THE PERIBONCA AND TSCHOTAGAMA 187 



side of the stream, straining every nerve in the strug- 

 gle. The canoe remains nearly motionless betwixt two 

 mighty, opposing forces. If, as sometimes happens, 

 the downward sweep of the water has the momen- 

 tary advantage, and the canoe, despite the desperate 

 efforts of the guides, appears to be gradually float- 

 ing with the current, a dexterous stroke of his paddle, 

 by the man in the stern, forces the craft into the 

 shore, where it can be securely moored by a hand or 

 a paddle upon the projecting rocks until another and 

 more successful effort is made to forge it ahead. On 

 the downward trip the canoe is often portaged only 

 past the cataract itself, and made to shoot the whole 

 of the rapids below, and the exhilaration and enjoy- 

 able nature of this experience is one of the most at- 

 tractive features of the entire trip to and from Tschot- 

 agama. 



The second falls, so called, are, in comparison to 

 the first, but a series of magnificent rapids, very wild 

 and beautiful, but lacking, of course, the stern gran- 

 deur of the cataract described in the preceding lines. 

 The portage around them is not very long, and though 

 the upper part of the rapids is too much of a fall to 

 be possibly descended en canot, we ran the lower por- 

 tion on our return trip. 



The third and last portage of our first day's journey 

 was somewhat longer than either of the others. The 

 falls, which necessitates it, are called La Chute de la 

 Savane, and, like several of the cataracts of the Peri- 

 bonca, are divided by an island into two distinct falls. 

 Looking at them from below, the scenery here is of 

 the most picturesque description. 



