butIamapoorjudgeofdistancesonwater，forIshowedanavalfriendwhatIsupposedtobefourhundredyardsintheBayofLoanda，and，tomysurprise，hepronouncedittobeninehundred。
ItriedtomeasuretheLeeambyewithastrongthread，theonlylineIhadinmypossession，but，whenthemenhadgonetwoorthreehundredyards，theygotintoconversation，anddidnothearusshoutingthatthelinehadbecomeentangledBystillgoingontheybrokeit，and，beingcarriedawaydownthestream，itwaslostonasnag。
InvainItriedtobringtomyrecollectionthewayIhadbeentaughttomeasureariverbytakingananglewiththesextantThatIonceknewit，andthatitwaseasy，wereallthelostideasIcouldrecall，andtheyonlyincreasedmyvexationHowever，Imeasuredtheriverfartherdownbyanotherplan，andthenIdiscoveredthatthePortuguesehadmeasureditatTete，andfounditalittleoveronethousandyardsAtthefallsitisasbroadasatTete，ifnotmoresoWhoevermaycomeaftermewillnot，Itrust，findreasontosayIhaveindulgedinexaggeration。*
Withrespecttothedrawing，itmustbeborneinmindthatitwascomposedfromarudesketchasviewedfromtheisland，whichexhibitedthecolumnsofvaporonly，andagroundplanTheartisthasgivenagoodideaofthescene，but，bywayofexplanation，hehasshownmoreofthedepthofthefissurethanisvisibleexceptbygoingclosetotheedgeTheleft-handcolumn，andthatfarthestoff，arethesmallest，andalloughttohavebeenalittlemoretaperingatthetops。
*Theriverisaboutonemile1。6kmwideatthefalls，andplungesover350feetatthecentreLivingstonegreatlyunderestimatedbothdistancesAL。，1997。