 But, when he heard of his father's death in March 1749, Godin decided to return to France with his family.He planned to travel alone to Cayenne, French Guiana via the Amazon to test whether the journey would be safe for them to take, and to make the necessary arrangements with the French authorities.Upon arriving in Cayenne, Godin found the Portuguese and Spanish colonial authorities would not let him — a Frenchman of no importance — return through their territory.