A THRILLING EXPERIENCE 
than go over it, as it was a little too high for the canoe to 
tumble over. I calculated the height of the fall from 
forty to fifty feet, and I was not far wrong, for when I 
took accurate measurements I found the actual height 
was forty-eight feet. 
We were beginning to drift very speedily with the 
current, when Alcides, realizing the danger, steered us 
toward the right bank. The men paddled for their lives 
so as to land as quickly as possible, as we were now less 
than a hundred metres from the portentous jump. The 
current was terrific, and the canoe was floating sidewise 
nearer and nearer the awful chasm. The coast line on 
the right was almost vertical, and there was no place 
where we could hold on to anything and land. So down 
floated the canoe, my men horror-stricken. Once or 
twice they were able to seize a creeping vine hanging down 
the steep bank, in an endeavour to stop the canoe’s head¬ 
long career. Rut the creepers gave way and crashed 
down upon us, nearly overturning the canoe at the mo¬ 
ment just before they snapped. 
So down, down we went, until we were now only a 
few metres from the fatal drop, and I saw no way of 
arresting the canoe. 
" Estamos perfidos !" (We are lost!) shouted the men 
in terror. 
“Not yet! not yet!” I exclaimed, as I perceived 
two rocks just sticking out of the water. “ Make for the 
rocks! ” I shouted to Alcides, and just as we shaved past 
them I jumped quickly on one of the rocks, holding the 
canoe, while two of the men also jumped out quickly and 
held fast to the boat — just in time. We were only ten 
or fifteen metres from the place where the water curled 
over and rolled down the fall. 
There was no time for arguing or scolding. Upon 
those rocks, my men, who were fond of talking, started a 
brisk war of words, saying that they would never continue 
171 
