io6 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
horrible sight. They unceasingly applied the cow- skin straps, 
making the blood spurt in all directions and sprinkling my 
clothes, though I took care to keep at a respectful distance. In 
the church a little below the altar was extended a mat, and on 
the mat a crucifix laid on a cushion, with a cup by its side 
to receive contributions of penitents. As the latter advanced in 
their turn they knelt down and kissed the crucifix, beating them- 
selves with redoubled energy. At the same moment their wives 
or mothers, who walked by their side, dropped each an egg into 
the cup. Whilst this was doing, the Sacristan chanted a 
Miserere. Each Indian, after kissing the crucifix, walked out 
of the church, in the order he entered, nor suspended the 
flagellation until reaching his own house. The value of an act 
of penitence like this may be estimated by the fact that every one 
of the penitents was intoxicated. They believed, however, that 
it would ensure their safe return from the perilous voyage, or, at 
any rate, should they be killed by the Infidels, their souls would 
be immediately received into glory. Many white men would 
have kept their beds for a month after such a punishment, but 
our penitents sat down to their oars before noon on Monday (the 
next day but one) without showing any inconvenience from their 
wounds. They have an idea that the beating after the application 
of the scarifiers drives out the coagulated blood from the wounds 
and prevents any formation of pus. 
[On April 6 they left La Laguna, and on the 
7th entered the Maranon, and though the distance 
up that river to the mouth of the Pastasa is only 
about 25 miles, they did not reach the latter 
till the nth. On the afternoon of the 7th they 
came upon a small village of six huts, where the 
remnant of the pueblo of Santander on the Pastasa 
had established themselves. Here they learnt that 
five men of San Antonio (a village just above 
the mouth of the Pastasa) went into the forest to 
cut palm-leaves, and never returned, but remnants 
of their clothes had been found, showing that they 
had been murdered by the savage Huambisas. 
On the morning of the 9th the travellers came 
to the deserted pueblo of Shiruri, half a day below 
the mouth of the Pastasa. There were about a 
