slet with trees upon its northerly half. Numerous rocks
obstructed the east side (right) of the river.

Farther on, another lovely sandy islet 100 m. long had formed behind a
number of rocks, and was of a clean, beautiful yellowish white, with a
few shrubs and trees growing upon it. All those sand beaches were
extremely interesting to me. I invariably landed upon them. I had made a
wonderful collection of all the minute plants and delightful miniature
flowers which grew upon these beaches--an immense variety, indeed, but of
such small dimensions and of such delicate tints that it required
sometimes a great strain of eyesight to see them at all. Some were really
most beautiful. I spent a good deal of time and patience in collecting,
pressing, and classifying those dainty little sand-plants, and I was
beginning to flatter myself that I had formed a complete collection.

At the spot where Lunghissima Island came to an end a large triangular
island was to be seen on the left of us. A great barrier of rocks
stretched across the stream, a prominent cluster of picturesque boulders
forming a powerful spur which cut the current at the southern part of the
triangle of land.

Although the thermometer marked 93 deg. in the sun my men complained of the
intense cold, partly because they all had fever, partly also because the
wind was extremely strong that day and caused waves of some size in the
stream, which dashed against the canoe and splashed us all over. Again my
men were seasick that day, and got furious with me as I could not help
laughing at their plight.

With a slight deviation of 20 deg. to the west came another stretch of 4,000
m. in a straight line. A two-humped range of hills now loomed before us
to the north-west. We had gone along the side of another elongated island
8,000 metres in length--Yolanda Island. When we came to the end of this
great island, two other islands parallel to each other were disclosed to
the west of us, one 1,000 m. long--Carmela Island--the other 600
m.--Stella Island. The first had a pretty island 300 m. long--Hilda
Island--next to it on the east side. We halted at the end of Yolanda
Island and there took observations for latitude and longitude, thirty-one
consecutive sights of the sun being taken. Lat. 10 deg. 13'.3 S; long. 58 deg.
35' W.

[Illustration: The Immense Waves encountered by Author in emerging
from the Channel in the Rapid of the Inferno.

(The canoe with its occupants shot