284 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
I bade adieu to it ; but when the canoe had passed 
the fall, my Indians fished it up again, without any 
directions of mine. I should mention that it cost 
us an hour to get the canoe off this rock, for even 
after she had been righted she several times again 
fell over, and I feared she would have to remain 
there. Some idea of the force of the current may 
be formed from this circumstance. Once, when 
ascending a rapid with cables, which a man had 
carried in a montaria and made fast to a rock 
ahead, the montaria returning with all the velocity 
of the current and the man aboard her incautiously 
approaching too near the canoe, the montaria was im- 
mediately sucked underneath it. He had presence 
of mind to seize hold of the canoe with one hand, 
still retaining his paddle in the other ; in an instant 
he leaped across the canoe, but the montaria had 
already passed beneath and was floating bottom 
upwards at several yards' distance. He did not 
hesitate to plunge into the water, reached the 
montaria, seated himself astride, and having guided 
it into stiller water, turned it over, put the water 
out with his paddle, and made the best of his way 
up the stream again. 
My position was usually close to the mast, and 
my occupation was confined to a general vigilance 
over the canoe and its contents, to cheering on the 
men, and occasionally lending a hand when there 
was room for me. 
Rain came on at 5 p.m., and it rained afterwards 
nearly throughout the night in drizzling showers. 
Though we gave up early, the men were very 
much fatigued. Instead of fishing or skipping 
