;6 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



chance of being killed and eaten by the " Infieles ' 

 on the Pastasa, or of being prostrated by ague. 



I think that on the whole my Maynensian col- 

 lection may contain as many new genera as that of 

 the Uaupes, but proportionately fewer new species. 

 I have been much interested in it, because to many 

 plants of Amazonian type it unites a good many 

 characteristic Peruvian. Such are Weinmannia, 

 the ivy -like Cornidia (three species), an arbor- 

 escent Boccinia, the curious Proteaceous genus 

 Embothrium (one or two species), and several 

 others. 



[The " revolution " just mentioned in the letter 

 to Mr. Bentham is more fully described in the 

 following letter to Mr. Teasdale written a few days 

 later. This letter also contains an account of some 

 of the industries of Tarapoto, and serves to com- 

 plete the rather meagre narrative of Spruce's 

 residence at this place. There are, however, a 

 considerable number of "notes" on various aspects 

 of the town and its inhabitants, and there is even a 

 list of headings for chapters, showing that he had 

 the idea of some day writing a very complete account 

 of the district which was at that time the most 

 easterly outlier of civilisation in Northern Peru, and 

 one of the places least known as it still seems 

 to be to European, or at all events to English 

 travellers.] 



To Mr. John Teasdale 



TARAPOTO, PERU, March 16, 1857. 



I have been waiting here to proceed to Quito 

 since November last. Money which I had been 



