282 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
but in the rainy season it is necessary to take the 
narrower channel, and the fall is so great that the 
canoe has to be unloaded and the cargo passed over 
the rocks to above the fall. 
Our mode of progression was as follows. I will 
suppose it necessary to turn some point of granite 
rock round which water rushes furiously, or perhaps 
falls at once a few feet. Our five-inch cable was 
made fast to some rock beyond the point, the 
Indians carrying it thither partly through the water 
and partly across the granite blocks that stood out 
of the river, a very laborious and perilous task ; 
the end which remained on board was then passed 
round the mast, the stout oars laid across the tolda 
in pairs and secured so that the men might rest 
their feet against them whilst tugging at the rope 
in a sitting position. A shorter three-inch cable 
was also fastened to the prow, and two or more 
men yoked themselves to it, pulling rather inshore, 
their object being to prevent the canoe from falling 
outwards with the force of the current. As many 
men as could find room to work having taken their 
places at the five-inch cable on board the canoe, 
the pilot stood out into the rapid as far as was con- 
sidered necessary in order to clear the rocks, and 
the men commenced tugging with all their force. 
If the water was deep enough we got through 
without accident, the only risk being, firstly, in the 
men not being able to draw in the rope fast enough, 
when the canoe was brought up violently against 
the rocks ; but as I had always men stationed there 
prepared for such a contingency, and the pilot and 
two or three of the men always leaped into the 
water and assisted in holding the canoe off the 
