FROM MANAOS TO TARAPOTO 



bank, a miserable place containing scarcely any 

 houses but those of the garrison, though a little 

 to the eastward, across a small valley, is a village 

 of the Tucano Indians. The barracks consist of 

 two small, low ranches, and there is no fort, though 

 I saw two or three pieces of cannon laid on the 

 ground. The soil is clayey and the vegetation 

 luxuriant. 



Early on the 2Qth we reached Loreto, the first 

 town in Peru and decidedly better than Tabatinga, 

 having some good houses. The white inhabitants, 

 however (even the Governor), are Portuguese. 



March 30. Coasting the south bank of the 

 river, the land being somewhat high and settlements 

 more frequent. The vegetation here was more 

 new and striking than any I had seen during the 

 voyage. A little inland grew a very handsome 

 palm (Attalea), resembling the Palma Yagua of the 

 Orinoco, but rather smaller and with pendulous 

 bunches of small hard red fruits. 



Here I first saw the Bombonaji, a palmate-leaved 

 Carludovica. It grows on steep red banks, and is 

 submersed when the river is at its height. S'-vrral 

 other trees in flower and fruit were quite new to m<-. 



In the afternoon we reached Cochiquinu on the 

 south bank, inhabited by Mayironas, that is, Indians 

 from the Rio Mayo. At this season tln-n- is 

 small lagoon between it and the river \\huli muk<- 

 it difficult of access. The Indians are num'-mus 

 and apparently very submissive to the Gobernador 

 (the only white inhabitant) and to their Oir.icas or 

 chiefs, who go about with polished \\alking-stic 

 headed with silver. Then- are plentj of pigs 

 fowls. The houses arc kept in better n-j.air anc 



