188 IN THE GUIANA FOREST. 



rests upon the earth. Perhaps what was once the 

 lower end, near the roots, is actually in the water, 

 and then a barrier is formed against which the 

 current is continually raging. The work of the 

 termites still goes on in that part above water 

 until it crumbles by its own weight, and in a year 

 or so the only portion not decayed and rotten is 

 that which is actually immersed. The flood finds 

 no very great difficulty in dealing with this the 

 heavy rains fall, great floating masses come down 

 and get jammed under the log, the ends are exca- 

 vated from their resting-places, pushed this way 

 and that, carried some distance by the floating raft, 

 and finally dropped in some deep place to remain 

 for ages and go under the name of a tacouba. 



These tacoubas litter the bottom of every river, 

 but it is only in the smaller creeks, when the water 

 gets low, that they can be seen. Within the tidal 

 influence at low water the swift current is seen 

 running over and among them with the velocity of 

 a rapid. At such times the tacoubas endanger a 

 frail craft by uplifting or boring holes as it comes 

 swiftly down the stream, notwithstanding the 

 Indian's skill with his steering paddle. Like the 

 oak logs found in peat, these tacoubas seem to 

 harden under water, and it is impossible to 

 estimate their age. Like rocks, they are un- 



