Candide, Chapter 17 summary

What happens

1. Cacambo proposes heading toward Cayenne, but obstacles, hunger, and the deaths of their horses leave both travelers desperate.
2. They load a canoe with coconuts and follow a river through rocks, emerging after twenty-four hours with their boat wrecked.
3. They reach a cultivated country with beautiful roads and carriages, then see village children playing with gold and precious stones.
4. Candide offers the abandoned treasures to a schoolmaster, who throws them down, leaving both travelers astonished.
5. Cacambo recognizes his native language at an inn, where courteous hosts serve them an elaborate meal.
6. The innkeeper explains that their gold is ordinary road material and the government pays for travelers’ meals, prompting questions about happiness.

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