Chap. IX. KEBRABASA RAPIDS. 233 



Chicova, in the canoes, and went down a number of 

 miles, until the river narrowed into a groove of fifty 

 or sixty yards wide, of which we have already spoken in 

 describing the flood-bed and channel of low water. The 

 navigation then became difficult and dangerous. A fifteen 

 feet fall of the water in our absence had developed many 

 cataracts. Two of our canoes passed safely down a narrow 

 channel, which, bifurcating, had an ugly whirlpool at the 

 rocky partition between the two branches, the deep hole 

 in the whirls at times opening and then shutting. The 

 Doctor's canoe came next, and seemed to be drifting 

 broadside into the open vortex, in spite of the utmost 

 exertions of the paddlers. The rest were expecting to 

 have to pull to the rescue ; the men saying, " Look where 

 these people are going ! — look, look ! " — when a loud crash 

 burst on our ears. Dr. Kirk's canoe was dashed on a 

 projection of the perpendicular rocks, by a sudden and 

 mysterious boiling up of the river, which occurs at irre- 

 gular intervals. Dr. Kirk was seen resisting the sucking- 

 down action of the water, which must have been fifteen 

 fathoms deep, and raising himself by his arms on to the 

 ledge, while his steersman, holding on to the same rocks, 

 saved the canoe ; but nearly all its contents were swept 

 away down the stream. Dr. Livingstone's canoe, mean- 

 while, which had distracted the men's attention, was saved 

 by the cavity in the whirlpool filling up as the frightful 

 eddy was reached. A few of the things in Dr. Kirk's 

 canoe were left ; but all that was valuable, including a 

 chronometer, a barometer, and, to our great sorrow, his 

 notes of the journey and botanical drawings of the fruit- 

 trees of the interior, perished. 



We now left the river, and proceeded on foot, sorry 

 that we had not done so the day before. The men were 

 thoroughly frightened, they had never seen such perilous 

 navigation. They would carry all the loads, rather than 



