TARAPOTO TO CANE LOS 10; 



dozen cane houses standing on level ground scarce 

 a foot above the highest floods. Spruce thus 

 describes what he found : ] 



The exodus appears to have been very hasty, for pans and 

 tinajos of all sizes are left scattered about, and even several 

 arrobas of rice in pots and baskets. The neat beds made of 

 stems of bamboo opened out into sheets and laid side by 

 side are mostly in their places, but the termites are everywhere 

 and will speedily complete the destruction of everything vegetable. 

 The ground is fertile, and the colonists had made their plantations 

 of plantain, sugar-cane, yucas, etc., not omitting several sorts of the 

 necessary Capsicum and the flowers used by women for adorning 

 their hair (cockscombs, African marigolds, etc.), nor the verbena 

 which is a panacea for every disease. A few Crescentias had 

 been planted and in another year would have begun to yield 

 cuyas. What a picture of disappointed hopes is suggested by 

 the view of such desolation ! With what lamentation must the 

 poor women have deserted the spot where they had just com- 

 pleted preparations for rearing their young families, and had 

 calculated on growing old amidst plenty and tranquillity ! 



[Thenceforward when sleeping on shore Spruce 

 and his companions took turns to keep watch 

 during the night, allowing the Indians to sleep. 

 The latter, however, usually stuck their lances and 

 bows and arrows at the head of their mosquito 

 nets, so as to be ready in case of an attack. 

 Journal continues : ] 



Just above the point where we got into the 

 main' channel were three houses in the midst o! 

 large platanales on the left bank, probably remains 

 of the new pueblo of Santander, though our Indians 

 refused to tell us. It is impossible to get from them 

 any information about places and distances, as the) 

 are afraid we should want to go ashore at the desert r 

 pueblos, where the Infieles mi^ht be in ambush 

 fall on them. Even when- we have cut plantains 

 in deserted chacras (which are frequent along 

 shores, though generally hidden by a 



