266 Through the BraziHan Wilderness 



dragging the canoes over a portage. Antonio, the Pare- 

 cis, shot a big monkey; of this I was glad because port- 

 aging is hard work, and the men appreciated the meat. 

 So far Cherrie had collected sixty birds on the Diivida, all 

 of them new to the collection, and some probably new to 

 science. We saw the fresh sign of paca, agouti, and the 

 small peccary, and Kermit with the dogs roused a tapir, 

 which crossed the river right through the rapids ; but no 

 one got a shot at it. 



Except at one or perhaps two points a very big dug- 

 out, lightly loaded, could probably run all these rapids. 

 But even in such a canoe it would be silly to make the 

 attempt on an exploring expedition, where the loss of a 

 canoe or of its contents means disaster; and moreover 

 such a canoe could not be taken, for it would be impos- 

 sible to drag it over the portages on the occasions when 

 the portages became inevitable. Our canoes would not 

 have lived half a minute in the wild water. 



On the second day the canoes and loads were brought 

 down to the foot of the first rapids. Lyra cleared the 

 path and laid the logs for rollers, while Kermit dragged 

 the dugouts up the bank from the water with block and 

 tackle, with strain of rope and muscle. Then they joined 

 forces, as over the uneven ground it needed the united 

 strength of all their men to get the heavy dugouts along. 

 Meanwhile' the colonel with one attendant measured the 

 distance, and then went on a long hunt, but saw no game. 

 I strolled down beside the river for a couple of miles, but 

 also saw nothing. In the dense tropical forest of the 

 Amazonian basin hunting is very difficult, especially for 

 men who are trying to pass through the country as rap- 



