194 The Andes and the Amazon. 



guaynsa, like the mate of Paraguay (which belongs to the 

 same genus /fc), is so refreshing it supplies for a long 

 time the place of food. The Indians will go to Quito on 

 this beverage alone, its virtues being similar to those of 

 coca^ on the strength of which the posts of the Incas used 

 to travel incredible distances. It is by no means, however, 

 such a stimulant. It is a singular fact, observes Dr. Jame- 

 son, that tea, coffee, cacao, mate, and guayusa contain the 

 same alkaloid caffeine. The last, however, contains only 

 one fifteenth as much of the active principle as tea, and no 

 volatile oil. Herndon found guayusa on the Ucayali. 



At Archidona we took a new set of peons for Napo, as 

 the Papal! actans do not travel farther. The distance is 

 sixteen miles, and the path is comparatively good, though 

 it crosses two rivers, the Misagualli and Tena. On this 

 journey we found the only serpent seen since lea\'ing 

 Quito. This solitary specimen was sluggish and harmless, 

 but exceedingly beautiful. It was the Aviphisboana fuli- 

 ginosa, or " slow- worm." It lives in the chambers of the 

 Saiiba ants. We met a procession of these ants, each car- 

 rying a circular piece of a leaf vertically over its head. 

 These insects are peculiar to tropical America, and are 

 much dreaded in Brazil, w^here they soon despoil valuable 

 trees of their foliage. They cut the leaves with their scis- 

 sor-like jaws, and use them to thatch the domes at the en- 

 trance of their subterranean dwellings. 



At !N"apo we took possession of the governor's liouse. 

 Each village in the Xapo pro^-ince was obliged to build an 

 edifice of split bamboo for that dignitary ; and, as he no 

 longer exists, they are left unoccupied. They generally 

 stand on the highest and best site in the town, and are a 

 god-send to travelers. Immediately on our arrival, the In- 

 dian governor and his staff of justices called to see what we 

 wanted, and during our stay supplied us with chickens, 



