mosquitoes, which settled on us in absolute swarms and
stung us for all they were worth. The lips, eyelids, nose and ears seemed
to be their favourite spots for drawing blood--perhaps because the
remainder of the face and neck was already a mass of stings and the skin
had got hardened and parched by the broiling sun. The temperature was
warm--92 deg. F. in the shade, and 103 deg. in the sun.

At the end of the 4,000 m. another great mass of rocks was found
extending from south to north right across the stream. Fortunately we
found a channel sufficiently large for navigating our canoe exactly in
the centre of the river. After turning to the W.N.W. we found a charming
little rocky islet with a solitary tree upon it, and 1 kil. farther a
larger island 400 m. long and 300 m. wide in the shape of a
triangle--Sylvia Island. This island was separated by a channel 70 m.
wide from an immense island--Guanabara Island--6,400 m. long. The channel
we followed, the river there flowing to the S.S.W., was 300 m. wide.
Great masses of rock were visible on the left side. Where the river
flowed in a more westerly direction rocks formed a barrier right across
from south-east to north-west.

Then the river once more flowed in a S.S.W. direction through a perfectly
beautiful channel. A lovely sand and gravel beach extended from
north-east to south-west at the turn of the river where the great
Guanabara Island ended.

Some 600 m. farther on a huge dome of rock like a spherical balloon was
to be seen, with two smaller rocks by its side. A basin 400 m. wide was
then found with an islet of sand 100 m. long on the left side, and a low
islet of gravel partly wooded on the right side of the channel. These
preceded another accumulation of sand and gravel 100 m. long with a few
trees upon it, which was succeeded by a mass of rocks just before
reaching a fair-sized island.

Another great spherical rock was seen before entering the channel between
the island and the left bank. In the extensive bay great boulders of
indescribable beauty were visible.

[Illustration: The Canoe being led down a Rapid.]

Several _capivaras_ were basking in the sun on the top of the boulders,
and were fired at many times by my men as they stood up to gaze at us in
astonishment before they made up their minds to jump into the water
and escape.

Close to those rocks an island--Teresa Island--400 m. long was next
admired. Strong rapids had to be gone through in a great