Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 
7 
W ith the first peep of day a rope four or five hundred feet long was 
taken ahead by the Indians and attached to a windlass near the 
head of the rapids, the other end to the bow of our pitpan, as we 
were to be the first to go up. Four Indians manned the windlass 
and the rest of the crew, each with a long sharpened pole, took 
their stands on either side of our pitpan, all stripped to the waist. 
Thrusting the sharp points of the poles into the crevices of the 
rock bottom, and with a yell, the Indians threw their weight upon 
the poles, and we started moving into the rapids. Keeping a 
course as near the bank as possible in order to take advantage of 
the shallow water and least amount of current, we could hear the 
click of the poles against the rocky bottom as slowly but surely we 
were forced through the roaring torrent. Up, up we went, the boys 
at the windlass winding taut the rope, holding every inch gained 
by the polers, yelling and chirping as they strained against the poles 
in unison. Now we grounded upon a rock, a poler changed his place 
to lighten that side, we were off, shipping some water as we reached 
a particularly turbulent spot, but on we went. Just ahead was an 
exceedingly rough spot, where the water boiled and roared over 
large hidden rocks; we reached it and water dashed into the boat, 
and we wondered if enough to harm our equipment. With a shout 
the Indians strained at the poles as the sweat streamed from the 
taut muscles of their brown backs and arms. More sweating and 
straining at the poles as we were forced slowly through the last 
stretch of turbulent waters; then with a lusty shout in which we 
joined we glided smoothly into the quiet waters, above. We tied 
up to the bank, the water was bailed out of our boat, and the 
Indians went to bring up the next one. The tow boat was the 
last to come up; drawing more water and heavier, it was a greater 
strain upon the Indians. The Moskitos are without doubt wonder¬ 
ful boatmen and endowed with great strength and endurance. All 
three boats were now above the rapids and lashed to the tow boat 
we proceeded up stream, while we ate breakfast. Two more rapids 
were encountered in the next three hours, but as they were neither 
as long, nor as turbulent as Walpa-tara, the windlass was not used; 
we were poled up again singly. 
We reached Santa Rosita at eleven o’clock and Tunky at four, a 
village of thirty or forty houses, most of them vacant, two or three 
stores and the bodega, or warehouse, of the Tunky Transportation 
