82 
THE AMAZON AND MADEIRA RIVERS. 
cai-ved arm-chairs, or on. similar benches, and the inevitable cigarros 
had been handed round by an Indian girl, he mformed ns that he 
was charged by the “ Prefeito do Departamento ” to assist ns in every 
possible Avay in the exploration of a- river which was of as groat 
importance to Boliida as to Brazil, but that he greatly regretted he 
could not obtain in the thinly -peopled Pueblo of Exaltacion the Avhole 
number of paddles we required, viz., forty-two men, and that we Avere 
to Avait until the Prefect residing at Trinidad, Avhither he was about 
to send an express, should decide out of which of the next Missions 
the rest of om- crew Avas to be taken. 
As we began to apiirehend that avo were going to have as long 
a delay here as at Mauaos, which, at the then advanced season, would 
225 feet. 
GBOtTNJ)-PI.AN OF THE FOBMER MISSION OF EXALTACION. 
prove (as it did) of e\'il consequences to us, I resolved to face the 
hardships of another fortnight’s voyage in a small canoe, and to go 
myself to Trinidad. 
I chose the lightest canoe at hand, and, availing myself of the 
clear moonlight nights, succeeded in reaching Trinidad (a distance of 
150 miles) in six days. There is no rapid in this part of the river, 
bnt iu some places there is a strong cuiTent. Arrh'ed at Trinidad, 
which is laid out exactly on the plan of Exaltacion, I Avas kindly 
received by the Prefect, a Prenchman, and the Chefe da Policia, a 
true Bolman of Indian descent (of the Guichoa tribe). Luckily for 
us all, I was enabled to set out on my return on the second day, 
Avith the necessary orders for the Corregidorcs of San Joaquin and 
