38 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



rough sketch-map of the district which I found 

 among his papers, I have, I hope, succeeded in 

 giving a tolerable idea of this interesting locality, 

 which forms the most important centre of population 

 in North-Eastern Peru, and which seems to be still 

 very little known to European, and certainly to 

 British scientific travellers.] 



To Mr. John Teasdale (continued] 



March 23, 1856. 



On reaching Tarapoto about sunset, Don Ignacio 

 placed his well-furnished table at my disposal, and 

 he had already secured me an unoccupied house in 

 a situation exactly corresponding to my wishes. 

 It is away from any street, in the midst of a garden, 

 and only a dozen yards from the edge of a declivity 

 which barely allows the canes and plantains to take 

 root on it ; at its base the turbulent Shillicaio seeks 

 its course among rude masses of rock, its sparkling 

 waters appearing only here and there, because 

 hemmed in by a dense hedge of low trees and 

 twiners. It much reminds me of the Pyrenean 

 " gaves." There is no other house nearer than 

 fifty paces, and this, though conducing to my more 

 perfect quiet, may be a disadvantage if it should 

 happen that I have come among ill-disposed folk. 

 The garden is planted with sugar-cane, yuca-dulce, 

 cotton, sweet potatoes, frijoles (beans), and calabash 

 trees. There are also several clumps of herbs (in- 

 cluding at least three distinct species of Capsicum), 

 and two or three young trees of Yangu'a tinctoria. 



Across the stream is the pueblo of Cumbasa- 

 a sort of suburb to Tarapoto, inhabited chiefly by 



