CHAPTER X 

 Santa Maria to Los Arroyos 



Tuesday, May igth. An early morning visit to 

 the river for water (the third expedition for the 

 purpose) sufficed to fill our casks, while a field party 

 made a collecting tour farther up the river, return- 

 ing quite exhausted by the intense heat of the 

 swamp. 



A desperate effort was made this morning to put 

 the cabin in order. Its confusion was twice con- 

 founded by the quantity of damp clothes that 

 had accumulated. Every member of the expedi- 

 tion by this time had become more or less aquatic. 

 We entered the water for collecting purposes when- 

 ever necessary and usually without bothering to 

 remove clothes. The rigging of the schooner was 

 always festooned with articles of raiment which, 

 because of saturation with salt water, never would 

 thoroughly dry. The coming of the afternoon 

 rains precipitated hurried raids upon the rigging 

 to rescue the garments for storage below, and the 



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