Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-11-08

There was nothing to do but swim
after the raft, which was floating
swiftly down the current.
After great efforts we overlook It,
and in few days reached Porto Yer
mudis. where there is the first of q
string of wireless telegraph stations
extending to the coast.
Here O'Neil and l both fell Ill of
malaria. Despite the fact that we
could scarcely lift our heads, the ma
tive hotelkeeper made us cut down
trees to pay for the scraps of food he
doled out to us. There was no medi-
cine available. A native woman,
struck with pity for me, took up a
collection of money to buy me tick
ct to the village of Marecasas, 80
miles down the river. O'Neil got a
job as engineer on the same launch
on which l travelled. but was put
ashore because he was too i'll to per-
form his duties.
Monkey Saved Farrar's Life.
Here l should have died but for a
monkey, the property Of an unfeeling
native. the keeper of a hotel into
whose tender mercies fell. Although
was shaking violently with chills, he
said to me:
You've got to go to work" I pro-
tested and begged for quinine. "If
you don't work." he replied, 'IIl put
you In the stocks" l was too sick to
care. and told him to go ahead.
The stock, an instrument Of tor
ture, consisted of framework with
holes through which my feet, arms
and head were thrust. For two days
and nights / sat in this machine, al
ternately freezing with chills and con-
suming with fever. The time passed
like an evil dream. 1t was the Gus.
tom of the people to pelt with missiles
the unfortunate occupants of the
stocks. But the natives pitied me,
and some Of them even gave me tea
and food by stealth.
Finally the hotelkeeper, muttering
that he didn't want me to "die on
him." set me free and ordered the
cook to give me the water in which
he boiled the rice, so that would not
starve.
When my health was a bit better I
revenged myself on the hotel man by
appropriating his canoe one night and
padding away down the river ONeil,
who had been almost as Ill as myself,
went with me. We made our way In
Is days to Cantumayo, begging our
food as we went. The natives were
more than kind to US.
The trip was made hideous by mil.
lions Of huge mosquitoes which
swarmed down on us until our feet
and hands were black with the in
sects.
1t happened that the chief of police
at Cantumayo was an acquaintance
of mine. He permitted me to sleep in
the police station and paid for my
meals at neighboring house. The
mistress Of this house had a mania
for medicine and insisted upon dosing
me with a horrible mixture. until I
was sicker than ever
This decoction was bowl of strong
liquor made from sugar cane. lemon
juice and salt. I implored her to give
me quinine, but she refused and felt
that had insulted her nostrum. I
believe l should have died had I not
met an American negro named Tolbit.
He gave me a pound, or $4.S6, with
which / bought quinine and cognac.
In four days the fever was broken.
Tolbit obtained canoe q suspect
he stole it) and we floated down the
river for seven days, stopping at vii.
lagos for the nights. But on the sew.
enth night the negro disappeared.
was picked up by tall and pom.
pous parsonage who called himself by
the resounding name of Don Pedro
Segunda La Jera, and who made an
average Of 500 a day by selling
phony jewelry to the natives. He
took me along to paddle his canoe.
He was so stingy that he would not
permit me to use the condensed milk
he carried for his coffee, and refused
to pay for the provisions he purchas.
ed unless compelled by force. I left
him at Porto San Francisco, where I
got work cutting down trees for 75
cents day.
Here / remained 15 days and left
only to avoid starvation.