“As I wandered about among the shipping, looking in vain for a vessel bound to Europe, I recollected that the bay of Guayaquil is famous for a small shell fish, about the size of a nut. It is called turbine, and produces a purple dye, reckoned the best in the world. So I boldly seized a small boat that was lying at anchor, and pushing out into the bay, I caught a few of these valuable little fish, and returned to shore again, before the owner of the boat had missed it. I was now sure of a resource against starving, provided any one would buy my turbines. I was soon fortunate enough to find a purchaser, so I pursued the plan for several days, always taking the same boat, which no one appeared to claim. Perhaps the owner, poor fellow, had been destroyed by the earthquake.
“I slept every night in a hut close to the sea; and on the fifth morning, I found a French vessel in the harbor, which was proceeding on her voyage to Bonaventura and to Acapulco, in Mexico. I immediately went to the captain, and offered to work my way to the port of Bonaventura, if he would give me my passage. And after telling him my story, he kindly granted my request; and in due time we reached the port, where with feelings of very great gratitude to the captain, I left the vessel.”
JOURNEY ACROSS THE ANDES.
Tom Arms and Equips for his Journey—His Mule—Sliding down the Mountains—Mule Escapes—Singular Bridges—How he subsisted—Diamonds and Gold.
I had formed the strange resolution of crossing over the continent of South America alone, and on foot! I had read Humbolt’s Personal Narrative, and I longed to see the wonders which he speaks of. Some excuse may be made for me perhaps, when it is considered that I had a natural fondness for a wandering life and for the wonders of nature; besides, I could meet with no ship on this western side of the continent, bound for my native country. The French captain, with whom I came from Guayaquil, thought me a little deranged; still I believe the good man was glad to get rid of me. He gave me thirty francs; a gun, and some gunpowder, saying with a shrug of his shoulder, as he bade me farewell, “You are very courageous; but remember you must eat; and this gun will be of great use to you.”
I provided myself with a wallet, in which to put my shoes, stockings, gloves and a shirt; then inquiring the road to Zita, I set out before sunrise, towards the Andes. I was five months in crossing the desolate northern extremities of those giants of the earth. I bought—nay, I did not buy, I found a mule that was browsing on some prickly shrub, (I forget its name,) in a wild pass of the mountains. She was saddled and bridled, and had evidently lost her master. I looked in vain for some hours, but could find no trace of any traveller, so I felt justified in taking possession of her; and it was well I did, for the sure-footed beast took me safely over dangerous passes that I never could have crossed without her assistance. Many times has the creature, with a sagacity that was astonishing, stood on the summit of a peak like a sugar loaf, looking from side to side; then slowly taking aim, has slid down with me on her back, for thirty, forty, or fifty feet![1]
One night, however, she played truant, and slipped her bridle, which I always wound round my arm while I slept, and disappeared, leaving me on the borders of a trackless forest.
At one time, I crossed a mighty torrent that was boiling along, at the depth of a hundred feet below me, through, a narrow ravine;—and what sort of a bridge do you think I ventured upon? Two large fragments of rocks, one from each side, had fallen together, as I supposed, during some earthquake, and had formed a natural bridge, quite firm and safe over which I crossed.
Another time I passed a chasm of prodigious depth, near an ancient village, the ingenious inhabitants of which had constructed a bridge of rushes, in the following manner. Two strong posts were fixed in the rock on each side, and to these were fastened ropes of rushes; the path upon them being made of the same material, platted together. On each side was also a rope for the passenger to steady himself by.