ted failures to carry the line across, nothing remained
to be done but to attempt a crossing at the rapids. This we succeeded
in doing, but the attempt nearly cost MacLean his life. He was an
indifferent swimmer. The day was blazing hot. I stripped, but MacLean,
disregarding every one's advice, insisted on swimming in his shirt. We
had to creep slowly from rock to rock, through tumbling water, with an
occasional short swim through a deeper channel. The river was here much
wider than at the scene of our former attempt.

When we were about half-way across MacLean stumbled. As he attempted to
recover his foothold, facing the time down-stream, the current filled
his shirt from behind and carried it over his head. Then he rolled
helplessly down the rapid towards the deep reach. I floundered after,
and succeeded in overtaking him. He was quite exhausted; it was only
with great difficulty that I succeeded in getting him to the bank,
fortunately to that side on which the raft lay.

After a short rest we launched the raft, or, as it turned out to be, a
sort of square, flat bottomed boat, with sides only a few inches deep,
and built of planks. But it was shrunken and gaping from the heat, and
at once filled with water. It was sufficiently buoyant to float when
empty, but would not sustain any weight. We drew it out again; caulking
was out of the question, so we collected dry reeds and tied them into
bundles with grass ropes made on the spot. We fastened these bundles to
the bottom and sides, and launched our galley once more. This time we
propelled her triumphantly, but very slowly, to the other side, where
landing was comparatively easy. We had found in her two rough wooden
paddles.

I had, by this time, been exposed stark naked to the sun for over five
hours. I felt and no doubt looked like a raw beefsteak. Maclean's foot
had got severely hurt in the course of his adventure, and he was much
bruised and battered.

Accordingly it was decided that I should go on with Indogozan and his
companion, leaving MacLean behind.

So next afternoon the Pessimist and MacLean ferried the two bearers and
me across. The Pessimist bade me a doleful farewell, and suggested that
I should leave any mementos for my friends behind, with instructions as
to their disposal. To comfort him I wrote the names and addresses of my
nearest relations on a leaf torn out of my pocket-book, and gave him
the latter. He was absolutely certain that the prospecto