CANELOS TO BANGS 139 
prepared large draughts of masato for the men, as 
they said, to give them force, and the process was 
repeated once or twice during the day. They had 
also generally their marked resting-places, where 
they made long halts after carrying their loads an 
hour or an hour and a half together. On reaching 
one of these, the women used to cut palm-leaves 
and spread them on the ground, and the men, after 
depositing their loads, threw themselves on the 
leaves at full length. This day they had made 
very long halts, so that although we went along 
very slowly, and I often delayed to pluck a moss 
from the branches, we had got far ahead of them. 
The day was wearing away, and the clouds and 
rain made the forest so gloomy that night seemed 
nearer than it actually was. We waited a good 
while at a place that seemed convenient for the 
ranchos, till I began to shiver with cold, and I 
actually turned back to see what had become of 
them. The Indians from the first had been com- 
plaining, mo7'e suo, of the heavy cargoes, then of 
the rain and the wet forest, and of the long dis- 
tance they had to go. They might at any instant 
leave their cargoes and return to Canelos, without 
giving us a hint. Such a thing had happened many 
and many a time. Even these very Indians on 
their last journey towards the Sierra — conducting 
the Padre and his cargoes — left him and his goods 
at the Rio Verde, a day's journey from Bafios. 
The night is generally chosen for these elopements, 
and when day breaks the unfortunate traveller finds 
himself alone. Fortunately, my misgivings in this 
instance were without foundation, and after I had 
gone back a good distance I heard the voices of 
