430 TRAVELS IN rm KAST INBUK ARCHIPELAGO. 



selves to be constantly tortured by presentiments and 

 omens, I could not rid myself of an impression that 

 some accident was going to happen to tbose who were 

 bringing over the cai'riage, and went back to see for 

 myself what they were doing. The wheels and top 

 were over, and six natives were bringing the body, 

 wbich, though quite large, was very light. They had 

 already crossed the long span, and were coming on 

 to the sliort one. " Is it possible," I said to myself, 

 " that sucli a slight stnicture can hold such a weight 

 at such a great leverage ? We shall soon see, for 

 they are rapidly coming to the middle of the second 

 span." At the next instant there was a loud, sharp 

 crack, like the report of a pistol. One of the lai'ge 

 rattans that went over the bigli branches of the 

 camphor-trees and supported the sides, had parted at 

 one of its joints. The officer who had charge of the 

 bridge, and was standing by my side, seized me by the 

 sboulder m his fnght. Aa soon as the rattan on one 

 side broke, the bridge gave a feaif al lurch in tlie op- 

 posite direction, but the natives all knew they must 

 keep perfectly quiet and allow tbemselves to swing, 

 and, finally, when it bad become still, they came on 

 carefully and safely reacted the bank. The officer 

 and I botb believed tbat the moment one of tlie rat- 

 tans brake, the others, having of course to support a 

 much greater weight, would also break, and that we 

 should hear a few more similar crackings, and see all 

 the natives fall headlong down nearly one hundred 

 and forty feet into the boiling ton-ent beneath., which 

 is so ra]iid that only a few days ago a buflPalo, that 

 was standing in the side of tbe stream above the 



