26 
CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
the appearance of the dog, which was so poor that, in attempt¬ 
ing to bark at ns, it turned a summerset. We were now not 
far from Gorgona, and exerted every nerve to reach our desti¬ 
nation. At noon, while at dinner, a young native approached 
us from the forest, and proposed to help work the boat up to 
Gorgona. As he was a tall, athletic young fellow, and didn’t 
charge anything , we accepted his proposition, and gave him his 
dinner. We were now six miles from Gorgona, and with the 
aid of our native there was a prospect of arriving in good time. 
The river was shallow, with frequent rapids, and, although our 
boat drew only nine inches water, we were frequently obliged 
to get out and tow it up. (See Plate). Your humble servant 
is standing on the bow of the boat with a long pole. Cooper is 
u boosting” at the side. Hush is doing duty—the first on the 
rope. Dodge is in a passion and in the act of addressing some 
emphatic remark to gentlemen on board. Natives are seen in 
their canoes, and just above, seated on the limb of a tree, is 
a monkey who appears to be looking on enjoying the scene. 
As we passed under the tree he came down upon one of the 
lower branches, and seemed disposed to take passage. An alli¬ 
gator is seen on the bank below, and in the air innumerable 
parrots. The noise of these is one of the annoyances of this 
country, their screeching incessant and intolerable. Late in the 
afternoon we arrived within half a mile of Gorgona, which was 
behind a bend of the river, where our native wished to land. 
We soon passed the bend, when the town was in full view, and 
in a few moments our labors were at an end. Our friends hac 
felt some solicitation for us. Seven days was an unusual passage 
at this season of the year ) and if they had wished to effect ai 
insurance on us it is doubtful whether it could have been don 
in Gorgona at the usual rates. 
