A WARNING CLOUD 
had a width of 2,000 metres. Then from that point the 
river went to 50° bearings magnetic for a distance of 
6,000 metres. A strong northeasterly wind was blowing 
against us, keeping us back and making our work unduly 
hard. Great waves tossed us about and made my men 
seasick, while we got splashed incessantly, the moisture 
we absorbed being each time quickly evaporated by the 
fierce wind. We felt cold and shivery and not particularly 
happy after the experience of the previous night. 
Benedicto, who had been entrusted during the journey 
with the baling out of the canoe, was beginning to find his 
job too much for him — a job which he had volunteered 
to do at first when the canoe was not leaking. He now 
said he wanted to paddle and not bale out the water any 
more. Although we used a big bucket for that purpose, 
Benedicto had his work all cut out for him in keeping 
the canoe only half full of water. 
Several times I remonstrated with him that day, as 
while I was sitting behind him, with the wind blowing 
hard, he flung most of the water on me instead of back 
into the stream. 
I had observed for the last few days a little globular 
white cloudlet to the north, just above the horizon. Every 
day that cloudlet was to be seen in the very same position, 
where it remained motionless most of the day upon the 
otherwise beautifully clear blue sky. That was an indi¬ 
cation to me that we must be nearing a great fall of water 
or an immense rapid, which caused the evaporation of the 
water to produce it. 
Many were the islands we passed that day, some as 
many as 800 metres in length. One island, particularly, 
was picturesque to a degree, with an impressive crown of 
rock on its westerly side. The river was there some 2,000 
metres wide, perhaps even more, as I could not quite see 
how far the bank was to the left of us owing to some 
islands which stood in the way. 
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