Chap. XXXV. THE RIVER FA'rO. 
473 
about seven days' march to the south. It was at 
present about six hundred yards broad, but generally 
not exceeding two feet in depth, although almost all 
my informants had stated to me that the Faro was 
the principal river. The reason of this mistake was, 
I think, that they had never seen the two rivers at 
this place, but observed the F&ro near Gurin, where, 
a little later in the season, it seems to be of an im- 
mense breadth, particularly if they crossed from 
Bundang ; or they were swayed by the great length 
of the latter river, which they were acquainted with 
in its whole course, while none of them had followed 
the upper course of the Benuwe. 
Be this as it may, the current of the Faro was 
extremely violent, far more so than that of the 
Benuwe, approaching, in my estimation, a rate of about 
five miles, while I would rate the former at about 
three and a half miles an hour ; the current of the 
Faro plainly indicating that the mountainous region 
whence it issued was at no great distance. In 
order to avoid the strongest part of the current, 
which swept along the southern shore, we kept close 
to a small island, which, however, at present could 
still be reached from this side with dry feet. We 
then entered upon low meadow land, overgrown with 
tall reed grass, which a month later is entirely inun- 
dated to such a depth that only the crowns of the 
tallest trees are seen rising above the water, of which 
they bore unmistakeable traces ; the highest line thus 
marked being about fifty feet above the present level 
