Page:Narrative of a Voyage around the World - 1843.djvu/67

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1836.]
GORGONA.
21

them to impose; therefore rather than lose an instant I was glad to hear the paddles in motion at the price of ten.

About dawn the ensuing morning, the heavy canoes arrived, and as our repose had been disturbed, in the same manner as on our former visit, we were fully prepared to receive our fair travellers, for whom we had prepared coffee and other requisites by the aid of our kind friend Captain Fraser, — their meeting with whom was a melancholy one, as about one year before he had landed them, in the bloom of health and enjoyment, at this very spot.

At eight, we took our leave of them, they embarking in the Nimrod, and we proceeding to our professional toils, under a broiling sun, on the ramparts of San Lorenzo.

We had arranged to return at two to Gorgona, but our crew had been tampered with, were intoxicated, and it was merely by giving way to all their absurd demands for increase of pay that we eventually departed at dark.

At ten on the 20th, we reached Gorgona, and tried a second set of rockets on Mount Caraveli, but being of faulty construction they failed, bursting the instant they were fired, without ascent.

A second station, by bags of powder exploded from a high tree on Ato. Ormigero, succeeded.

On the following morning we commenced our journey to Panama, the heavy chronometers being packed in a basket of hay, with the pocket watches