It occurred to
them that what they needed to navigate a river of this character was
something of the nature of large baskets or tuns, in which they might
float enclosed to their waists, while keeping themselves from contact with
the rocks by the aid of poles.
They had no models for such floating contrivances, and were obliged to
invent them. Near the river was an extensive forest, and this supplied
them abundantly with young trees, of light wood. These they cut down,
stripped off their bark, collected them by fives, and, lacking ropes,
fastened them together with lianas and a tenacious kind of gum which the
forest provided. A large number of small, frail, basket-like contrivances
were thus made, each large enough to carry two men, with whom they would
sink in the water as deep as the waist. Piperies, Lussan called them, but
his description does not make it clear just what they were like.
While thus engaged, the freebooters killed part of their horses, and
salted their flesh for food, all the work being done with the energy and
activity necessary in their critical situation.
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