L0S9 OF A SPANISH FRIGATE. 235 
tachment returned, which at first gave us great joy, flatter- 
ing ourselves that they had doubtless discovered some habi- 
tation. They, however, reported that they had met with a 
river so deep, so rapid, and so full of crocodiles that it was 
impossible for them to cross it. I blamed them for suffering 
themselves to be impeded by such an obstacle, since, by cut- 
ting wood, they might have formed a raft, on which they might 
have passed the river. For fear they should play some other 
stupid trick, I resolved to go with them myself the next day. 
Accordingly, deputing one of the company to take care of 
those who remained, I left them, with the injunction, that if 
they did not hear of me in eight days, they should leave their 
effects and proceed after me, at the same time charging them 
not to leave the coast. We then set off. I was armed with 
two pistols and two bayonets, stuck in my girdle: beside 
which, I carried my sword in my hand. ]My musket was car- 
ried by a sailor, and on this the whole company founded their 
hopes of procuring subsistence. The others, beside their 
swords, were each furnished with a hatchet, cord, knife,, tin- 
der-box and matches. 
After proceeding two hour^ by a sandy and fatiguing route, 
we arri\'ed on the banks of a river, to which we gave the ap- 
pellation of River of Crocodiles, though there were not, in- 
deed, so many of those animals as the detachment had reported. 
In order to cross, we determined to march along its banks 
till we came to some wood, where we could procure branch- 
es proper for making a raft. We found one at the distance 
of two leagues, took away as much wood as we wanted, and 
returned to the spot from which we had set out, resolved not 
to leave the coast, in hopes that agreeably to the opinion of 
the pilot, we should arrive at the port of Caldera. Having 
formed a raft in the best manner we were able, Avith our 
hatchets, wood, and cords, we ventured to abandon ourselves 
upon it to the current of the river, which was very rapid. 
The men made on it a kind of seat of rushes for me; 1 got 
on it the first, after taking my musket from the man who car- 
ried it. The pilot placed himself at one end, and a stout sea- 
man at the other, each of them having a long pole and two 
oars to guide the raft. As we could not all get upon it with- 
out sinking it with our weight, we divided ourselves; one 
party waiting on the banks of the river till the raft should 
return to convey them over. A long cord was fastened to it, 
that those who remained behind might draw it back when 
the others had passed. This done, we took care of the cords 
