282 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 



only way to make a serious diminution was to restrict 

 ourselves to the clothes on our backs. 



The biting flies and ants were to us a source of dis- 

 comfort and at times of what could fairly be called tor- 

 ment. But to the camaradas, most of whom went bare- 

 foot or only wore sandals — and they never did or would 

 wear shoes — the effect was more serious. They wrapped 

 their legs and feet in pieces of canvas or hide; and the 

 feet of three of them became so swollen that they were 

 crippled and could not walk any distance. The doctor, 

 whose courage and cheerfulness never flagged, took ex- 

 cellent care of them. Thanks to him, there had been 

 among them hitherto but one or two slight cases of fever. 

 He administered to each man daily a half-gram — ^nearly 

 eight grains — of quinine, and every third or fourth day 

 a double dose. 



The following morning Colonel Rondon, Lyra, Ker- 

 mit, Cherrie, and nine of the camaradas started in single 

 file down the bank, while the doctor and I went in the 

 two double canoes, with six camaradas, three of them 

 the invalids with swollen feet. We halted continually, 

 as we went about three times as fast as the walkers ; and 

 we traced the course of the river. After forty minutes' 

 actual going in the boats we came to some rapids; the 

 unloaded canoes ran them without difficulty, while the 

 loads were portaged. In an hour and a half we were 

 again under way, but in ten minutes came to other rapids, 

 where the river ran among islands, and there were several 

 big curls. The clumsy, heavily laden dugouts, lashed 

 in couples, were unwieldy and hard to handle. The 

 rapids came just round a sharp bend, and we got caught 



