there was little or none, and, as a consequence, the surface of the
canal was choked with vegetable growth, intersected by little paths
of clear water, made, I suppose, by the constant passage of waterfowl,
iguanas, and other vermin. Now, as it was evident that we could not
proceed up the river, it became equally evident that we must either try
the canal or else return to the sea. We could not stop where we were,
to be baked by the sun and eaten up by the mosquitoes, till we died of
fever in that dreary marsh.

"Well, I suppose that we must try it," I said; and the others assented
in their various ways--Leo, as though it were the best joke in the
world; Job, in respectful disgust; and Mahomed, with an invocation to
the Prophet, and a comprehensive curse upon all unbelievers and their
ways of thought and travel.

Accordingly, as soon as the sun got low, having little or nothing more
to hope for from our friendly wind, we started. For the first hour or so
we managed to row the boat, though with great labour; but after that the
weeds got too thick to allow of it, and we were obliged to resort to the
primitive and most exhausting resource of towing her. For two hours we
laboured, Mahomed, Job, and I, who was supposed to be strong enough to
pull against the two of them, on the bank, while Leo sat in the bow of
the boat, and brushed away the weeds which collected round the cutwater
with Mahomed's sword. At dark we halted for some hours to rest and enjoy
the mosquitoes, but about midnight we went on again, taking advantage
of the comparative cool of the night. At dawn we rested for three hours,
and then started once more, and laboured on till about ten o'clock, when
a thunderstorm, accompanied by a deluge of rain, overtook us, and we
spent the next six hours practically under water.