ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
Alcides would not steer straight, but steered us instead 
on the right for the very centre of the whirlpool. No 
sooner did the prow of the canoe enter the circle of the 
rotating water, which formed a deep concave hollow 70 
or 80 metres in diameter, than, dipping her nose in the 
water, she was flung right up into the air, revolving on 
herself. Baggage and men all tumbled over, two men 
being thrown with terrific force clean out of the canoe. 
A lot of baggage disappeared into the whirlpool. The 
canoe, although filled with water, righted herself and spun 
round helplessly at an alarming speed. The impact had 
been so violent that the men, in tumbling over, had lost 
all the paddles except one. 
We heard the cries of the two men in the water, and 
I saw them struggle in order to keep themselves afloat. 
I gave a sigh of relief that the two men, already a long 
distance from us, were, by a great stroke of luck, the 
only two who could swim. I urged them to have courage 
and we would come to their rescue, although for a moment 
I could not think how we should do it, as we had only one 
paddle left and the steering gear was torn away from its 
socket, although Alcides, with great courage, had managed 
to save it. I ordered my men to paddle with their hands 
and with the large oar which was used for steering. We 
were tossed about in a terrific manner, the men and canoe 
going round and round the whirlpool in an absolutely 
helpless fashion. 
What distressed me more than anything else was when 
I saw the two men getting nearer and nearer the centre, 
although they made a desperate struggle to swim away 
from it. In our effort to get to them by using the steering 
oar, the canoe, for some reason or other, swung round 
upon herself two or three times, and I saw with gladness 
the men gradually getting nearer. It was a moment of 
joy when I saw Antonio, who was a powerful swimmer, 
within only a few feet of the canoe. His face was ghostly, 
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