The River of Doubt 285 



the stories of the rubber-gatherers, or seringuerros. 

 Colonel Rondoti had come to the conclusion that this was 

 the largest affluent of the Madeira, with such a body of 

 water that it must have a big drainage basin. He thought 

 that the Diivida was probably one of its head streams — 

 although every existing map represented the lay of the 

 land to be such as to render impossible the existence of 

 such a river system and drainage basin. The rubber- 

 gatherers reported that they had gone many days' journey 

 up the river, to a point where there was a series of heavy 

 rapids with above them the junction-point of two large 

 rivers, one entering from the west. Beyond this they had 

 difficulties because of the hostility of the Indians; and 

 where the junction-point was no one could say. On the 

 chance Colonel Rondon had directed one of his subordi- 

 nate officers. Lieutenant Pyrineus, to try to meet us, with 

 boats and provisions, by ascending the Aripuanan to the 

 point of entry of its first big affluent. This was the course 

 followed when Amilcar had been directed to try to meet 

 the explorers who in 1909 came down the Gy-Parana. 

 At that time the effort was a failure, and the two parties 

 never met; but we might have better luck, and in any 

 event the chance was worth taking. 



On the morning following our camping by the mouth 

 of the Rio Kermit, Colonel Rondon took a good deal of 

 pains in getting a big post set up at the entry of the 

 smaller river into the Diivida. Then he summoned me, 

 and all the others, to attend the ceremony of its erection. 

 We found the camaradas drawn up in line, and the colonel 

 preparing to read aloud "the orders of the day." To the 

 post was nailed a board with "Rio Kermit" on it; and 



