DOWN AN UNKNOWN RIVER 295 



was, of course, possible that we should have to build new 

 ones at the foot to supply the place of any that were lost 

 or left behind. In view of the length and character of the 

 portage, and of all the unpleasant possibilities that were 

 ahead, and of the need of keeping every pound of food, 

 it was necessary to reduce weight in every possible way 

 and to throw away everything except the barest necessities. 



We thought we had reduced our baggage before; but 

 now we cut to the bone. We kept the fly for all six of us 

 to sleep under. Kermit's shoes had gone, thanks to the 

 amount of work in the water which he had been doing; 

 and he took the pair I had been wearing, while I put on 

 my spare pair. In addition to the clothes I wore, I kept 

 one set of pajamas, a spare pair of drawers, a spare pair 

 of socks, half a dozen handkerchiefs, my wash-kit, my 

 pocket medicine-case, and a little bag containing my spare 

 spectacles, gun-grease, some adhesive plaster, some needles 

 and thread, the "fly-dope," and my purse and letter of 

 credit, to be used at Manaos. All of these went into the 

 bag containing my cot, blanket, and mosquito-net. I also 

 carried a cartridge-bag containing my cartridges, head-net, 

 and gauntlets. Kermit cut down even closer; and the 

 others about as close. 



The last three days of March we spent in getting to 

 the foot of the rapids in this gorge. Lyra and Kermit, 

 with four of the best watermen, handled the empty canoes. 

 The work was not only difficult and laborious in the ex- 

 treme, but hazardous; for the walls of the gorge were so 

 sheer that at the worst places they had to cling to narrow 

 shelves on the face of the rock, while letting the canoes 

 down with ropes. Meanwliile Rondon surveyed and cut a 



