AN EXCITING CHASE 
across and recovered the canoe. Antonio reflected deeply 
for some time, then consented to go if another man went 
with him. For nearly an hour he confabulated with 
Filippe the white man, who was also a splendid swimmer. 
It was with some relief that I saw the two eventually 
enter the water, after a paddle had been tied with long 
strings round each of their waists in order that they might 
be able to bring the canoe back. 
At the point where they started the river was 200 
metres wide, and although seemingly placid the current 
was strong. They drifted down some 800 metres. I with 
my telescope kept a sharp watch on the canoe, which was 
still going round and round, and was now once more 
almost entirely filled with water. No sooner had the men, 
quite exhausted, reached the opposite bank than the canoe, 
which had been in that spot for some hours, for some 
reason or other started out and proceeded to float down 
stream in the very centre of the river. Filippe the negro 
and I at once started on a chase on our side of the water, 
in case she came near enough to seize her; while I shouted 
and signalled to the men on the opposite bank to try and 
swim across once more and catch her in mid-stream. 
As luck would have it, after a chase of several kilo¬ 
metres, over cutting rocks and great banks of sand in 
which we sank up to our knees — while the naked men 
with their paddles ran for all they were worth on the 
opposite bank — the canoe drifted close to the other bank 
once more, and the men were able to board her. It was 
a great relief to me when at last the canoe was brought 
over to our side, and we towed her back. 
Each of the two men who had rescued the canoe at 
once received the reward I had offered, and Filippe the 
negro, who had shown willingness in recovering the boat, 
also received a handsome present. 
The entire day of August twelfth had been spent in 
going those few hundred metres of the rapid. Our camp 
vol. ii. — 14 209 
