STERN FOREMOST. 247 



the after part of the boat swung round, and 

 away we went stern foremost at a merry rate 

 down the rapid, and got safely into still 

 water. 



Below this rapid the river (for it was in 

 the dry season, though we had one or two 

 tremendous showers every day) got very 

 shallow, for, the lake being low, the river 

 was so likewise. At last we stuck fast in 

 the sand, and all hands, including myself, 

 turned overboard, to dig a channel to the next 

 deep water. We were two days digging the 

 channel and hauling at the piragua, and had 

 only got half way when we discovered an 

 easier way, and going back by the channel 

 we had dug, soon got afloat again. 



On getting within two or three days' 

 journey from the coast, there are a great 

 many creeks that join the main river, and as 

 we were breakfasting one morning, a small 

 fast-pulling canoe, containing three men, 

 made its appearance from one of them. The 

 men seemed much alarmed on seeing us, and 

 they all fitted an arrow to their slight-looking 

 bows. Our patron said to me, *' They are 

 Caribees; do not say you are Inglese ; for 

 they are so dreadfully alarmed at the name 

 of English, that there is no knowing what 



