IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



263 



V)f: being obliged to embark, a matter obnoxious in extreme to individuals who had 

 perhaps never feen a canoe in their lives but at a dillance. Nay fuch excufes are 

 pofiibly fuperfluous, for you well know how often we are abandoned by them on our 

 mountains, on no pretence v.'hatever. What under fuch circumftances was to be 

 done ? Had my wife been able to return, yet the defire of reaching the veffel waiting 

 her, together with her anxiety to rejoin a hufoand from whom fhe had been parted q^ 

 twenty years, were incentives powerful enough to make her, in the pecuHar circura- -^ 

 . fiances in which flie was placed, brave even greater obflacles. 



In the village only two Indians remained free from the contagion ; thefe had no 

 boat, but they engaged to conftruO: one and pilot it to the million of Andoas, about 

 twelve days' journey below, defcending the river Bobonaza, a diflance of from one 

 hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty leagues ; fhe paid them beforehand ; the 

 canoe being finifhed, they all departed from Canelos. After navigating the river two 

 days, on the fucceeding morning the pilots abfconded ; the unfortunate party embarked , , "■ 

 without any one to fleer the boat, and pafTed the day without accident. The next day 

 at noon, they difcovered a canoe in a fmall port adjoining a leaf-built hut, in which 

 was a iiative recovering from iilnefs, who confented to pilot them. On the third day 

 of his voyage, while ftooping over to recover the hat of Mr. K., which had fallen into 

 the water, the poor man fell overboard, and, not having fufficient flrength to reach 

 the fhore, was drov/ned. Behold the canoe, again without a fleerfman, abandoned to 

 individuals perfeftly ignorant of managing it ; in confequence it was fhortly overfet, 

 which obliged the party to land, and build themfelves a hut. They were now but 

 from five to fix days journey from Andoas. Mr. R. propofed to repair thither, and 

 fet off with another Frenchman of the party, and the faithful negro belonging to 

 Madame Godin, taking efpecial care to carry his effedls with him. 1 fmce blamed my 

 wife for not having difpatched one of her brothers to accompany Mr. R., but found that 

 neither of them, after the accident which had befallen the canoe, were inclined to truft 

 themfelves on the water again, without a proper pilot ; Mr. R. moreover promifed that 

 within a fortnight a canoe fhould be forwarded to them with a proper complement of 

 natives. The fortnight expired, and even five and twenty days, when, giving over all 

 hopes, they conflrufted a raft on which they ventured themfelves, with their provifions 

 and property. The raft, badly framed, flruck againft the branch of a funken tree, 

 and overfet, all their eftecbs perifliing in the waves, and the whole party being plunged 

 into the water. Thanks to the little breadth of the river at this place no one was 

 drowned, Madame Godin being happily faved, after twice finking, by her brothers. 

 Placed now in a fituation ftill more diftrefling than before, they collectively refolved on 

 tracing the courfe of the river along its banks. How difficult of effedl this enterprife, 

 you. Sir, are well aware, who know how thickly the banks of the rivers are befet with 

 trees, underwood, herbage and lianas, and that it is often neceffary to cut one's way. 

 They returned to their hut, took what provifions they had left behind, and began their 

 journey. By keeping along the river's fide they found its finuofities greatly lengthened 

 their way, to avoid which inconvenience they penetrated the wood, and in a few days 

 they loft themfelves. Wearied with fo many days' march in midft of woods, incom- 

 modious even for thcfe accuftomed to them, their feet torn by thorns and brambles;, 

 their provifions exhaufted, and dying with thirft, they were fain to fubfift on a few 

 feed, wild fruit, and the palm cabbage. At length, oppreffed with hunger and thirft, . 

 with laflitude and lofs of ftrengtn_, they feated themfelves on the ground without the 

 power of rifing, and, waiting thus the approach of death, in three or four days expired 

 one after the other. Madame Godin, ftretched on the ground by the fide of the corpfes 



of 



