WATER TRAIL FROM GEORGETOWN TO AREMU. 263 



even to slide back a foot or two. Then the great black backs, 

 glistening with perspiration, would twist and bend in a tinal 

 effort and the boat would shoot forward into the quiet 

 eddy at the foot of the rapid, with the water swirling past 

 on each side. 



Now, at a word from the steersman, the blacks tumbled 

 overboard, hastily getting out heavy rope cables, which one 

 or two of the most powerful took in their teeth or lied around 

 their waists and carried to some projecting rock as far ahead 

 as possible. After they had fought their way up to the rock 

 they tied the rope securely and now all hands took hold, 

 some of the rope, others of the boat, and pushed and pulled 

 her up through the boiling torrent. 



In one or two cases it was possible to zigzag up through 

 the less formidable shallows. After a particularly difficult 

 piece of paddling we would rest in some backwater for a few 

 minutes and have time to look about us. Every snag held 

 its complement of vampires which took to wing only when 

 we were very close. Solitary SandpijKTs -' and I'arauqucs'" 

 were abundant, the latter apparently nesting on the numerous 

 little sand-bars, and swooping near the l:>oat or swinging 

 up to a bare branch where they perched lengthwise and 

 watched us with half-shut eyes. 



The rocky islets were covered with the low Water Guava 

 {P sidiiim jluvialile) , and the rocks which are usually covered 

 with shallow water or those within reach of the falls were 

 studded with thousands of litde starry flowers. In other 

 places masses of delicate pink blossoms raised their heads 

 above the shining mat of green submerged leaves which 

 fairly carpeted the pools. The beds of pink, green and 

 white amid the pools reminded us strongly of the many- 

 colored sponges, hydroids and anemones in a tidal pool of 

 the Bay of Fundy or a reef off a Florida Key. These aquatic 

 flowers, far out from shore, gave forth a sweet perfume 



