I worked there several months in the printing-office of Wrightson and Company.

I had been reading Lieutenant Herndon's account of his explorations of the Amazon and had been mightily attracted by what he said of coca.

I made up my mind that I would go to the head waters of the Amazon and collect coca and trade in it and make a fortune.

I left for New Orleans in the steamer "Paul Jones" with this great idea filling my mind.

One of the pilots of that boat was Horace Bixby.