'ZSS 



CHAPTER XX 



Departure of the relief party — Juan Silva's wife — With the Waiomgomos — 

 Cotton-spinning — A primitive dark-room— Orchid collecting — Cassava — 

 Yaraque— Basket-making — Eeturn of the relief party— Canoe-build- 

 ing— Agriculture — Treatment of children — The blow-pipe — Isidor — 

 Departure from La Prision — On the Orinoco again. 



The first thing I had to think of was the rehef party. 

 Unfortunately Medina had gone to Puerto Antonio 

 Liccioni for supplies and had taken several men with him, 

 so that I experienced a good deal of difficulty in obtain- 

 ing the hands I required. In Medina's absence Juan 

 Saba was the chief man at the settlement, and he agreed 

 to go as head of the relief expedition if I would give him 

 a gun on his return. Having at last obtained the men 

 required, my next difficulty was with regard to provisions 

 and a small boat. The clearing at La Prision, like the 

 settlement at Mura, had suffered severely from the long 

 drought, and that was the reason why Medina had been 

 forced to go to Puerto Antonio Liccioni for supplies. 

 By sending to the settlements of Temblador and La 

 Union, I succeeded in getting together sufficient yams, 

 sweet potatoes, and rice for the trip, and at the latter 

 place I also procured a small dug-out. For these things 

 I had to pay three or four times their value ; for the people, 

 having realised that I was in urgent need of provisions, 

 had agreed to make the most of the opportunity. I 

 bought a steer from Juan Saba and it was slaughtered and 

 the meat salted. Of the Indians only Isidor consented 



