Oregon and Eldorado; or, Romance of the RiversBulfinch, Thomas
History
Oregon and Eldorado; or, Romance of the Rivers
Bulfinch, Thomas
Amazon River; Columbia River; El Dorado; Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806); Oregon -- Discovery and exploration
The good missionary explained to Madame Godin, after she was somewhat
recruited from her late sufferings, the frightful length of the way, and
the labors and dangers of her journey yet to come, and tried hard to
induce her to alter her intention, and return to Rio Bambas, her former
residence, instead of setting forth to encounter a new series of
disappointments and perils. He promised, in that case, to convey her
safely and with comfort. But the heroic woman rejected the proposal with
immovable firmness. "God, who had so wonderfully protected her so far,"
she said, "would have her in his keeping for the remainder of her way.
She had but one wish remaining, and that was to be re-united to her
husband; and she knew no danger terrible enough to induce her to give up
this one ruling desire of her heart."
The missionary, therefore, had a boat got ready to carry her to the
Portuguese vessel. The Governor of Omaguas furnished the boat, and
supplied it well with provisions: and, that the commander of the
Portuguese galiot might be informed of her approach, he sent a smaller
boat with provisions, and two soldiers by land, along the banks of the
river, and betook himself to Loreto, where the galiot had been so long
lying; and there he waited till Madame Godin arrived.
She still suffered severely from the consequences of the injuries which
she had sustained during her wanderings in the wilderness. Particularly,
the thumb of one hand, in which she had thrust a thorn, which they had
not been able to get out, was in a bad condition. The bone itself was
become carious, and she found it necessary to have the flesh cut open to
allow fragments of the bone to come out. As for the rest, she
experienced from the commander of the Portuguese vessel all possible
kindness, and reached the mouth of the Amazon River without any further
misadventure.
Mr. Godin, who still continued at Oyapoc (the same place where on
account of sickness he had been obliged to stop), was no sooner informed
of the approach of his wife than he went on board a vessel, and coasted
along the shore till he met the galiot. The joy of again meeting, after
a separation of so many years, and after such calamities undergone, was,
as may well be supposed, on both sides, indescribably great. Their
re-union seemed like a resurrection from the dead, since both of them
had more than once given up all hope of ever seeing the other in this
life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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