142 
THE GOLDEN RIVER. 
had to sweep and dust the saloon, after which 
came the important discussion as to what we 
were to have for lunch. We had laid in a stock 
of tinned provisions before starting : bully beef, 
tongues, sardines, tinned asparagus and fruit, 
also flour, cheese, rice, eggs, tea and coffee, 
potatoes and green vegetables, a sack of ship’s 
biscuits and a supply of red wine, soda water, 
and whiskey. The fresh meat we had brought 
had had to be cut into strips and hung in the 
sun to dry, where by degrees it achieved the 
colour and consistency of an Egyptian mummy 
of an early dynasty. The loaves of bread we 
had taken with us had been finished long ago. 
It had been a matter of importance, the 
laying in of our stores, for we had been warned 
that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to 
supplement them once we had started. And so 
it proved. Posadas has excellent stores, and 
we had remembered everything, fortunately, 
and never ran short in our three weeks’ trip. 
The crew provided their own food : and there 
were dorado for all. Whilst the eggs lasted we 
had begun our lunch with an omelet, but such 
halcyon days were over. ‘And what will the 
senores eat to-day ? ’ would enquire Jerman 
cheerfully, with the air of a chef behind whom 
loomed vast larders and store-cupboards. 
Grilled steaks of dorado, at any rate, and let 
Jerman be sure they were served very hot, with 
chipped potatoes. And how excellent is grilled 
