The Hydkogeaphical Commission. 383 



The final Eepoi-t will be of great interest and value. 

 The atlas will comprise some forty sheets, each 30x15 

 inches, besides a general map five feet square; and ta- 

 bles of latitudes, longitudes, magnetic variations, eleva- 

 tions, currents, distances, temperatures, etc., embracing 

 2945 miles of river, or the total distance navigable by 

 steamers. The determination of the latitude and longi- 

 tude of prominent points by Captain Eochelle will straight- 

 en our geography of the Maranon region ; while the mete- 

 orological and ethnological observations by Dr. Gait (to be 

 issued by the Smithsonian Institution) will make a valu- 

 able contribution to science. 



Two little steamers, the "Napo," of Iquitos, and the 

 " Ucayali," of Nauta, run up the Ucayali to Sarayacu and 

 Cachaboya monthly, the voyage to Sarayacu from Iquitos 

 taking eight days up and four down. The trade at pres- 

 ent is light, consisting chiefly in the exchange of English 

 goods, and Huallaga salt for fish and turtles. But this 

 tributary, contributing more water than the Maranon above 

 it, and navigable for about one thousand miles, or within 

 a short distance of the Oroya Ilailroa,d, must ere long be- 

 come a highway for commercie. A mule-road is alread}' 

 projected to connect Sarayacu with the salt-mines of Cha- 

 suta. Fine selenite gypsum occurs above Sarayacu, and 

 " cinnamon " around Cachaboya Lake. 



The largest village above Iquitos is Nauta (numbering 

 1000), but the busiest is old San Regis — a little huddle of 

 mud-huts, but mighty in " caghass." Here they distill and 

 export 2500 garrafones (seven gallons each) a year of this 

 white rum — the apparent life-blood of Eastern Peru — and 

 sell it at $5 a garrafon. The cane, of which there is a 

 large plantation, is luxuriant, but it is said to be too watery 

 for the manufacture of sugar. Sarsaparilla and payshi 

 (salt fish) are also shipped from San Regis. 



