ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
ammunition for them to shoot with, as there seemed to 
be plenty of game in that particular part of the forest. 
We would divide equally what provisions we had — that 
is to say, three tins of sardines for each party. I would 
also give them sufficient money for one of them, or two, 
to fall back on the river and purchase provisions for the 
entire party. I made them promise to remain in charge 
of my baggage, most of which I would leave with them at 
that spot, while I, with two men, would go right across 
the forest as far as the Madeira River, where I would 
endeavour to get fresh men and new provisions. 
The men agreed to this. As I could not trust any of 
them, I took the precaution to take along with me all my 
notebooks and the maps I had made of the entire region 
we had crossed, four hundred glass negatives which I 
had taken and developed, a number of unexposed plates, 
a small camera, my chronometer, one aneroid, a sextant, 
a prismatic compass, one other compass, and a number of 
other things which were absolutely necessary. The rest 
of the baggage I left at that spot. I begged the men 
to take special care of the packages. All I asked of them 
was to prop them up on stones so that the termites and 
ants should not destroy my possessions, and to make a 
shed with palm leaves, so as to protect the packages as 
much as possible from the rain. The men promised to do 
all this faithfully. We drew lots as to who were to be 
the two to accompany me on the difficult errand across the 
virgin forest. Fate selected Filippe the negro and 
Benedicto, both terribly ill. 
We had no idea whatever what the distance would be 
between that point and the Madeira River. It might take 
us a few days to get there; it might take us some months. 
All the provisions we of the advance party would have to 
depend upon were the three tins of sardines and the tin 
of anchovies; the latter had remained in our possession 
when we tossed up as to which of the two parties should 
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