emed sensibly to increase. Benito then resolved to pursue his
investigations on the side where he had begun to probe the vegetation.
This was why he continued to advance in that direction, and the raft
had to follow him during a quarter of an hour, as had been previously
arranged.

The quarter of an hour had elapsed, and Benito had found nothing. He
felt the need of ascending to the surface, so as to once more experience
those physiological conditions in which he could recoup his strength. In
certain spots, where the depth of the river necessitated it, he had had
to descend about thirty feet. He had thus to support a pressure almost
equal to an atmosphere, with the result of the physical fatigue and
mental agitation which attack those who are not used to this kind of
work. Benito then pulled the communication cord, and the men on the raft
commenced to haul him in, but they worked slowly, taking a minute to
draw him up two or three feet so as not to produce in his internal
organs the dreadful effects of decompression.

As soon as the young man had set foot on the raft the metallic sphere of
the diving-dress was raised, and he took a long breath and sat down to
rest.

The pirogues immediately rowed alongside. Manoel, Fragoso, and Araujo
came close to him, waiting for him to speak.

"Well?" asked Manoel.

"Still nothing! Nothing!"

"Have you not seen a trace?"

"Not one!"

"Shall I go down now?"

"No, Manoel," answered Benito; "I have begun; I know where to go. Let me
do it!"

Benito then explained to the pilot that his intention was to visit the
lower part of the bank up to the Bar of Frias, for there the slope had
perhaps stopped the corpse, if, floating between the two streams, it had
in the least degree been affected by the current. But first he wanted to
skirt the bank and carefully explore a sort of hole formed in the slope
of the bed, to the bottom of which the poles had evidently not been
able to penetrate. Araujo approved of this plan, and made the necessary
preparations.

Manoel gave Benito a little advice. "As you want to pursue your search
on that side," he said, "the raft will have to go over there obliquely;
but mind what you are doing, Benito. That is much deeper than where
you have been yet; it may be fifty or sixty feet, and you will have to
support a pressure of quite two atmospheres. Only venture with extreme
caution, or you may lose your presence of mind, or no longer know where
you are