BIRDS OF IRIDESCENT PLUMAGE 
looked like a molten surface of boiling silver, which abso¬ 
lutely blinded us at times, and made it impossible to see 
what was ahead in the water. 
Esmeralda Island was formerly joined at its most 
southwesterly point to the western bank of the river. From 
that point the river described an arc of a circle as far as 
bearings magnetic 20° (north-northeast). We negotiated 
successfully two small rapids with large volcanic rocks 
just under the surface of the water. We just escaped 
going over one of them, which would have certainly cap¬ 
sized the canoe. As it was we merely scraped the side of 
the canoe against it. 
The left bank, which had crumbled down, showed 
strata of conglomerate and yellow sand, with upper 
alluvial deposits of a light grey colour. 
We were travelling due north in a straight line of 
1,800 metres when we came upon the entrance of a lakelet 
on the west side of an islet. A huge fish, some five feet 
in length, unaccustomed to the unusual sight of human 
beings, played about under our canoe for some time, much 
to the excitement of my men. Birds of superb metallic 
blue, vivid yellow, and iridescent plumage played about 
among the trees. On the left bank farther down was a 
great growth of high bamboos, then again forest with 
plenty of vigorous rubber trees. 
Again small and fairly swift rapids were encountered 
in a turn of the river from bearings magnetic 70° to 250°. 
A tributary stream which ^ame from the south entered the 
Arinos on its left bank. Then we came to another island 
forming two channels, one (northwest), twenty metres 
wide, with some rough-looking rapids; the other channel 
(north), larger and shallower, was divided in its turn by 
a mound of yellow gravel. 
Alcides, who steered, had an idea that in going down 
rapids you should always send the canoe over places 
where the water broke and foamed, which meant rocks 
25 
