel of the rapids. When 

 we had ascended the river this gorge had not given us 

 much trouble, but we saw that it would be impossible to 

 get the boat through the lower end of it in its flooded 

 condition, as the last stretch was like a seething cauldron 

 through which no boat could pass without being swamped. 

 We noticed, however, that there was a narrow channel on 

 the left, a few yards above where the big waves commenced. 

 If we could reach this channel, it might be possible to 

 get the boat through it. So far as we could judge from 

 where we were this was our only chance. AVe paddled 

 across with all our strength, starting at a point at the 

 head of the gorge, yet so powerful was the current that 

 we only just succeeded in making the channel. A second 



