TARAPOTO TO CANELOS 117 



stick, and with the point of his forefinger makes 

 three broad red streaks from ear to ear, one below 

 the eyes, another along the base of the nose, and 

 the third below the mouth. This done he no 

 doubt considers himself dressed for the day, and holds 

 his head a full inch higher. 



May ii (Monday). After a gloomy but dry 

 night, we got under way this morning at 3 o'clock, 

 the river having abated 4 feet. The history of 

 to-day varies little from that of preceding days. 

 The same winding turbid river in no place more 

 than 80 yards wide, and sometimes narrowing to 

 40 yards, when the current is stemmed with 

 difficulty. 



May 14. --The banks now begin to be pictur- 

 esque : cliffs clad with ferns and mosses, a Helicomia 

 with distichous leaves and pendent scarlet and 

 yellowish spikes; a Calliandra like that at the Pongo 

 of the Huallaga, etc. ; tiny cascades falling over the 

 cliffs. 



We breakfasted at the mouth of the Puca-yacu, the 

 most considerable stream we had seen entering the 

 Bombonasa. It comes in on the left bank with a 

 strong current --water muddy, reddish, 

 the mouth of this the water of the Bombonasa 

 is sensibly clearer, depositing very little earthy 

 matter when allowed to stand ; it is whitish, like 

 the Upper Orinoco. 



May 15.- Yesterday at 5! P.M. we reachc 

 Palisada-Zipishko, and remained all night on an 

 island, where there was the broadest beach we 

 seen on the Bombonasa. Pebbles begin to 



