ON A RAFT TO GUAYAQUIL 309 
we got on slowly, on account of having to wait 
between tides, but we reached Guayaquil at noon 
on the 27th without any further accident, and 1 
immediately went on shore and sought out a 
carpenter, to assist Mr. Cross in nailing laths over 
the soil and in fixing on the sashes. By 5 p.m. of 
the 28th everything was completed. The plants, 
thanks to Mr. Cross's tender care of them, bore 
scarcely any traces of the rough treatment they had 
undergone in their descent from Limon, and in 
their late voyage from Aguacatal, and the only 
thing against them was that they were growing too 
rapidly, owing to the increased temperature to 
which they had lately been subjected. 
On the 29th, a large goods steamer came in, 
which goes to and fro between Lima and Guayaquil. 
She was not to sail again until the 2nd of January, 
and the plants, if sent by her, would have to remain 
at Payta until the 13th or 14th, when another 
steamer should pass from Lima to Panama ; but, as 
there was no alternative, we had them put on 
board her, and commodiously arranged on the 
poop-deck. I then took leave of Mr. Cross and 
the plants, satisfied that so long as they were under 
his care they were likely to go on prosperously, 
and having done all I could on my part to conduct 
the enterprise to a successful issue. During its 
performance, all engaged in it had run frequent 
risk of life and limb ; but a far greater source of 
anxiety to me were the contretemps (a few only 
of which have been indicated in the preceding 
pages) that every now and then threatened to 
bring our work to naught. It is difficult for those 
