48 EI.DORADO 



rock about twelve feet high, and down the boat shot 

 like an arrow — Basil following us in the rapid current 

 and exerting all his strength to keep in midchannel, his 

 head only seen occasionally, like a black spot in the 

 white foam. He owed his life to his skill as a swim- 

 mer, and I determined to take all on board and trust 

 to skill and fortune to reach the other end in safety. 

 We placed ourselves on our knees, with short paddles 

 in our hands, and again commenced our rapid descent. 

 We cleared rock after rock and shot past fall after fall ; 

 becoming familiar with the danger and singing, or 

 rather shouting, we dashed along, when suddenly the 

 boat struck a concealed rock immediately at the foot of 

 a fall, which hurled her over in an instant. Three of 

 my men could not swim and my first feeling was to as- 

 sist them and save some of our effects, but a sharp 

 concussion or two convinced me that I had not yet 

 saved myself. A few strokes brought me into an eddy 

 and I landed on a pile of rocks. Looking around I saw 

 Mr. Preuss had gained the shore on the same side, 

 and a little climbing and swimming soon brought him 

 to mv side. On the opposite side, against the rocks, 

 lay the boat bottomside up, and Lambert was in the act 

 of saving Descoteaux, whom he had grasped by the 

 hair and who could not swim. Each man showed cour- 

 age and generosity in this danger. For a hundred yards 

 below, the current was covered with floating books 

 boxes, bales and blankets, and so strong was the 

 stream that even our heavy instruments in cases kept 

 on the surface, and the sextant circle and the long black 

 box of the telescope were in view at once. All our 

 books, almost everv record of the journey and registers 



