Presently one of the other rafts came round the point; they tried to join me, but were swept to the other side, where they brought up; the next followed, and was also secured; the fourth soon came round the point, but with only old Japer upon it. I trembled for him, but the old fellow was used to danger, and cleverly brought himself under the opposite rocks, and threw a rattan on shore. This, however, was torn out of the hand of a stupid man who ought to have twisted it round a stump or a rock; nevertheless, an active fellow sprang from one of the already secured rafts into Japer’s, and twisted a strong rattan round one of the trunks. Now all were interested, and rushed to help to prevent the great stream carrying away the rafts. I was very pleased to see Musa join me. He presently went ahead; and, after an hour’s absence, returned, telling me he had found a spot where we could secure ourselves for the night; but that the men requested that I and Ahtan, as the non-swimmers, would walk to the night’s resting-place. We found the way very difficult; and, after half an hour’s hard work, reached the rafts. I now heard that three of the most active of the party had gone ahead to examine. We had brought up the rafts in a kind of bay, with the rocks below stretching across the river, forming formidable rapids. At six p.m. the scouts returned, bringing the unpleasant news that the river for about two miles was one succession of rapids; in fact, as far as they had seen it, it was a continued sheet of white foam, from the innumerable rocks which studded the stream. To proceed in the rafts was quite impossible, so we made up our minds to walk. Now I thought matters began to look sombre, particularly as Ahtan came to tell me that he had been to several of the men for my rice, and had found that they had only a day’s provisions left. Upon this I called the men up, and ascertained that three men had still six days’ rice, three had four days’, four had two days’, and the rest only provisions for one day; and, what was very serious for me and Ahtan, all our rice had been consumed, except sufficient for two days. It was useless to reproach the men, so I called Ahtan on one side, and proposed to him that we should in future take thin rice-water, and trust to the cabbage-palm for our chief support. To this he readily agreed, and then added in a whisper that he had about two cupfuls of tapioca flour. I persuaded him that this should be kept, in case one of us fell ill. I must confess that, being excessively hungry, I was not sorry to find that he had cooked a fowl--the last but one--and boiled a lot of rice, before he discovered how short we were. We divided the food into two portions, and dined heartily.