FORDING THE GUANCAIJAMBA. 249 



towards the sea-coast, than on the ridges of the Andes, or 

 in the deep-cleft valleys by which the mountain chain is 

 intersected. 



In their journey from the rocks of Zaulaca to the Valley 

 of San Felipe, the travellers were obliged to wade through 

 the Rio de Guancabamba, which flowed into the Amazon, 

 no less than twenty-seven times, on account of the 

 windings of the stream ; while they continually saw near 

 them, running in a straight line along the side of a steep 

 precipice, the remains of the high built road of the Incas. 

 The mountain torrent, though only from one hundred 

 and twenty to one hundred and fifty feet broad, was 

 so strong and rapid that, in fording it, their mules 

 were often in danger of being swept away by the flood. 

 As these mules carried their manuscripts, their dried 

 plants, and all that they had been collecting for a year 

 past, we can conceive the suspense with which they 

 watched from the other side of the stream until the 

 long train of eighteen or twenty beasts of burden had 

 passed in safety. 



The same river, in the lower part of its course, where 

 it had many falls and rapids, was made to serve in a 

 singular manner for the conveyance of correspondence 

 with the coast of the Pacific. In order to expedite more 

 quickly the few letters from Truxillo which were intended 

 for the province of Jaen de Bracamoros, a swimming 

 courier, as he was called in the country, was employed. 

 This post messenger, who was usually a young Indian, 

 swam in two days from Pomahuaca to Tomependa, first 

 by the Rio de Chamaya, and then by the Amazon. He 

 carefully placed the few letters entrusted to him in a 

 large cotton handkerchief, which he wound round his head 



11* 



