256 DANGERS OF FOREST TRAVEE. Chap. XV. 



muddy colour. By tliese means JMartiiioz could always tell 

 where the rauis had been heaviest, and what stream was con- 

 tributing an unusual freshet to swell the waters of the 

 Tambopata. 



I devoted the day to examining the forest on the declivities 

 overhanging the left bank of the Tambopata, and this was by 

 far the most toilsome and dangerous forest journey we had 

 yet made, rendered worse by a comparative want of success. 

 The Avhole way was along giddy precipices, seeming to hang 

 half way between the sky and the roaring torrent, with no 

 foothold but decaying leaves, nothing to grasp but rotten 

 branches, every motion a drenching bath from Avet leaves, 

 every other step a painful and dangerous slip or fall, besides 

 hornets, and endless thorns. Among the latter I was 

 struck by a tree called ita/pallu, with trunk and branches 

 thickly set ^vitll thorns, very large leaves, and the fruit in 

 clusters, like bunche^ of pearls with purple stalks. We met 

 with large pigeons, flocks of green parrots, paroquets, and 

 tunquis. The forest peeps across the river were superb, but 

 it was difficult to enjoy them. Martinez pointed out a small 

 Asplenium, called espineu, which has a SAveet taste, and is 

 sometimes chewed by the Indians for want of coca ; and the 

 panchi, a tall slender malvaceous tree, Avith large round leaves 

 on spreading branches at the top, and very Avhite Avood. It is 

 used by the Chunchos for procuring fire by friction, and the 

 bark, which peels off in long strips, is serviceable for girdles. 

 During this day we came to the largest Calisaya Ave had yet 

 seen, and Martinez operated on the bark to show his dex- 

 terity as a cascarillero, Avhich was remarkable.^ Our collec- 

 tion only amounted to fourteen plants, among them two fine 

 seedlings of C, Calisaya, two of O. micrantha, tAvo of C. ovata, 



' The bark, leaves, and capsules from this tree are deposited in tlie her- 

 barium and niuaeiuu at Kew. 



