Introduction 



doubt, a misfortune in itself, and a severe test 

 for his vigorous constitution. But it was also a 

 blessing in disguise, inasmuch as it prevented 

 him from carrying out his foolhardy plan of 

 penetrating the tropical jungles of South 

 America along the Andes to a tributary of the 

 Amazon, and then floating down the river on 

 a raft to the Atlantic. As readers of the jour 

 nal will perceive, he clung to this intention even 

 during his convalescence at Cedar Keys and in 

 Cuba. In a letter dated the 8th of Novem 

 ber he describes himself as &quot;just creeping about 

 getting plants and strength after my fever.&quot; 

 Then he asks his correspondent to direct let 

 ters to New Orleans, Louisiana. &quot; I shall have 

 to go there,&quot; he writes, &quot;for a boat to South 

 America. I do not yet know to which point in 

 South America I had better go.&quot; His hope to 

 find there a boat for South America explains 

 an otherwise mystifying letter in which he re 

 quested his brother David to send him a cer 

 tain sum of money by American Express order 

 to New Orleans. As a matter of fact he did not 

 [ xxi ] 



