Off for the Napo. 185 



from the president, whicli Carlos read aloud in the ears of 

 all the people, together with the authoritative charge of 

 Carlos himself, had the desired effect ; not a transportation 

 company in the United States ever kept its engagement 

 more faitlifully than did these twenty peons — and this, 

 too, though we paid them in advance, according to the cus- 

 tom of the country. Upon a blanket spread at our feet 

 the money was counted out, and Carlos slowly distributed 

 it with a grave and reverend air, to every Indian five dol- 

 lars.* 



Tuesday morning, November 5th, the peons promptly 

 shouldered their burdens, and we, shod with alpargates, 

 and with Alpine staff in hand (more needed here than in 

 Switzerland), followed after, leaving the governor to sleep 

 inside his mansion, and to eat his lice unmolested. On a 

 little grassy knoll just outside the town our train halted 

 for a moment — the Indians to take their fill of chicba, and 

 bid their friends good-by, and we to call the roll and take 

 an inventory. Our leader was Isiro, a bright, intelligent, 

 finely-featured, stalwart Indian. He could speak Spanish, 

 and his comrades acknowledged his superiority with mark- 

 ed deference. Ten women and children followed us for 

 two days, to relieve the men of their burdens. Their as- 

 sistance was not needed in the latter part of the journey, 

 for our keen apj^etites rapidly lightened the provision cans. 

 Starting again, we plunged at once into the forest, taking 

 a northeasterly course along the left bank of a tributary 



* We give below the autograph of this wisest man in all the Oriente : 

 "Eecibio del Senor James Orton la suma de centos (100) pesos por 

 vente (20) peones hasta Archidona. 



(^^i^^^-C/!t^i^t> 



' Papallacta, 4 Nov., 1867.' 



