Were not travel conditions rather primitive?
Much of the expedition was completed by canoe, travelling upstream. On occasions,
to avoid rapids or cut across the land, they had to leave the river, chop
down a path through the forest and drag the canoes along.
Further inland Waterton walked across the more mountainous areas and a wide expanse of flat savannah, much of which was covered with shallow water. Throughout the journey, Waterton went barefoot travelled with only a few Amerindian guides and ate the food that they killed for him; monkey, armadillo and toucan were included in this diet. At night he slept in a hammock hung between two trees. By the time they reached the Brazilian border Waterton was ill with fever and he returned home as soon possible.
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