midday
Sixty men were to form the expeditionary force ; one gentleman adventurer , one ship 's officer , two soldiers , and two seamen -- all chosen by lot -- being left behind in the native village in charge of ship and stores . The Indians were as good as their word . Headed by the chief 's canoe , the adventurers passed in steady procession through more than a hundred miles of delta waterways . Progress was slow , for , though the current in the cross channels was not strong , the wind was hardly felt ; the heat was stifling , and rest during the midday hours absolutely necessary . Then there were villages to be visited , presents to be made to the chieftains , and feasts to be eaten in return . Haste was impossible , though very desirable . The rains were beginning , the river would soon be in flood , and pestilence would stalk through the swampy regions like a destroying angel .