WANDERINGS IN SOUTH A^IERICA 71 



failed, and a severe fever came on. The com- 

 mander's answer was very polite. He remarked, 

 he regretted much to say, that he had received 

 orders to allow no stranger to enter the frontier, 

 and this being the case, he hoped I would not con- 

 sider him as uncivil: ''However," continued he, 

 "I have ordered the soldier to land you at a cer- 

 tain distance from the fort, where we can consult 

 together. ' ' 



We had now arrived at the place, and the canoe 

 which brought the letter returned to the fort, to 

 tell the commander I had fallen sick. 



The sun had not risen above an hour the morn- 

 ing after when the Portuguese officer came to the 

 spot where we had landed the preceding evening. 

 He was tall and spare, and appeared to be from 

 fifty to fifty-five years old; and though thirty 

 years of service under an equatorial sun had 

 burnt and shrivelled up his face, still there was 

 something in it so inexpressibly affable and kind, 

 that it set you immediately at your ease. He came 

 close up to the hammock, and taking hold of my 

 wrist to feel the pulse, ''I am sorry, sir," said he, 

 ''to see that the fever has taken such hold of you. 

 You shall go directly with me," continued he, "to 

 the fort; and though we have no doctor there, I 

 trust," added he, "we shall soon bring you about 

 again. The orders I have received forbidding the 

 admission of strangers were never intended to 

 be put in force against a sick English gentleman." 



As the canoe was proceeding slowly down the 

 river towards the fort, the commander asked, with 

 much more interest than a question in ordinary 

 conversation is asked, where was I on the night 



