ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
When I mentioned that we still had to go over the 
other dangerous part, they said, much to my delight: 
“We are Brazilians — we are afraid of nothing! 
We will come with you.” And what is more, they did. 
They smoked a few cigarettes. I had always supplied 
them with ample tobacco in order to keep them in a good 
temper. Then, when I gave the order to start, they 
jumped gaily into the canoe, shouting again: 
“We are Brazilians! We are afraid of nothing!” 
So we began negotiating the second portion of that 
nasty crossing. There is nothing I admire more than 
courage. My men went up in my estimation that day at 
least a hundred per cent. 
The second part of our crossing was just as dangerous 
as the first part, perhaps more so. The men, however, 
behaved splendidly, and rowed with such vigour that we 
got through safely and quickly above the most difficult 
portion, and eventually landed upon a mass of rocks on 
the opposite side of the stream. 
There we had a busy time, as we had once more to 
unload the canoe and cut a way through the forest in order 
to convey the baggage overland to a spot about half a 
mile farther down stream; then we had to come back to 
take the canoe by means of ropes down the rapid itself. 
It was necessary for one of us to be inside the canoe 
in order to steer her while being led down. Alcides, who 
was indeed an extraordinarily brave man, would not hand 
over his job to anybody else, and insisted on being allowed 
to steer the canoe. It was with great reluctance that I 
allowed him, as he could not swim. When we proceeded 
to let the canoe down by the small western channel, the 
foaming waters, and high waves rolling back upon them¬ 
selves with great force, were most troublesome to 
negotiate. The canoe was repeatedly lifted right out of 
the water and gave us holding the ropes such violent jerks 
that we were flung in all directions. When I got up 
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