iS NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



The animal food at Yurimaguas, besides pigs 

 and fowls raised on the spot, is chiefly fish, game 

 being very scarce. In the summer many large 

 fish are obtained, but when the river is full only 

 small ones can be had. 



About a quarter of a mile below Yurimaguas a 

 deep valley enters on the west side called Parana- 

 pura, which is the route to Balsapuerto and Moyo- 

 bamba, and thence by Chuchapoyas and Truxillo 

 to the coast. The navigation of the river is 

 uncertain and perilous, not on account of rapids, 

 of which there are hardly any, but because of its 

 often rising a great height in a few hours (or even 

 minutes) from the sudden swelling of mountain 

 streams consequent on heavy rains. When in its 

 best state the voyage from Yurimaguas to Balsa- 

 puerto takes six days, but when full the current is 

 very strong, and when low channels have to be 

 dug through sandbanks, so that several weeks are 

 sometimes required. 



A little way within the Paranapura there is 

 a village a little larger than Yurimaguas called 

 Muniches, which may be reached by a good track 

 through the forest in four hours. This track 

 crosses several elevations and valleys, each of the 

 latter with a stream running in a sandy or pebbly 

 bed. Along this track the land has been almost 

 all formerly cultivated and there are still several 

 fields of Yucas and Plantains. 



About the same distance above Yurimaguas 

 there is a very similar but smaller stream called 

 Chamusi, which affords a route to Tarapoto and 

 Lamas, occupying usually six days, of which three 

 are by water. But the Chamusi has the same 



