154 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



desperate, our provisions altogether would not 

 suffice for more than a couple of meals, say to keep 

 body and soul together for two days. Of the painful 

 thoughts that passed through my mind at this 

 critical juncture my rough notes contain no record, 

 and writing now, after six months have elapsed, I 

 shrink from recalling them. The conclusion of my 

 cogitations was to remain by my effects till death 

 or help should arrive ; and my lad, who promised 

 not to desert me, was of the same opinion. We 

 calculated that we should be able to keep alive for 

 a week, and in that time perhaps some trader might 

 come from the Sierra on his way to Canelos. The 

 Indians also were loath to turn back for this reason 

 that they had received their pay in money, with 

 which they hoped to buy great store of calico in the 

 Sierra, where it would cost them but a real the vara, 

 whereas if they took the money back to Sara-yacu 

 they must give four reals the vara for the same sort 

 of calico to some trader who should by a rare chance 

 go thither. I called a council by the river-side, in 

 order to consult on the possibility of throwing the 

 second bridge to a rock a few yards higher up the 

 stream than the one that was under water, but so 

 much higher out of the water than the first stone 

 that the bridge resting on it must necessarily slope 

 considerably, and so far apart that it was doubtful if 

 the bamboos would span the distance. I had pro- 

 posed the same thing to them yesterday, when they 

 had declared it impossible, but now they seemed to 

 think that if the bamboos would only reach the 

 upper rock the plan was feasible. There was no 

 time to be lost, for heavy rain was coming, and it 

 was probable the river would speedily rise, so to 



