DEPARTURE FROM SARATACU. 



211 



thought that the mission so ardently desired had been abandoned. 

 Among our people only one knew the place, and his canoe had not yet 

 arrived. We set ourselves to search out a path through the forest, but 

 without success ; we were completely discouraged, and our eyes filled 

 with tears." (The gallant Frenchman must have suffered much to have 

 been brought t© such a condition as this.) "We were in this state of 

 anxiety more than an hour ; at last our guide arrived ; he told us that 

 the town was some distance from the river, and, after considerable search, 

 he found in a ravine the entrance to the narrow path which led to it. M. 

 Deville and I were so enfeebled, and our legs so swollen, that we could 

 not travel it. M. Carrasco, anxious to arrive, started in company with 

 his friends ; and Florentino (the servant of the count) accompanied them. 

 We were thus sadly detained upon the beach, when, towards nine o'clock, 

 we thought we heard singing in the woods ; the voices soon became 

 distinct, and we could recognise the airs. An instant after, the good 

 Florentino rushed to us in the height of joy. He was followed by a 

 dozen Indians of the Mission carrying torches, and a man dressed in 

 European costume. This last gave us an affectionate shake of the hand, 

 and told us, in English, that his name was Hackett ; that the prefect of 

 the Missions, the celebrated Padre Plaza, had sent him to welcome us 

 and to beg us to excuse him, in that his great age had not permitted him 

 to come himself. The Indians brought us fowls, eggs, and a bottle of 

 wine ; supper was instantly prepared ; and Mr. Hackett, who seemed 

 sensibly touched with our misery, staid with us till midnight. He told 

 us that the Mission was nearly six miles in the interior, but that he 

 would send us Indians early in the morning to conduct us to it. We 

 learned that the Peruvian government, faithful to its engagements, had 

 announced our voyage in the Missions, and that the Bishop of Mainas 

 had sent an express messenger to that effect ; but Padre Plaza, regarding 

 our voyage from Cuzco to the Missions as an absolute impossibility, had 

 supposed that we were dead, and had celebrated masses for the weal of 

 our souls." 



I could get any number of men for the voyage down, and on October 

 28th, at 10 a. m., we left Sarayacu and dropped down to the mouth of 

 the cano, where we stopped to re-stow and shake things together. We 

 found the Ucayali a very different-looking stream from what it was when 

 we left it ; it was much higher, with a stronger current, and covered, 

 with floating trees. At 3 p. m. we took leave of good Father Calvo 

 with much regret, and started in company with Father Bregati, (who 

 was returning to his cure of Catalina,) and with a large canoe that we 

 were carrying down for the return of our peons from Pebas. 



I was much pleased with our new men, particularly with our pilot, 



