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TARAPOTO TO CANE LOS 10;
dozen cane houses standing on level ground scarce
a foot above the highest floods. Spruce thus
describes what he found :
The exodus appears to have been very hasty, for pans and
tinajos of all sizes are left scattered about, and even several
arrobas of rice in pots and baskets. The neat beds made of
stems of bamboo opened out into sheets and laid side by
side are mostly in their places, but the termites are everywhere
and will speedily complete the destruction of everything vegetable.
The ground is fertile, and the colonists had made their plantations
of plantain, sugar-cane, yucas, etc., not omitting several sorts of the
necessary Capsicum and the flowers used by women for adorning
their hair (cockscombs, African marigolds, etc.), nor the verbena
which is a panacea for every disease. A few Crescentias had
been planted and in another year would have begun to yield
cuyas. What a picture of disappointed hopes is suggested by
the view of such desolation ! With what lamentation must the
poor women have deserted the spot where they had just completed
preparations for rearing their young families, and had
calculated on growing old amidst plenty and tranquillity !
[Thenceforward when sleeping on shore Spruce
and his companions took turns to keep watch
during the night, allowing the Indians to sleep.
The latter, however, usually stuck their lances and
bows and arrows at the head of their mosquito
nets, so as to be ready in case of an attack.
Journal continues :
]
Just above the point where we got into the
main' channel were three houses in the midst o!
large platanales on the left bank, probably remains
of the new pueblo of Santander, though our Indians
refused to tell us. It is impossible to get from them
any information about places and distances, as the)
are afraid we should want to go ashore at the desert r
pueblos, where the Infieles mi^ht
]
be in ambush
fall on them. Even when- we have cut plantains
in deserted chacras (which are frequent along
shores, though generally hidden by a