Thus the country through which we were to pass was then a real wilderness, while the river itself was walled in for almost the entire way by more or less unscalable cliffs of great height.
Finally all of our preparations were completed to the last detail.

The cabins of the boats were packed as one packs a trunk.

A wooden arm-chair was obtained from Field and fastened to the middle deck of our boat by straps, as a seat for the Major, and to the left side of it--he had no right arm--his rubber life-preserver was attached.

Each man had a similar life-preserver in a convenient place, and he was to keep this always ready to put on when we reached particularly dangerous rapids.

On the evening of the 21st of May nothing more remained to be done.