VOYAGE UP THE RIO NEGRO 283 
rocks, we sustained no damage in this way ; 
secondly, in the breaking of the rope — a very 
possible occurrence, for this piassaba is a very 
brittle material, and as it strains and crackles one 
watches with intense interest every successive inch 
that is passed round the mast (especially when the 
canoe is one's own) : from this casualty also we 
happily escaped. But by far the greatest danger 
is when some sunken rock lies in the way, over 
which the prow of the canoe passes without touch- 
ing, but on which the poop strikes. The current 
having now 2, point d'appui, becomes irresistible, for 
our course against it is always more or less oblique. 
The men at the shorter rope are dragged under 
water, and did they not leave go would be dashed 
to pieces, and those on board may try as they like 
they cannot prevent the catastrophe ; the canoe 
whirls half round and falls over on her side ; the 
men hold on as best they may, and then leap into 
the water to prop up the canoe from going over 
altogether, and to right her again if possible. This 
happened to us several times, and once (on the 
second day) I thought it was a gone case, so com- 
pletely and apparently irrecoverably did the canoe 
fall over. My cooking apparatus was a large super- 
annuated pitch-cauldron (of Welsh manufacture, 
by the by) given me by Senhor Henrique ; this, 
half filled with earth on which three large stones 
were placed, made an excellent stove. It was 
placed in the poop, and when the accident happened, 
notwithstanding its great weight, it pitched over 
the tiller and fell splash into the water. Fortu- 
nately the pilot had already leaped overboard on 
the contrary side, or it would have demolished him. 
