"The journey from here to the Napo will take about fifteen days," said Francisco, "and down the Napo to where the steamers come on the Maranon, or Upper Amazon, will take fifteen or twenty more. You will need to carry the most of your provisions, as game cannot be relied on, and the people are scattered, and have very little to sell. Professor Orton had three persons in his party, the same number that you have, and he calculated his provisions so closely, that when he reached the first village on the Maranon he had just enough left for one grand farewell dinner." Fred asked what the Professor carried in the way of provisions. Francisco drew from his pocket a faded and crumpled paper, and read as follows: "One hundred pounds each of flour and crackers; ninety pounds of sugar; fifty pounds each of rice and dried beef; thirty each of corn-meal, pea-flour, and chocolate; fifty of _mashka_ (roasted barley-meal); ten each of salt, lard, and ham; one hundred and seventy eggs; and one or two pounds each of tea, _maté_, soda, and cream of tartar. They bought eggs, chickens, rice, syrup, and other things from the Indians, whenever they had the opportunity, and when they reached the river they occasionally obtained fish, game, and turtles' eggs. [Illustration: NAPO INDIAN PORTER.] "All these things were sealed up in tin cans," continued the guide; "partly as a precaution against injury from the dampness of the climate, and partly to save them from theft by the Indian porters. The atmosphere of the Napo is like a steam bath, and keeps everything wet, and the Indians have a fondness for helping themselves when they have a chance. You can't get along without the Indians, as they are your only porters. From here to the foot of the mountains you can go on horseback, but the rest of the way to the Napo you must travel on foot, and the Indians carry your baggage." [Illustration: DESCENDING THE NAPO.] This announcement caused a shake of the head on the part of the trio of listeners, and it became very evident that they were not inclined to make the journey from Quito to the Amazon in that way. [Illustration: MOUNTAIN PASS IN THE ANDES.] "You will cross the Andes at an elevation of fifteen thousand feet," said Francisco, not noticing the sign of disapproval; "and, therefore, must carry thick clothing to shield you from the cold, and rubber ponchos to keep off the rain in the day and spread on the ground at night as a foundation for your beds. You want two suits of clothes; one to wear in the daytime, and the other to put on dry at night. When you go into camp you must remove the suit you have worn since morning, as it will generally be wet through by the rain, or by fording streams and passing through marshy ground." "How many pairs of boots will be wanted for each of us?" inquired Fred. "It seems to me there will be a fearful destruction of foot-gear."