The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-09-27


ct TO the village OF Marecasas, 80
miles down the river. O'Neil got a
job as engineer on the same launch
on which / travelled. but was put
ashore because he was too i'll 10 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 l fell Although
! was shaking violently with chills. he
said to me:
You've got TO go to work" ! pro-
tested and begged for quinine. IF
you don't work" he replied, I'll put
you In the stocks" was too sick 10
care, and told him to 60 ahead
The stock, an instrument OF tor.
ture, consisted OF a 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-
sumins with fever. The time passed
like an evil dream. 1t was the Gus
tom Of the people 10 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.
The monkey OF which have spoken
was n prodigious thief 1t stole every
thing It could lay paws on. 1t oc-
Cured to me that IL would be safe for
me to steal what food / needed and
blame the thefts on the monkey
Thereupon the monkeys pilfering
activity doubled. it seemed to It's mas
ter
One day the hotelkeeper, missing
two eggs, which he had intended for
breakfast and which. without his
knowledge, were in my pockets, said
10 me:
That monkey is a thief"
"He sure is" said !, and stole away
10 eat my eggs unoOSerVed
One day several natives, painted
hideously, with thorns thrust through
their noses. came to the river TO
trade They were peaceful, but
imagine my feelings, after seeing
them eye me hungrily, to be told I'm
a whisper: Those men are cannibals."
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. O'Neil.
who had been almost as III 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. The natives do not even take
the trouble TO brush them Off. but they
tormented us terribly. At last. in pay
ment for my repairing her sewing mn
chine. a woman gave us a strip OF
mosquito netting, which we spread
over the canoe at night while we slept.
II happened that the chief OF police
at Cantumayo was an acquaintance
Of mine He permitted me 10 sleep I'm
the police station and paid for my
meals at a neighboring house. The
mistress OF this house had a mania
for medicine end insisted upon dosing
me with a horrible mixture until !
was sicker than ever
This decoction was a bowl OF strong
liquor made from sugar cane. lemon I.
Juice and salt. implored her 10 give |
me quinine. but she refused and felt I
that I had insulted her nostrum ] |
believe 7 should have died had ! not /
met an American negro named Tolbit /
He gave me n pound or sfS6, with /
which 7 bought quinine and cognac /
In four days the fever was broken |
Tolbit obtained a canoe G suspect /
he stole iD and We foated down the /
river for seven days, stopping at vii /
lagos for the nights But on the sev. 4
enth night the negro disappeared.
was picked up by a tall and pom.
pous parsonage who called himself By .
the resoundlng name ~ Don Pedro \
SeRunda la Jera. and who made an
average OF 800 a day by selling
phony iewelry 20 the natives He
took me along 10 paddle his canoe
He was so stingy that he would not
permit me 10 use the condensed milk /
re carried for his coffee. and refused
10 pay for the provisions he purchas
ed unless compelled by force left
him az Porto San Francisco. where !
got work cutting down trees for 7j
cents a day.
Here I remained Is days and lef
only % Avo.t starvation.