boatmen say - "Now come to rapids, very swift, very dangerous, many bad
rocks."

I well remember how many boats go to pieces on such rocks, so I hide my
head and see nothing, only shake with fear, only can hear screams, and
know some boat has already gone on the rocks.

Now our Captain began to shout to our men the awful shout - "Buy your
coffins," "Buy your coffins" and I know well that this means that we too
will soon be on the rocks. Then I could only pray to heaven that we be
not all drowned.

At last come one most awful crash, some girls catch hold of me and cry,
others make most awful screamings, and because the boat is fast filling
with water all try quickly to climb upon the rocks, only I am left in
Boat at last, and am much too afraid to move. Suddenly one Coolie lift
me by arm and throw me over on rocks with sacks of rice and baskets of
bedding.

Now we all very sure it is to die that we have come on this great river,
and so we wait.

Over us the sky shine in glory of sun set, nothing of this do we see,
only do we know of cold and great fear and of wetness, and pain most
miserable.

Where our other Boats, where our most dear Miss Sterling? We look up
river and down, some boats top-side, some bottomside, two boats on
rocks, like our own poor broken one. Now night comes swiftly, all grows
dark and we more and more afraid, every one say - "Now we die!" "Now we