I85I.] 



DESCENDING THE FALLS. 



219 



ingly paid him what he asked, four milreis (about nine 

 shillings) ; and the next morning, having got the canoe properly 

 reloaded, we bade adieu to the Commandante, and in two 

 hours had passed safely down to Camanau. 



The navigation of these falls is of a character quite distinct 

 from anything in our part of the world. A person looking at 

 the river sees only a rapid current, a few eddies, swells, and 

 small breakers, in which there appears nothing very formidable. 

 When, however, you are in the midst of them, you are quite 

 bewildered with the conflicting motions of the waters. Whirl- 

 ing and boiling eddies, which burst up from the bottom at 

 intervals, as if from some subaqueous explosion, with short 

 cross-waves, and smooth intervening patches, almost make one 

 giddy. On one side of the canoe there is often a strong down- 

 current ; while, on the other, it flows in an opposite direction. 

 Now there is a cross stream at the bows, and a diagonal one at 

 the stern, with a foaming Scylla on one side and a whirling 

 Charybdis on the other. All depends upon the pilot, who, 

 well acquainted with every sunken rock and dangerous whirl- 

 pool, steers clear of all perils, — now directing the crew to pull 

 hard, now to slacken, as circumstances require, and skilfully 

 preparing the canoe to receive the impetus of the cross currents 

 that he sees ahead. I imagine that the neighbourhood of 

 the arches of Old London Bridge, at certain states of the tide, 

 must have presented on a small scale somewhat similar dangers. 

 When the river is low, the descent is more perilous ; for, though 

 the force of the waters is not so great, they are so crammed with 

 rocks in all stages of submersion, that to avoid them becomes 

 a work requiring the greatest knowledge and care on the part 

 of the pilot. Having passed these much-dreaded rapids, we 

 proceeded pleasantly to Sao Joze, where I stayed a day, to 

 take out part of Senhor's L.'s cargo, and reload the canoe 

 properly for the voyage to Barra. 



In the afternoon, a fine specimen of one of the smaller species 

 of alligator, or Jacare, was brought in, and preparations were 

 made to cut it up for supper. I, however, immediately deter- 

 mined to skin it, and requested to be allowed to do so, promising 

 to get out the tail and body, for culinary purposes, in a very 

 short time. After about an hour's hard work, I extracted the 

 most meaty part of the tail, which is considered the best ; and 

 in another hour delivered up the body, leaving the head and 



