y of my
departure, fell in with her vessel opposite to Mayacare. On board this
vessel, after twenty years' absence, and a long endurance on either side
of alarms and misfortunes, I again met with a cherished wife, whom I had
almost given over every hope of seeing again. In her embraces I forgot
the loss of the fruits of our union, nay, I even congratulated myself on
their premature death, as it saved them from the dreadful fate which
befel their uncle in the wood of Canelos beneath their mother's eye, who
certainly could never have survived the sight. We anchored at Oyapok the
22d July 1770. I found in M. Murtel an officer as much distinguished by
his acquirements as by his prepossessing exterior. He has acquaintance
with most of the languages of Europe, is an excellent Latinist, and well
calculated to shine on a more extensive scene than Para. He is a
descendant of the illustrious French family of similar name. I had the
pleasure of his company for a fortnight at Oyapok, whither M. de
Fiedmont, governor of Cayenne, whom the commandant of Oyapok, advised of
his arrival by express, immediately despatched in a boat with
refreshments. We caused the Portuguese vessel to undergo a repair, which
it much wanted, and refitted it with sails to enable it to stem the
currents on its return. The commandant of Oyapok gave M. Martel,
moreover, a coast-pilot, to accompany him to the frontiers. I offered to
go so far as his consort on board my galliot, but he would suffer me to
proceed no farther than Cape D'Orange. I took my leave of him with those
feelings which the polite attention and noble behaviour of that officer
and his generous nation were so well calculated to inspire in me, as
well as my wife, a conduct on the part of either, which I was led to
expect from what I had individually experienced on my former voyage.

I should previously have told you that, when I descended the Amazons in
1749, with no other recommendation to the notice of the Portuguese than
arose from the remembrance of the intimation afforded by you in 1743,
that one of the companions of your travels would follow the same way, I
was received in all the Portuguese settlements, by the missionaries and
commandants of the forts, with the utmost courtesy. On passing San Pablo
I purchased a canoe, in which I descended the river to Fort Curupa,
whence I wrote to the governor of Grand Para, M. Francis Mendoza Gorjao,
to acquaint him of my arrival, and beg permission of