56 The Dijlrelfes and Adventures 



the Steadincfs required. Every Step we 

 took gave great Motion to it, which, with 

 the Swiftnefs of the Stream below, occafion- 

 ed fuch a Swimming of the Head, that, I be- 

 lieve, we were a full Hour in getting over ; 

 but having accomplifhed it, we fat us down 

 to view and admire this compleat Piece of 

 Workmanfhip and Ingenuity, for fuch it 

 really was. We could not conceive how it 

 was poffible for it to be conveyed from one 

 Mountain to the other, confidering with 

 what Force the Water ran in this Place, 

 which we knew would make it impracticable 

 for Men to fvvim over with one End of it, 

 nor could it be done in Canoes, or any other 

 Thing that we could fuppofe to be made 

 ufe of by the Indians ; for tho 5 they are cer- 

 tainly a People of great Dexterity in their 

 own Way, yet we knew very well they are 

 utter Strangers to all Arts in u£e with the£«- 

 ropeans, and others, on fuch like Occafions. 

 We obferved this Bridge to be very old and 

 decayed, and guefs'd it might have hung 

 there fome Hundreds of Years, and, if fo ? 

 it muft have been before the Spaniards en- 

 tred the Country ; but, as the People here 

 h^ve no Ufe of Letters, we could never 



come 



