Chap. XV. TAMBOPATA RIVER. 243 



the snowy peaks of the cordillera above Quiaca and Rina to 

 the right. 



The afternoon was again devoted to searching for plants 

 of Calisaya Josephiana in the thickets ; where the C. Carava- 

 yensis was very plentiful, together with several plants of the 

 shrubby Calisaya, and four or five trees of the normal tree 

 Calisaya, from 20 to 30 feet high. The elevation of this 

 place was 5600 feet above the sea. Later in the day the 

 journey was continued over a most difficult country, sometimes 

 over grassy pajonales, and at others painfully struggling 

 through forests like those on the Marun-kunka. In one of 

 these forests I came upon a Calisaya-tree, 38 feet higli, 

 and 1 foot 3 inches in girth at a distance of 3 feet from 

 the ground, which was several feet deep in dead leaves, 

 chiefly the smooth leathery leaf of tlie huaturu-tree. At 

 length we commenced the descent into the valley of Tambo- 

 pata, 1200 feet down slij^pery rocks and grass, then through 

 a belt of forest, until we suddenly emerged on an open space 

 on the banks of the large rapid river, where there was a 

 bamboo hut. A little coca and sugar-cane was planted, but 

 the occupant was absent. With touching confidence he had 

 left his door open, so my Indians established themselves 

 comfortably, while Weir and I pitched the tent. 



The river of Tambopata, descending from the farm of 

 Saqui near the frontier of Bolivia, here flows in a northerly 

 direction. Up the stream I could see a few little clearings, 

 but looking down nothing appeared but the virgin forest. 

 A most magnificent range of mountains, with a fine growth 

 of forest trees, rises up on either side, and the rapid swollen 

 river rushed through the centre of the ravine. The rock 

 of all the ranges of hills between the Huari-huari and 

 Tambopata rivers is a yellow clay-slate, with masses of white 

 quartz cropping out on the pajonales. 



Early in the morning we continued our journey down the 



R 2 



