58 CEUISE OF THE STEAMER COKWIN. 



the skiu boat. For this service we were obliged to give them something to eat ia addition to a 

 small quantity of tobacco. They all say that they do not want much pay, but "sonu-thiiig to 

 eat." I sent one fellow gunning during the afternoon, and he promi-scd to be back the next day. 

 Onr expedition wound its slow way along the banks of the river, sometimes getting ashcio in 

 .shoal water and sandy bottom, and then escaping, as if miraculously, being dashed onto tlic recks, 

 which were only to be discovered bj' a jieculiar ripi)le on the water. In mid channel there are no 

 obstructions, but alongside of the bank, iu the present stage of the wa'tcr, many jutting rocks lie 

 just beneath the surfa(!e. About 3 ()'(-lock we observed a dangerous ledge which makes out from 

 Some high rocky clilfs on the right and extends about thirty feet into tlie river. All day we have 

 been steaming toward the mountain of the mysterious green stone ; sometimes standing up iilain 

 to our sight and sometimes obscnied by li(!a\y masses of clouds, its presence was ever felt, and it 

 seemeil to me to hohl within its sliadows some mysterious charm, some fasc'inaliiig secret which 

 must be wrested from its grasi». As the day closed and the soft liglit of night came on, we pitched 

 our tent on the side of a woody hill. A beautiful waterfall tumbled down its sides, and amid the 

 trees I saw the familiar forms of the rol)in, the swallow, and the sparrow, and as tiiey fluttered 

 about our camp our tlioughts were carried back to our homes. The river is much discolored by 

 the streams running in from the mountains, and are usually of a dark reddish color, while that of 

 the nurin stream is beautifully clear and several degrees lower in temi)erature. To-day we made 

 16.3 miles. Average temperature, 95°. 



July 20, 1884. — Begins with moderate southeast wind and rain. Mid part wind shilted to 

 northeast and blew strong with heavy rain squalls. Ends light northeast breeze, overcast and 

 passing showers. The left shores were generally low, with rolling country back to the mountains. 

 On the right the banks were high, and occasionally sand bluiis were observed with a sparce growth 

 of i)ine trees on top. In many places the high banks had crumbled away .""nd trees had tumbled 

 down with their toi)s in the water and their roots resting on the accumulation of loose earth near 

 the water's edge. At 1 a. m. called all hands and began usual preparations for the day. At 8.30 

 got under way and stood up the river. In a short time we reached the camp of our Indian fellow- 

 voyagers, and observing a signal made to us we ran in, and th^^ Indian to whom I had given 

 ammunition to hunt with the day before brought us a brace of geese as the result of his night's work. 

 Our stock of meat, small iu the beginning, was growing alarmingly scant. It w as impossible for 

 us to get game without delaying the i)rogress of the expedition, as the geese and ducks feed iu 

 lakes and lagoons from three to live miles in the interior. To-day as I walked along the banks I 

 saw many trsvcks of brown bear, and Amire informed me that he had seen bear and porcupine 

 tracks also during the day on the opposite side. Our advance today was varied by a sea.son of 

 rest from mosquitoes, but we had to submit to a lesser evil in the form of a \ iolcnt rain-storm. 

 The clouds hung low on the mountains early in the morning, and toward noon the wind shifted 

 from southeast to northeast, and blew in strong puti's down the mountain gorges. I saw the wind 

 coming and hastily picked up the skin boat, which was being towed along the banks by the three 

 Indians with Andre in charge, and hoisting our sail we sped up stream at a I'amous rate. For the 

 first time since we entered the river we seemed to be really going ahead, and nr) amount of rain 

 could dampen the enthusiasm of our party. This, however, did not last long. The rain ceased 

 about 4 p. m., and the clouds rolled upwards and rested on the highest i>eaks of the mountains. 

 At 7.30 we camped at the foot of a sandhill on the right side of the river, ha\iug made 26.4 

 miles during the day. Average temperature, 90°. 



Jub/ 21, 188i.— Begins with moderate southeast wind and partly cloudy with i)assing showers, 

 and continued so throughout the day. (Jailed all hands at 4 a. m. and got under way at 8. The 

 general character of the shores remained the same as yesterday, but the current was found to be 

 stronger than ever, and about noon we ran into a i)art of tlu^ river where the channel is divided 

 into two parts by a sand shoal extending for about a tpnirter of a mile i)aiallel to the river's course 

 and reaching nearly from shore to shore. Here the current M'as found to be so strong that it was 

 almost impossible to get ahead at all. Frequent stoi)s had to be made to allow the steam to run up, 

 and the time thus lost was not regained, as we found witli the utmost i)ressure that we could safely 

 carry that wo could not go half as fast as the skin boat, which was being towed and i)addled by 

 the Indians. In view of these circumstances I decided to abandon the launch for the present and 



