Letters from Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 267 



how Zorilla had behaved; and how everybody down below 

 beheved we were dead, different accounts telling how we had 

 been killed by Indians or starved to death_, while another 

 rumour gave out that we were all down with scurvy. They 

 brought, however, no news of the outer world. It is nearly 

 a year since I have received any letter whatever from Europe, 

 and I am beginning to feel how unutterably out of date I 

 shall be in everything, especially in things scientific, when I 

 get back to Europe. What would I not give to be able to 

 get even ' Nature ' up here every week ! 



It appeared, from what our rescuers told us, that an expe- 

 dition of thirty men had started off to relieve us no less than 

 three months before, but that nothing had been heard of 

 them since, and it was supposed that they were all lost. 



Our future proceedings are quite uncertain at present. 

 The orders of the rescuing party were, if they found us, to 

 abandon the vessel and take us down to the Paraguay. We 

 induced them, however, to wait some time to see if any 

 communication arrived from the owners of the vessel. In 

 order to communicate with them, a commission of half a 

 dozen men is to start to-day, and it is with them I send this 

 letter. On their return they will either bring us fresh men 

 and pi'ovisions, or else instructions to leave the vessel and go 

 down on mule-back. I need not say how devoutly I pray 

 for the former alternative. It was bad enough to have so 

 many hindrances in the way of making decent collections, 

 but to have to lose all these collections, as well as apparatus, 

 books, everything, in fact, would be too horrible a climax 

 even to this ill-starred expedition. Of course, the moment 

 the boat is abandoned, there is no question but there will be 

 a grand gathering of Indians for the purpose of general 

 pillage. 



For other reasons besides the mere saving of the collec- 

 tions already made, I am most anxious to be in the river for 

 some months longer, as now is the spring-time, and nature is 

 beginning to show signs of wakening after her so profound 

 and untropical winter sleep. During the last few weeks I 

 have been able to do absolutely the first spell of active bo tan- 



