THE HUALLAGA RIVER. 



127 



chew of coca out of his huallqui, or leathern bag, in which it is carried, 

 and the offer of a dollar and a half, which before he had indignantly 

 spurned, changed his mood, and he smiled and expressed himself satis- 

 fied, now that the thing was done and it could not be helped. I had 

 been often told by travellers that this was frequently necessary to get 

 something to eat, but had always set my mind resolutely against any 

 such injustice and oppression ; and I expressed my opinion of the matter 

 to Ijurra, and requested that the like should not occur again. The 

 elevation of Chihuangala is three thousand four hundred and twenty- 

 one feet above the level of the sea. 



July 30. — At 10 a. m., when we had begun to despair of the coming 

 of our Indians, and Ijurra was about to start alone for Tingo Maria, for 

 the purpose of fetching them, they came shouting into the chacra, thir- 

 teen in number. They were young, slight, but muscular-looking fellows, 

 all life and energy ; and wanted to shoulder the trunks and be off at 

 once. We, however, gave them some charqui, and set them to breakfast. 

 At noon we started, and descended the valley of Chinchao in a N. IS". 

 E. direction ; the path steep and obstructed with bushes. 



At about six miles from Chihuangala we arrived at the junction of 

 the Chinchao river with the Huallaga, in a heavy shower of rain, with 

 thunder and lightning. By leaving the Huallaga at Acomayo, below 

 Huanuco, crossing a range of mountains at the Cerro de Carpis, striking 

 the head of the valley of Chinchao, and descending it, we had cut off 

 a great bend of the rfrer, and now struck it again at the junction of 

 the Chinchao. It is here some sixty yards wide, and the Chinchao 

 thirty, both much obstructed with shoals and banks of gravel. ' The 

 peons waded the Huallaga above the junction, and brought up a canoe 

 from the hacienda of Chinchayvitoc, a few hundred yards below, and 

 on the opposite side. We passed in the canoe, which the Indians 

 managed very well. It was a great treat, after the tedious walk we 

 had had, to feel the free, rapid motion of the boat as it glided down 

 the stream. The stream seemed to run at the rate of five or six miles 

 the hour ; but, by keeping close in shore, two Indians could paddle the 

 light canoe against it very well. 



Chinch ay vitoc is a hacienda established by a Bolivian gentleman 

 named Villamil, for the collection of Peruvian bark. He brought some 

 Bolivians with him to search for the bark ; but it is not to be found in 

 this country of good quality, and thelcheme seems a failure. There is 

 a mayordomo and a family of Indians living at the hacienda, but 

 nothing is doing. Our peons cooked our dinner of cheese and rice, and 

 made us a good cup of coffee. These are lively, good-tempered fellows, 



