263 condamine's travels 



thence to Santo Domingo, Martlnico, or, at any rate, to the Havannah, and from thai 

 place to Europe, touching at Point Saint Helena, learnt there that a lady of Rio- 

 bamba was on the point of fetting out for the Amazons river, and embarking 

 thence in a veiTel equipped by the order of His Portugueze Majefty, to take her 

 to Cayenne. This engaged him to change his route, and afcending the Guayaquil 

 river, he proceeded to Riobamba to entreat Madame Godin to grant him a palTage, 

 undertaking in return to watch over her health, and fhew her every attention. At 

 ■firfl fhe anfwered, that fhe had no authority to grant his requefl ; but M. R. ap- 

 plying to her two brothers, they reprefented to her fo urgently that flie might 

 'have need of the afliftance of a phyfician on fo long a voyage, that flie at length 

 confented to his accompanying her. Her two brothers, who likewife were fetting 

 out for Europe, hefitated not an inftant to avail themfelves of the opportunity 

 which now oifered of haftening their arrival, the one at Rome, fvhither he was 

 called by bufmefs relative to his order, the other in Spain, where his private affairs 

 required his prefence. The latter took with him a fon about nine or ten years of 

 age, whom he wifhed to educate in France. M. de Grandmaifon, my father-in-law, 

 went on before to obtain every poffible accommodation for his daughter on the 

 road, to the point of embarkation beyond the great Cordillera. He at firfl met 

 with obftacles from the prefident and captain-general of the province of Quito ; for 

 you. Sir, are aware that the palfage by the Amazons is forbidden by the Spanifh court ; 

 but thefe difficulties were foon overcome. On my return from Carthagena, whither 

 I had been difpatched on matters relative to our company in 1 740, I brought back 

 with me a paffport from the viceroy of Santa Fe, Don Sebaftian de Eilava, authorifmg 

 our taking whatever road we pleafed ; and in confequence of the produdion of this, 

 the Spanilh governor of the province of Maynas and Omaguas, informed of the ap- 

 proach of Madame Godin, politely Tent to meet her a canoe flored with refrefhments, 

 fuch as fruit, milk, &c. which reached her a Httle diftance from the town of Oma- 

 guas ; but to what misfortunes, what a horrible fituation was fhe not expofed before 

 that happy moment! She left her refidence of Riobamba with her efcort on the ift 

 of Oftober 1769 5 and with thefe fhe reached Canelos, the fpot at which they were to 

 embark, fituate on the httle river Bobonafa, which empties itfelf into the Paflaca, as 

 that laft does into the Amazons. M. de Grandmaifon, who preceded them a month 

 on the way, found the village of Canelos well inhabited, and immediately emibarked, 

 ccntlrulng his journey, to prepare every thing neceffary for the tranfport of his daugh- 

 ter at each flage of her way. As he knew that fhe was accompanied by her brothers, 

 a phyfician, her negro, and three female mulattoes or Americans, he proceeded on 

 to the Portuguefe mifTions. In the interval, however, between his journey and the 

 arrival of my wife, the fmall pox, an European import, more fatal to the Americans 

 in this part than the plague, which is fortunately here unknown, is to the people of 

 Levant, had caufed the village of Canelos to be utterly abandoned by its population. 

 They had feen thofe firft attacked by this diftemper irremediably carried off, and had 

 in confequerxce difperfed among the woods, where each had his own hut, ferving as 

 a country-retreat. On her departure my wife was efcorted by thirty-one American 

 natives to carry herfelf and baggage. You know. Sir, that this road, the fame purfued 

 by M. de Pvlaidonado, is Impradicable even for mules ; that thofe capable, effed the 

 paffage on foot, but that others are carried. The Americatis who efcorted Madame Godin, 

 who were paid in advance according to the bad cuflom in this country, a cuftom found- 

 ed on miftrufl, at times but too well founded, fcarcely reached Canelos before they 

 I'etraced their fleps, either from dread of the air being infei^ted, or from apprehenfion 

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