156 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



-over them. Four bamboos were laid side by side 

 before any of the Indians would venture to pass to 

 the other extremity, though one of them was after- 

 wards drawn away to enter into the composition of 

 the third bridge. They were at length securely 

 lashed together, and then the third bridge was 

 completed with more facility, being somewhat 

 shorter though sloping from a high to a low rock. 

 The fourth and last bridge was short and speedily 

 constructed. It was near noon when the bridges 

 were ready for crossing. It had been raining 

 heavily for some time, and the river already began 

 to show signs of a further rise ; our safety depended 

 therefore on getting over as speedily as possible. 

 And now became evident what I had all along 

 feared, namely, that the second bridge was so long 

 and so weak, and bent so much when a man went 

 over it, that a very little addition to his weight 

 would plainly either cause it to break or the farther 

 end to slip off the rock whereon it rested but too 

 insecurely. To get across my heavy boxes would 

 be plainly impossible; the Indians indeed flatly 

 refused to risk themselves on the bridge under the 

 weight of any one of my boxes. 



It was doubtful if an additional bamboo would 

 make the bridge strong enough, and there was now 

 no time to get one out. I had therefore no alter- 

 native but to leave my goods where they were, and 

 trust to be able to send from Banos to fetch them 

 away. With some difficulty I got across my bed 

 and a change of linen and what little money I had, 

 and left my boxes as well protected as I could 

 from the moisture both above and beneath. 



We were a good while in all getting across, for 



