154 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



is called Puouelha, meaning that it ebbs and flows 

 like the sea. The Indians say that it recedes with 

 the south wind, and increases with the northwest ; 

 and they add that when they go to it silently they 

 find water; but when they talk or make a noise 

 the water disappears. Perhaps it is not so capri- 

 cious with white men, for we found water, and did 

 not approach it with sealed lips. The Indians say, 

 besides, that forty women once fainted in this pas- 

 sage, and that now they do not allow the wom- 

 en to go to it alone. In returning we turned 

 off twice by branching passages, and reached two 

 other basins of water ; and when we got back to 

 the foot of the great staircase, exhausted and almost 

 worn out, we had the satisfaction of learning, from 

 friends who were waiting to hear our report, that 

 there were seven in all, and we had missed three. 

 All have names given them by the Indians, two of 

 which I have already mentioned. 



The third is called Sallab, which means a spring ; 

 the fourth Akahba, on account of its darkness ; the 

 fifth Chocoha, from the circumstance of its being al- 

 ways warm ; the sixth Ooiha, from being of a milky 

 colour ; and the seventh Chimaisha, because it has 

 insects called ais. 



It was a matter of some regret that we were not 

 able to mark such peculiarities or differences as 

 might exist in these waters, and particularly that we 

 were not provided with barometer and thermometer 

 to ascertain the relative heights and temperatures. 



