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Cornugaya Directory 10
Page 10
The river was smooth for a little distance, when we proceeded once more
with our navigation; but soon it became narrow--only 40 to 50 m.
wide--with strong eddies in its deep channel between rocky sides. Some
magnificent sand beaches 15 to 20 ft. high were observed, particularly on
the right bank, not far from a tributary 3 m. wide which entered the main
river on the left side. Lower down, the river described a sharp turn, and
there we met another most dangerous rapid. It was entered by a passage 50
m. wide, after which a circular basin of rock--evidently an ancient
crater--100 m. in diameter appeared; then the water flowed out with
terrific force by a channel only 30 m. wide. The stream produced
prodigious eddies in the circular basin. Waves of great height were
dashed to and fro from one side to the other of the narrow channel,
between high rocks on either side. The water flowed first in a direction
E.S.E. for 500 m., then turned off suddenly to due east for a distance of
400 m. That spot was most difficult for us to go through.
When we started taking her down with ropes--our ropes were all rotted by
that time, and had no strength whatever--the canoe was tossed about in a
merciless manner. I recommended my men as they ran along to beware of the
ropes catching on the cutting edges of the high rocks. No sooner had the
canoe started down the swift current than one of the ropes at once caught
on a rock and snapped. The men who held the other rope were unable to
hold it, and let it go. I saw the canoe give three or four leaps in the
centre of the channel and then disappear altogether. That was a sad
moment for me. But as my eye roamed along the foaming waters, what was my
surprise when I saw the canoe shoot out of the water in a vertical
position at the end of the rapid and waterfall! That was the greatest
piece of luck I had on that journey. By being flung out of the water with
such force she naturally emptied herself of all the water she contained,
and I next saw her floating, going round and round the whirlpool at the
bottom of the rapid.
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