REDOUBTABLE WAVES 
Since the day we had taken the canoe over the hill 
range at the August Fall, I had doubled my men’s 
salaries, although their original salaries were already many 
times higher than they would receive from Brazilian em¬ 
ployers. I fully recognized that the work was hard, and 
I wished to encourage them in every possible way. 
Next, the river went through a narrow gorge, only 
eighty metres wide, where the current was mighty strong. 
High volcanic rocks stood on the right side of us. When 
we emerged from the narrow neck, which measured some 
500 metres in length, we found powerful whirlpools. 
Farther on the river once more went through a bad 
narrow passage, forty or sixty metres wide, with a suc¬ 
cession of rapids, extremely unpleasant, for a length of 
600 metres. 
My men were in great form that day, and we shot one 
rapid after another in fine style, Alcides, for a change, 
being amenable to reason and following my instructions, 
which carried us through that dangerous section without 
mishap. The stream Uruguatos entered the Arinos just 
above the latter rapids. 
That day was indeed a trying one for us. Another 
narrow channel, fifty metres wide, was reached, along the 
250 metres length of which we proceeded with great 
caution. Then a big basin spread out before us, where the 
current and eddies were terrific. The bottom of the river 
was mostly rocky, with great holes and depressions which 
caused the water to rotate in all directions. In some 
places amidst the foaming waters could be seen great 
circles of leaden-looking water, as still as oil. It was in 
a similar place in the Niagara whirlpool that the famous 
swimmer, Captain Webb, disappeared for ever. We saw 
thousands of those places on the Arinos. 
The line of the banks on both sides was extremely 
rocky. In front of us we had a hill with extensive campos 
on its northerly slope. Then we came to the next rapid. 
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