DEPARTURE FROM SARAYACU. 



215 



tlioug'lit 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. 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 cele- 

 brated 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 mes- 

 senger 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 caiio, 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, 

 old Andres Urquia, a long, hard-weather, Tom- Coffin-looking fellow, 



