ON A RAFT TO GUAYAQUIL 309 



we got on slowly, on account of having to wait 

 between tides, but we reached Guayaquil at noon 

 on the 2/th without any further accident, and I 

 immediately went on shore and sought out a 

 carpenter, to assist Mr. Cross in nailing laths over 

 the soil and in fixing on the sashes. By 5 P.M. of 

 the 28th everything was completed. The plants, 

 thanks to Mr. Cross's tender care of them, bore 

 scarcely any traces of the rough treatment they had 

 undergone in their descent from Limon, and in 

 their late voyage from Aguacatal, and the only 

 thing against them was that they were growing too 

 rapidly, owing to the increased temperature to 

 which they had lately been subjected. 



On the 29th, a large goods steamer came in, 

 which goes to and fro between Lima and Guayaquil. 

 She was not to sail again until the 2nd of January, 

 and the plants, if sent by her, would have to remain 

 at Payta until the i3th or i4th, when another 

 steamer should pass from Lima to Panama ; but, as 

 there was no alternative, we had them put on 

 board her, and commodiously arranged on the 

 poop-deck. I then took leave of Mr. Cross and 

 the plants, satisfied that so long as they were under 

 his care they were likely to go on prosperously, 

 and having done all I could on my part to conduct 

 the enterprise to a successful issue. During its 

 performance, all engaged in it had run frequent 

 risk ol life and limb ; but a far greater source of 

 anxiety to me were the contretemps (a few only 

 of which have been indicated in the preceding 

 pages) that every now and then threatened to 

 bring our work to naught. It is difficult for 



