TARAPOTO TO CANELOS 107 
dozen cane houses standing on level ground scarce 
a foot above the highest floods. Spruce thus 
describes what he found : — ] 
The exodus appears to have been very hasty, for pans and 
tinajos of all sizes are left scattered about, and even several 
arrobas of rice in pots and baskets. The neat beds made of 
stems of bamboo opened out into sheets and laid side by 
side are mostly in their places, but the termites are everywhere 
and will speedily complete the destruction of everything vegetable. 
The ground is fertile, and the colonists had made their plantations 
of plantain, sugar-cane, yucas, etc., not omitting several sorts of the 
necessary Capsicum and the flowers used by women for adorning 
their hair (cockscombs, African marigolds, etc.), nor the verbena 
which is a panacea for every disease. A few Crescentias had 
been planted and in another year would have begun to yield 
cuyas. What a picture of disappointed hopes is suggested by 
the view of such desolation ! With what lamentation must the 
poor women have deserted the spot where they had just com- 
pleted preparations for rearing their young families, and had 
calculated on growing old amidst plenty and tranquillity ! 
[Thenceforward when sleeping on shore Spruce 
and his companions took turns to keep watch 
during the night, allowing the Indians to sleep. 
The latter, however, usually stuck their lances and 
bows and arrows at the head of their mosquito 
nets, so as to be ready in case of an attack. The 
Journal continues : — ] 
Just above the point where we got into the 
main channel were three houses in the midst of 
large platanales on the left bank, probably remains 
of the new pueblo of Santander, though our Indians 
refused to tell us. It is impossible to get from them 
any information about places and distances, as they 
are afraid we should want to go ashore at the deserted 
pueblos, where the Infieles might be in ambush to 
fall on them. Even where we have cut plantains 
in deserted chacras (which are frequent along the 
shores, though generally hidden by a strip of 
