io6 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



horrible sight. They unceasingly applied the cow -skin straps, 

 making the blood spurt in all directions and sprinkling my 

 clothes, though I took care to keep at a respectful distance. In 

 the church a little below the altar was extended a mat, and on 

 the mat a crucifix laid on a cushion, with a cup by its side 

 to receive contributions of penitents. As the latter advanced in 

 their turn they knelt down and kissed the crucifix, beating them- 

 selves with redoubled energy. At the same moment their wives 

 or mothers, who walked by their side, dropped each an egg into 

 the cup. Whilst this was doing, the Sacristan chanted a 

 Miserere. Each Indian, after kissing the crucifix, walked out 

 of the church, in the order he entered, nor suspended the 

 flagellation until reaching his own house. The value of an act 

 of penitence like this may be estimated by the fact that every one 

 of the penitents was intoxicated. They believed, however, that 

 it would ensure their safe return from the perilous voyage, or, at 

 any rate, should they be killed by the Infidels, their souls would 

 be immediately received into glory. Many white men would 

 have kept their beds for a month after such a punishment, but 

 our penitents sat down to their oars before noon on Monday (the 

 next day but one) without showing any inconvenience from their 

 wounds. They have an idea that the beating after the application 

 of the scarifiers drives out the coagulated blood from the wounds 

 and prevents any formation of pus. 



[On April 6 they left La Laguna, and on the 

 7th entered the Marafion, and though the distance 

 up that river to the mouth of the Pastasa is only 

 about 25 miles, they did not reach the latter 

 till the iith. On the afternoon of the /th they 

 came upon a small village of six huts, where the 

 remnant of the pueblo of Santander on the Pastasa 

 had established themselves. Here they learnt that 

 five men of San Antonio (a village just above 

 the mouth of the Pastasa) went into the forest to 

 cut palm-leaves, and never returned, but remnants 

 of their clothes had been found, showing that they 

 had been murdered by the savage Huambisas. 



On the morning of the Qth the travellers came 

 to the deserted pueblo of Shiruri, half a day below 

 the mouth of the Pastasa. There were about a 



