ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
which we had filled the longitudinal crack was torn off, 
and she quickly filled with water. When we halted more 
garments had to be destroyed in order to fill up the 
aperture to the best of our ability. 
When the storm was oyer we continued our journey, 
going over some rapids in quite a novel way. The men 
were quarrelling among themselves and had stopped 
paddling, the paddles being waved in the air in a threaten¬ 
ing way as they spoke violently to one another. Alcides 
had also left the steering gear, and in his fury against 
the other men had seized his rifle in order to give force 
to his words. We were approaching the rapid. I advised 
them to continue their quarrel after we had gone through, 
but they would not listen to me. The prow of the canoe, 
just as we were about to enter the rapid, was caught in 
a rock, and the canoe swung right round, so that we shot 
the rapid floating down stern first. We shipped a lot of 
water, the refreshing bath somewhat cooling the excite¬ 
ment of my men, who, realizing the danger when we 
entered the whirlpool, took to paddling again. 
I discovered from their conversation during the night 
that my men were imbued with the idea that I had a 
guardian angel attending my person, and that no matter 
what happened while they were with me they would have 
no mishap. 
The river gradually turned northwards again. I 
noticed on the right side a hill-range 350 feet high, extend¬ 
ing from southwest to northeast. 
The wind came up again, tossing the canoe about 
considerably. My men once more became seasick, owing 
to the rolling. The new paddles we had made from fresh 
wood after our accident in the rapids did not prove much 
of a success, the wood splitting badly. We had to keep 
the various pieces together by tying them with string. I 
could not help laughing when I looked at my men 
paddling. One paddle had a quadrangular blade; an- 
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