Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I was visited by Sr. Zavala y Zavala, who, in the name of Sr. Buenaño, informed me that we were
entering regions populated by savages—
infieles
—and made the suggestion, which I quickly accep-
ted,thatbothcampsorganizesentinels.Thenextmorning,wecouldnotfollowthePeruvianssoearly
because our engineer, Arnaldo da Cunha,
*3
had fallen ill. To not nurture false speculations I ordered
this fact to be communicated to the Peruvian
comissário
(he was still on land)—and hoped that this
courtesy would certainly indicate the my best intentions. But it produced the opposite effect. Sr.Sá,
*4
who was irritated by the speed of our advance a few days before, now seemed to view in this delay
some insubordination orweakness onmy part—and wanted to put it to the test in one way oranother.
There is no other way to explain the case, which I outline to Your Excellency, so that you can re-
view the sources of our deplorable discord, which I deeply lament and which bothers my conscience,
and with which I did not concur.
When I arrived at Cinco Reales, many of the Peruvian Commission were already there. Sr. Sá had
with him a tame Campa, and thanks to this interpreter we could amiably deal with Venâcio, the chief
who dominated those parts, radiating his influence and imperatives over the other native chiefs of
the region. The village was very pretty with its vast banana grove unfolding and embracing a hill
that towered on the right. With numerous Peruvian vessels at the port, the population crowded on the
beach around the unexpected visitors in a most animated way, and it would have seemed odd if I,
sticking to my earlier position, did not visit but continued upriver, thus seeming to devalue them and
giving occasion for prejudicial interpretations. This I wanted to avoid.
Iorderedthecanoestostopforaquickformalvisit.Idisembarkedandsoonpresentedmyselftothe
headofthePeruvians,whoevenhadthecourtesytointroducemetotheleader,the“curaca,”Venâcio.
When, after a few minutes, I returned to my canoes in order to continue the journey, I was surprised
byavehementoutburstfromSr.Buenaño,whoinquiredinastridentvoiceaboutmyattitudeinrecent
days, demanding that I explain myself and wanting to know why I didn't stop in Cocama, in such a
way that everyone there asked him whether we were fighting.
Overcome by surprise, I approached my interrogator and denied him the right to address me in that
manner, as we were of equal rank. I said my words in a voice louder than his, avowing that the dis-
parity in the size of our forces and the circumstances of traveling among foreigners would only give
me more vigor in my energetic and swift response to whatever word or act clashed with the serious-
ness of the charge I had undertaken, or with the natural nobility of the Brazilian character. I could not
proceed in any other way. I stood before my reduced troops, and any symptom of weakness would
havecompletely demoralized them,extinguishedmymoralforce,andintheendmadeimpossiblethe
greater efforts and sacrifices that were indispensable for our ascent. Our dialogue continued in the
same sharp, quarreling tone for some time, and ended with explanations from both sides that seemed
to assuage the earlier resentments. The two commissions continued forward together, leaving both
camps absorbed in thought. At dusk, as we had become separated from each other and were late, Sr.
Buenaño had the delicacy to place a lamp at the end of the beach where they were camped to show
us the way. He returned to his old affability, and when we arrived at the confluence of the Curiúja, it
was certainly at his suggestion that Carlos Scharff, the owner of the outpost “Alerta,” sent one of his
employees outtothebeachtoinvite metostopoverthere.Aftermanyrepeated andinsistent requests
to stay in his house, I finally acceded. In accepting this kind reception I principally obeyed the pro-
positionofavoidinganyelementsofdiscord.Itwasuselesstobelaborarefusalthatmightlaterfigure
in hostilities. . . .
. . .
Search WWH ::
Custom Search