MADAME GODIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1941, Page 8

MADAME GODIN

TRAVELLER IN SOUTH AMERICA. She travelled 1000 miles through South America. The wife of Dr. Godin, a famous French geographer, she was left in 1750 no less than 3000 miles from the mouth of the River Amazon, her husband saying he would return for her in a little while. The little while was 20 years, for when he reached the Atlantic he found that he could get no passport to return for his wife. For 17 precious years he tried to get back, and always failed. Then he was ill, and a boat which was going 2000 miles of the journey sailed without him. He sent a letter to his wife, but it was lost. Not till two years later did the patient woman in the backwoods receive word that she was to set out to meet him. She went, her 1060 miles of travel among the strangest of all time. With her went three kinsmen, a doctor, some servants, and 30 Indians. At first they limped along, with broken shoes and swollen, feet. They reached the river at last, but there were no canoes. Smallpox had stricken the village where they hoped to find them, and the Indian carriers deserted. Then they lost their way. In that horrible jungle they grew gradually weaker and weaker for lack of food and water; the men died, one by one, till only Madame Godin was left. She did not know how long she was a prisoner in that evil smelling forest, but at last she came to the river, and there, by the mercy of Heaven were two Red Indians launching a canoe. They might; have murdered this strange woman, and no one would have discovered it; but they were kind to her, gave her food, and took her downstream. At Lagun there was a goo’d doctor, wno was amazed to see this poor living skeleton, in ragged clothes and with streaming grey hair. He made her rest foi a while, and wished to send her back with an escort to Quito. But Madame Godin insisted on going on to meet her husband,. So she continued that terrible journey and in 1770 husband and wife met again.