302 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 



which we tied to the outermost canoe. The rest of us, 

 up to our armpits and barely able to keep our footing as 

 we slipped and stumbled among the bowlders in the swift 

 current, lifted and shoved while Kermit and his men 

 pulled the rope and fastened the slack to a half-submerged 

 tree. Each canoe in succession was hauled up the little 

 rock island, baled, and then taken down in safety by two 

 paddlers. It was nearly four o'clock before we were 

 again ready to start, having been delayed by a rain-storm 

 so heavy that we could not see across the river. Ten 

 minutes' run took us to the head of another series of 

 rapids; the exploring party returned with the news that 

 we had an all day's job ahead of us ; and we made camp 

 in the rain, which did not matter much, as we were al- 

 ready drenched through. It was impossible, with the 

 wet wood, to make a fire sufficiently hot to dry all our 

 soggy things, for the rain was still falling. A tapir was 

 seen from our boat, but, as at the moment we were being 

 whisked round in a complete circle by a whirlpool, I did 

 not myself see it in time to shoot. 



Next morning we went down a kilometre, and then 

 landed on the other side of the river. The canoes were 

 run down, and the loads carried to the other side of a 

 little river coming in from the west, which Colonel Ron- 

 don christened Cherrie River. Across this we went on 

 a bridge consisting of a huge tree felled by Macario, one 

 of our best men. Here we camped, while Rondon, Lyra, 

 Kermit, and Antonio Correa explored what was ahead. 

 They were absent until mid-afternoon. Then they re- 

 turned with the news that we were among ranges of low 

 mountains, utterly different in formation from the high 



