A Procession! A Procession!

           IshouldwishtoplaceuponrecordhereourgratitudetoallourfriendsupontheAmazonfortheverygreatkindnessandhospitalitywhichwasshowntousuponourreturnjourney.VeryparticularlywouldIthankSenhorPenalosaandotherofficialsoftheBrazilianGovernmentforthespecialarrangementsbywhichwewerehelpeduponourway,andSenhorPereiraofPara,towhoseforethoughtweowethecompleteoutfitforadecentappearanceinthecivilizedworldwhichwefoundreadyforusatthattown.Itseemedapoorreturnforallthecourtesywhichweencounteredthatweshoulddeceiveourhostsandbenefactors,butunderthecircumstanceswehadreallynoalternative,andIherebytellthemthattheywillonlywastetheirtimeandtheirmoneyiftheyattempttofollowuponourtraces.Eventhenameshavebeenalteredinouraccounts,andIamverysurethatnoone,fromthemostcarefulstudyofthem,couldcomewithinathousandmilesofourunknownland.

           TheexcitementwhichhadbeencausedthroughthosepartsofSouthAmericawhichwehadtotraversewasimaginedbyustobepurelylocal,andIcanassureourfriendsinEnglandthatwehadnonotionoftheuproarwhichthemererumorofourexperienceshadcausedthroughEurope.