268 THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN WILDERNESS 



The following morning, the 15th of March, we started 

 in good season. For six kilometres we drifted and pad- 

 dled down the swift river without incident. At times we 

 saw lofty Brazil-nut trees rising above the rest of the for- 

 est on the banks; and back from the river these trees 

 grow to enormous proportions, towering like giants. There 

 were great rubber-trees also, their leaves always in sets of 

 threes. Then the ground on either hand rose into bowlder- 

 strewn, forest-clad hills and the roar of broken water an- 

 nounced that once more our course was checked by dan- 

 gerous rapids. Round a bend we came on them; a wide 

 descent of white water, with an island in the middle, at 

 the upper edge. Here grave misfortune befell us, and 

 graver misfortune was narrowly escaped. 



Kermit, as usual, was leading in his canoe. It was the 

 smallest and least seaworthy of all. He had in it little 

 except a week's supply of our boxed provisions and a few 

 tools; fortunately none of the food for the camaradas. 

 His dog Trigueiro was with him. Besides himself, the 

 crew consisted of two men: Joao, the helmsman, or pilot, 

 as he is called in Brazil, and Simplicio, the bowsman. 

 Both were negroes and exceptionally good men in every 

 way. Kermit halted his canoe on the left bank, above 

 the rapids, and waited for the colonel's canoe. Then the 

 colonel and Lyra walked down the bank to see what was 

 ahead. Kermit took his canoe across to the island to see 

 whether the descent could be better accomplished on the 

 other side. Having made his investigation, he ordered the 

 men to return to the bank he had left, and the dugout 

 was headed up-stream accordingly. Before they had gone 

 a dozen yards, the paddlers digging their paddles with all 



