Lunching in the canoe at about eleven o'clock, we steadily continued our descent. At about two I thought I would like to try my hand at being _popero_, so Perkins accordingly gave me a few hints on it and then retired under the _pamacari_ to enjoy a short nap. I got along first-rate for an hour or so and was beginning to think myself almost the equal of a professional Indian _boga_, when, borne along at a tremendous rate by the rushing current, we ran into a log that stuck some six feet out of the water at an angle of about thirty degrees. The log was too high to strike the bow, and passed over it; it reached the _pamacari_, got caught fast in it, the canoe turned broadside, listed to port, water poured over the gunwale in torrents, and I commenced to say my prayers. The next moment the _pamacari_ snapped, the canoe veered around bow foremost again, the log, with the released _pamacari_ still attached to it, raked the rear part of our craft, knocked me overboard, and the canoe was free. I hastily grasped the end of the log and hung to it like a tick to a nigger's shin, until Perkins struggled to his feet and threw me a rope, for no mortal man could have come up with the canoe in the teeth of the current. I grabbed the rope, and Perkins, after some delay, finally yanked me aboard, none the worse for my misadventure except a large bruise on my forehead. I did not play the rôle of _popero_ again for some time. At about five o'clock we stopped for the day at a large _playa_; I may say, however, that we spent some time in sounding the vicinity of the place where we tied the canoe, in order not to get stranded again. Taking a little walk to explore our neighbourhood, we stumbled upon several turtle trails, and, following them up, found some three large nests. Digging a little with our _machetes_ at one of them, we unearthed about eighty eggs, which we conveyed to the canoe; some of these eggs we had for dinner in the shape of an omelette. The next morning we again set out on our journey. As our _danta_ was now getting spoiled, I kept an eagle eye on the trees along the bank in hopes of killing something, and shot at several monkeys, but with apparently no effect. Finally I perceived a large turkey, and as soon as we got within range drew a bead on him and fired. The bird fell to the ground, we drew up, I got out and found the dead body of a buzzard or _gallinazo_. This repugnant bird, also known as the _urubú_ in Brazil, is about the size of the wild turkey, which it somewhat resembles at a distance. Its plumage, however, is a sort of dingy black, and its fairly large beak is of the same colour. They always emit an insufferable, carrion smell, and are the universal scavengers of the tropics. Indeed, in Colombia the killing of a _gallinazo_ is punishable by a heavy fine. Of these birds the best known species are the Cathartes foetens, the C. aura, and the C. jata.