ABUNDANT ROCKS 
When we left, we saw, 3,500 metres beyond our 
halting place, beside a great heap of rocks on the left side 
of the river, a rivulet, three metres wide, entering the 
Arinos on the left. 
From that spot the river was contracted from a width 
of 800 metres to one of only 120 metres. Naturally the 
water was of great depth and the current swift. 
Two great volcanic rocks stuck out in the centre of 
the stream, and two extensive heaps of volcanic rock 
stood on the right side of us, the rocks being at all angles 
in a confused mass. Where these rocks were, a spot 
which my men called the “ porteira ” or gateway, the 
river turned sharply from 70° to 290° bearings magnetic. 
The water seemed almost stagnant there, and we had 
to make a great effort to get on. It seemed almost as 
if there had been an undercurrent pushing us back. The 
water was surely held up by some obstacle, and I feared 
we had at last reached the extensive rapids which I had 
expected for some days. Rocks were to be seen in 
abundance all along, and three more sets of giant boulders 
were reached, one after the other, in the centre of the 
river, there only 150 metres broad. Strange heaps of 
broken-up boulders of immense size were to be seen on 
the right bank; then, farther on, more great heaps in 
confusion on the left bank. 
A tiny rivulet found its way among the rocks on the 
right side. The channel was much strewn with dangerous 
submerged rocks. I thought I would take the navigation 
into my own hands for a little while, and found a com¬ 
paratively easy channel on the left side of the river close 
to the bank. 
As I had expected, the rumbling noise of troubled 
waters was getting louder and louder, and the whitish 
mist which rose above the horizon line was an unmis¬ 
takable sign that we had come to a dangerous spot. Soon 
after, in fact, we arrived at a large circular basin some 
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