ON THE PACIFIC COAST 321 
confidence, having been sent to Europe last year 
to purchase goods, returned with a quantity of un- 
saleable trash and with forged invoices. Clarke took 
himself off to England immediately after the smash, 
and was bearing off also 7000 dollars from the cash- 
box ; but Gutierrez missed the money, followed him 
on board, and took it off his person in the sight of 
many witnesses. In almost any other country he 
would immediately have been incarcerated, but they 
manage matters otherwise here. Icaza walks about 
Guayaquil holding his head as high as ever ; and 
as he is a scion of one of the noble houses of the 
country, Gutierrez dare not proceed against him by 
law, which would expose him to the risk of having a 
knife stuck into him at the turnino^ of some street 
corner after nightfall. ... 
To Mr. Daniel Hanhiry 
Guayaquil, Nov. 29, 1862. 
My dear Sir — Your last letter shows plainly 
that you consider your correspondent both listless 
and dilatory. He confesses to both, and can show 
ample cause. If you knew how entirely disabled I 
am ; how rarely I can sit to a table to do anything, 
but must write, eat, etc., in my hammock ; how I 
cannot walk except for short distances, nor ride on 
horseback without being in danger of falling from 
an arm or a leg suddenly turning stiff, you would 
surely not be surprised at my want of activity. I 
had never calculated on losing the use of my limbs, 
and yet nothing was more likely to happen, if the 
sort of life I led be considered. When after loss 
of heahh came wreck of fortune, simple though my 
wants be and modest as were my aspirations, I felt 
VOL. II Y 
