Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

CANELOS TO BANGS 153
bamboo- flats so many dead thorny branches are
strewed that the
wounded. When
feet do not fail to
a dozen bamboos
be sorely
had been
out the Indians fell tired and could not be
dragged
induced to fetch the four more which were needed
to make the bridges sufficiently strong, so we had
but three instead of four for each bridge.
At nightfall the river seemed to be falling
slightly, and we retired to rest not without hope of
seeing it passable when day broke ;
but
after mid-
showers came on and continued till
night heavy
near 5 A.M. (June 28), so that the morning light
showed us the river as much swollen as ever. The
sun looked out on the wet forest for a brief interval
and then was hidden by clouds, which speedily
overspread the whole heaven, so that we could not
doubt more rain was coming. The Indians had had
long consultations amongst themselves the previous
day, the purport
of which I could not doubt was the
expediency of deserting me and returning
to their
homes. I also had proposed to them that two or
three of their party should return to the Jibaria,
and from thence bring plantains for the rest, as I
had been tolcl by the Governor of Canelos that
such a thing was sometimes done. But they shook
their heads and said that if one went they must all
go, that they were weary and famished, and that
the women would die if they returned not soon to
their own country ;
so that I plainly perceived if 1
once sent them away I should see their faces no
more. On the 28th, however, they began to talk
openly of the necessity of returning, seeing, as they
said, that before the river could abate we must all
perish of hunger. And in truth our state seemed