NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER LEONA 201 



Leona. Cattle, whose knowledge of the subject under considera- 

 tion was of immense help, agreed with me in thinking the thing 

 could be done. 



Next day Burbury, who was, as I have said, a very fair engineer, 

 set to work with Bernardo's help to get the launch into working 

 order, while the rest of us went to cut and gather fuel. 



The two canvas boats which belonged to the launch were later 

 found a couple of leagues down the shore, but a bit of \\ ind began 

 to blow, so it was impossible to bring them up, and in the event 

 they had to be left where they were. 



In making ready the launch Burbury was much hampered by 

 having only a small supply of screws to draw upon. Time and 

 exposure had dealt hardly with her, her pump was strained as well 

 as being imperfect, some portion of it having been taken away. 

 The craft was about thirty-five feet long with a displacement of 

 about three parts of a ton. She was by no means an ideal boat 

 for the kind of navigation that lay before us, for which a good 

 wooden craft would have been much more safe and handy. Had 

 her length been less it would have been another advantage, as the 

 seas upon the lakes are very short. Weather-worn as she was, 

 however, she represented our sole chance of getting really deep 

 into the unpenetrated Cordillera. It was a case of take it or leave 

 it, and which of the two it was to be gave me some thought that 

 night. 



I could not conceal from myself that it was a peculiarly risky 

 affair taking her down the River Leona. The up-stream navigation 

 of the river had been made by the launch when the Commis- 

 sion brought her up-stream, towing her through the difficult 

 places from the bank. But that, of course, was a very different 

 matter. 



The Leona is a comparatively large river, very cold, and running, 

 when in flood, from five to eight knots an hour, with, in places, a 

 very strong rip. There are a good many rocks and shoals, but at 

 the time I write of the water was high, snow-fed by ihe warmth of 

 the preceding months, and therefore with luck we might hope to 

 slip over most of the reefs in safety. This was fortunate, as 



