RISKY WORK 
The highest part of it, however, seemed to be near the 
point where we had negotiated the dangerous rapid. 
We had gone no more than 9,600 metres, when we 
came to another bad rapid over a barrier of rock across 
the river from northeast to southwest. A tributary ten 
metres wide at the mouth occurred on the right just before 
this rapid. Beautiful trees of great height, with yellow 
ball-like blooms, enlivened the scenery as we went along. 
We had little time to appreciate the beauty of the vege¬ 
tation, we were too busy with the river. No sooner had 
we got through one rapid than we came to another 
alarming one, with a sudden drop of over six feet and 
enormous volumes of water pouring over it. 
This rapid described an arc of a circle, forming an 
awe-inspiring whirlpool below the actual fall. We had 
some trouble in finding a place where we could get the 
canoe through. Eventually, with water up to our necks, 
we let her gradually down the high step in the middle of 
the river, we standing with great difficulty on submerged 
rocks. We had then to make several journeys back and 
forth to convey the various loads to the canoe after 
we had brought her to a place of safety, our baggage 
having been left on rocks in mid-stream. This was ex¬ 
tremely risky work, for the current was powerful and the 
water reached in some places up to our necks. I was 
anxious for the men who could not swim, as I was afraid 
any moment they might be washed away, and not only 
should I lose them but also the valuable instruments, 
photographic plates, etc., which they were conveying 
across. 
Again that day I had seen since the early morning 
our friend, the little white solitary cloudlet, standing out 
motionless against the otherwise speckless blue sky. Not 
only that, but on that particular day I could just perceive, 
directly under that cloudlet, a faint column of white mist 
connecting it vertically with the ground. I knew by that 
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