1 76 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAT. 



wish to be deserted by the Indians. ... At length 

 we reached the cataracts of the Topo, which have to 

 be crossed by throwing over them four bamboo 

 bridges from one side to rocks in the middle and 

 thence to the opposite side. As far as we could 

 see up and down it, it was one mass of foam, 

 with here and there black rocks standing out, and 

 so much swollen that one of the rocks used as a 

 support for the bridges was completely under 

 water. Here we waited two days and nights in the 

 vain expectation of seeing the waters subside ; 

 and finding ourselves on the point to perish of 

 hunger, we with great risk threw bridges across 

 at a place some way higher up. One of the middle 

 bridges was so long (at least 40 feet), that the 

 three slender bamboos of which it consisted almost 

 broke under the weight of a man, even unloaded, 

 and it was found impossible to get my boxes across. 

 I crossed myself and got over my bed and a change 

 of clothes, and the last of my party had scarcely 

 got over when the waters rose and swept the 

 bridge away. In three days more we reached 

 Banos, and my first care was to seek out and pay 

 fresh cargueros to fetch my baggage from the 

 Topo. Eleven days they waited ere the river 

 went down, and twice I had to send them out 

 supplies of provisions. My goods had been left 

 under a rucle rancho, thatched with Anthurium 

 leaves (for there were no palms near) ; but when 

 the men found them the leaves had fallen on them 

 and there rotted ; the leather covering of the 

 trunks was half rotten and full of maggots ; yet 

 fortunately the contents were very slightly injured. 

 You can perhaps fancy my sorrowful position in 



