GUAJARA-MERIM FALLS. 



281 



in some places, and the channel clear of drift-wood, with from twenty- 

 four to forty-eight feet depth. 



September 19. — A turn in the river brought us in sight of high land 

 to the north. The negroes blew two cow's horns, and shouted at the 

 sight of it. Laying down their horns, they paddled with a will to their 

 own musical songs, by which they kept time. We met a north wind, 

 which created a short wave as it met the current of the stream, in- 

 creasing in speed. The land has become low on both sides, and is 

 swampy, with signs of being all flooded in the rainy season. 



At 9 a. m., thermometer, 82°; water, 81°. At 3 p. m., thermometer, 

 8*7°; water, 80°. We passed an island, rocky and wooded. Flowers 

 bloom and decorate the richly green foliage on the banks. The current 

 is quite rapid, and we dash along at a rate we have not been able to do 

 before on the Mamore, passing the mouth of a small river — Pacanoba — 

 which flows from the Brazils and through several islands. We came 

 alongside of one of them for the night. Within the death-like, mourn- 

 ful sound of the "Guajara-merim" falls our raw-hides were spread, hair 

 side up, as table and chairs. While the men made a fire, I was listening 

 to the roaring waters, and thinking what sensible fellows those Cuyavabos 

 Indians were to run from it. The night was starlight ; but the mist 

 arising from the foaming waters below us was driven over the island by 

 the north wind, which prevented my getting the latitude. Small hills 

 stood a very short way back from the islands, in Brazil. The land ap- 

 pears to be above the floods on both sides. As |^e are free from mus- 

 quitoes at night, and the savages do not inhabit our little island, we 

 sleep soundly. 



September 20. — By daylight we were up and off, pulling across to the 

 Bolivian shore to the head of the falls. We were in doubts how our 

 boat would behave in the rapids. After taking out part of the baggage, 

 which was passed over a rocky shore below, the boat was pulled through 

 without any difficulty. The channel was about fifty yards wide, with 

 very little fall ; the whole bed of the river was divided by wooded islands 

 and black rocks, with large and small channels of water rushing through 

 at a terrible rate. A steamboat could, however, pass up and down over 

 this fall without much trouble. We embarked, and found our little 

 boat, which had been named " Nannie," gliding beautifully over the 

 short waves formed by the rapid motion of the water. The rocks are 

 worn away in long strips, and cut up into confused bits by the action 

 of the river constantly washing over them. On the islands, quantities 

 of drift-wood and prairie-grasses are heaped on the upper side. 



One of these islands occupied the middle of the bed for three-quarters 



