The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-12-21
sTROUDsBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA. DECEMBER 81, 1854.

From there he was to 90 to Laguna, an
other Spanish town about twelve miles
further up, and to give Mr.. Godins let
ter addressed to mis- wife, in charge to a
certain ecclesiastic clergyman of that
place to be forwarded to the place of her
residence. He himself was to wait at
Laguna the arrival of Madame Godn.
The galliot sailed and arrived safe at
Loreto. But the faithless Tristan, in
stead of going himself to Laguna, or send
ing the letter there, contented himself
with delivering the packet to a Spanish
jesuit who was going to quite another
region, on some occasional purpose
Tristan himself, in the meanwhile, went
round among the Portuguese settlements
to sell his commodities. The result was
that NJ. Godin's letter, passing from hand
to hand, failed to reach the place of its
destination.
Meanwhile, by what means We know
not, blind rumor of the purpose and
object of the Portuguese vessel lying at
Loreto reached Peru, and came at last,
but without any distinctness to the ears
of Madame Godin. She learned through
this rumor that letter from her husband
was on the way to her, but all her efforts
to get possession of it were fruitless. At
last she resolved to send faithful negro
servant in company with an Indian to the
Amazon to procure, ifpossible, more GER
tain tidings. This faithful servant made
his way boldly through all hindrances
and difficulties which beset his journey,
reached Loreto, talked with Tristan, and
brought back intelligence that he with
the Portuguese vessel and all its equip
ments were for her accom- u odation and
waited her orders.
Now then Madame Godin determined
to undertake this most perilous and diff
fcult journey. She was staying at the
time at Riobamba, about one hundred
and twenty miles south of Quito, where
she had house Of her own with garden
and grounds. These, with all other
things that she could not take with her,
she sold on the best terms she could
Her father, NJ. Grandmaison, and her
two brothers, who had been living with
her in Peru, were ready to accompany
her. The former set out beforehand, to
place the other side of the Cordilleras
to make arrangements for his daughters
journey on her way to the ship.
NJ Madame Godin received about this time,
q visit from a certain Mr.. r. who gave
himself cut for French physician, and
asked permission to accompany her. He
promised moreover to watch over her
health, and to do all in his power to
tighten the fatigucs and discomforts of
the ardious journey. She replied that
she had no authority over the vessel which
was to carry her, and therefore could not
answer for it that he could have place
in it. Mr. r. thereupon applied to the
brothers of Madame Godin, and they
thinking it very desirable that she should
have physician with her, persuaded
their sister to consent to take him in her
company.
SO then she started from Riobamba
which had been her home till this time,
the first of October, 1749, in company of
the above named persons, her black man
and three Indian women. Thirty Indians,
to carry her baggage, completed her
company. 0, had the luckless lady known
what calamites, suferings and diSap-
poinlments awaited her, she would have
trembled at the prospect and doubted of
the possibility of living through it all,
and reaching the wished-for goal of her
journey.
The party went first across the noun
tains to Canelos, an Indian village, where
they thought to embark on little stream
which discharges itself into the Amazon.
The way thither was so wild and unbrok-
en- that it was not even passable for mules
and must be travelled entirely on foot.
NJ. Grandmaison, who had set out
whole month earlier, had stopped at Can
clos no longer than was necessary to
make needful preparations for his daugh-
ter and her attendants. Then he had
pushed on toward the vessel,
to still keep in advance, and arrange
m alters for her convenience at the next
station to which she would arrive
Hardly had he left Cabelos, when the |
small pox, disease which in those re-
gions is particularly fatal, broke out, aud
in one week swept off one half of the in
habitants, and so alarmed the rest that
they deserted the place and plunged in
to the wilderness. Consequently when
Madame Godin reached the place, with |
her party, she found to her dismay only |
two Indians remaining, whom the fury of !
the plague had spared, and, moreover,
not the slightest preparation either for
her reception or her furtherance on her
Journey. This was the first considerable !
mishap which befell her, and which might |
have served to forewarn her of the great
which she was to encounter.
A second followed shortly after. The
thirty Indians who thus far had carried |
the baggage, and had received their pay |
in advance, suddenly absconded, whether
it were from fear of the epidemic, or that
they fancied, having never seen vessel,