156 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
over them. Four bamboos were laid side by side 
before any of the Indians would venture to pass to 
the other extremity, though one of them was after- 
wards drawn away to enter into the composition of 
the third bridge. They were at length securely 
lashed together, and then the third bridge was 
completed with more facility, being somewhat 
shorter though sloping from a high to a low rock. 
The fourth and last bridge was short and speedily 
constructed. It was near noon when the bridges 
were ready for crossing. It had been raining 
heavily for some time, and the river already began 
to show signs of a further rise ; our safety depended 
therefore on getting over as speedily as possible. 
And now became evident what I had all along 
feared, namely, that the second bridge was so long 
and so weak, and bent so much when a man went 
over it, that a very little addition to his weight 
would plainly either cause it to break or the farther 
end to slip off the rock whereon it rested but too 
insecurely. To get across my heavy boxes would 
be plainly impossible ; the Indians indeed flatly 
refused to risk themselves on the bridge under the 
weight of any one of my boxes. 
It was doubtful if an additional bamboo would 
make the bridge strong enough, and there was now 
no time to get one out. I had therefore no alter- 
native but to leave my goods where they were, and 
trust to be able to send from Banos to fetch them 
away. With some difficulty I got across my bed 
and a change of linen and what little money I had, 
and left my boxes as well protected as I could 
from the moisture both above and beneath. 
We were a good while in all getting across, for 
