1 85 i.J FALLS ON THE UAUPES. 197 



canoe was entirely unloaded, all the cargo carried along a 

 rugged path through the forest, and the canoe taken round 

 a projecting point, where the violence of the current and the 

 heaving waves of the fall render it impossible for anything 

 but a small empty oba to pass, and even that with great 

 difficultyi 



The path terminated at a narrow channel, through which a 

 part of the river in the wet season flows, but which in the 

 summer is completely dry. Were it not for this stream, the 

 passage of the rapids in the wet season would be quite 

 impossible ; for though the actual fall of the water is trifling, 

 its violence is inconceivable. The average width of the river 

 may be stated at near three times that of the Thames at 

 London ; and it is in the wet season very deep and rapid. At 

 the fall it is enclosed in a narrow sloping rocky gorge, about 

 the width of the middle arch of London Bridge, or even less. 

 I need say no more to prove the impossibility of ascending 

 such a channel. There are immense whirlpools which engulf 

 large canoes. The waters roll like ocean waves, and leap up 

 at intervals, forty or fifty feet into the air, as if great subaqueous 

 explosions were taking place. 



Presently the Indians appeared with our canoe, and, assisted 

 by a dozen more who came to help us, pulled it up through 

 the shallows, where the water was less violent. Then came 

 another difficult point ; and we plunged again into the forest 

 with half the Indians carrying our cargo, while the remainder 

 went with the canoe. There were several other dangerous 

 places, and two more disembarkations and land carriages, the 

 last for a considerable distance. Above the main fall the 

 river is suddenly widened out into a kind of a lake, filled with 

 rocky islands, among which are a confusion of minor falls and 

 rapids. However, having plenty of Indians to assist us, we 

 passed all these dangers by a little after midday, and reached 

 a malocca, where we stayed for the afternoon repairing the 

 wear and tear of the palm-mats and toldas, and cleaning our 

 canoe and arranging our cargo, ready to start the next 

 morning. 



In two days more we reached another village, called Jukefra 

 Picoma, or Salt Point, where we stayed a day. I was well 

 satisfied to find myself here considerably better, owing, I 

 believe, to my having tried fasting as a last resource : for two 



