22 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



1 8. We slept in a chacra (shed) just 

 below the worst fall, called Yurac-yacu (white 

 water), because the water here bursts into foam 

 over rocks strewed in the river at a narrow curve. 

 An hour farther there is another similar mal paso 

 (called Curi-yacu), where a stream comes in on the 

 left bank, said to contain gold. Some way below 

 Chasuta we passed, on the left bank, a considerable 

 ravine with still black water called Yanacana-yacu 

 (Ladder River), from its running over steps in its 

 upper part as it comes down from Curi-yacu. This 

 mountain, whenever we came in sight of it, had its 

 summit wrapped in mists and showers, from which 

 it is said to be never free. 



After passing the rapid of Curi-yacu the river 

 gradually opens out wider, but still in many places 

 runs rapidly over sharp gravel. Mountains appear 

 on every side Curi-yacu on the right, the low, 

 rounded, acute-edged cerros of Chasuta nearly in 

 front, and the lofty Morillo (yielding only to Curi- 

 yacu in height) in front and rather to the left. On 

 our left, directly across the river, are only lower hills. 



Alligators, turtles, and pirarucu exist in the 

 Huallaga as far as the rapids of Yurac-yacu. The 

 small alligator is found all the way up to Huanuco, 

 as is also the fresh-water dolphin of the Amazon. 

 Electric eels are frequent in the Huallaga and 

 Ucayali, and still more in the lakes connected with 

 these rivers. 



June 23. \Ve reached Chasuta on the evening 

 of the 1 8th. It is a considerable village on the 

 lett bank of the Huallaga, at the mouth of a rather 

 large ravine, and from being situated at the very 

 foot of abrupt rocky hills, while loftier ones appear 



