Down an Unknown River 303 



plateau region to which the first rapids, those we had 

 come to on the 2d of March, belonged. Through the 

 first range of these mountains the river ran in a gorge, 

 some three kilometres long, immediately ahead of us. 

 The ground was so rough and steep that it would be im- 

 possible to drag the canoes over it and difficult enough 

 to carry the loads ; and the rapids were so bad, containing 

 several falls, one of at least ten metres in height, that it 

 was doubtful how many of the canoes we could get down 

 them. Kermit, who was the only man with much experi- 

 ence of rope work, was the only man who believed we 

 could get the canoes down at all ; and it was, of course, 

 possible that we should have to build new ones at the foot 

 to supply the place of any that were lost or left behind. 

 In view of the length and character of the portage, and 

 of all the unpleasant possibilities that were ahead, and 

 of the need of keeping every pound of food, it was neces- 

 sary to reduce weight in every possible way and to throw 

 away everything except the barest necessities. 



We thought we had reduced our baggage before ; but 

 now we cut to the bone. We kept the fly for all six of 

 us to sleep under. Kermit's shoes had gone, thanks to 

 the amount of work in the water which he had been do- 

 ing; and he took the pair I had been wearing, while I put 

 on my spare pair. In addition to the clothes I wore, I 

 kept one set of pajamas, a spare pair of drawers, a spare 

 pair of socks, half a dozen handkerchiefs, my wash-kit, 

 my pocket medicine-case, and a little bag containing my 

 spare spectacles, gun-grease, some adhesive plaster, some 

 needles and thread, the "fly-dope," and my purse and 

 letter of credit, to be used at Manaos. All of these went 



