FIRST MAL-PASO. 



129 



unite with great violence at a point where there is a small island covered 

 with trees, and roll past the cave in an impetuous torrent." 



The ascent of the hill was very tedious, and I should complain of the 

 fatigue but for shame's sake ; for there were Indians along, young and 

 rather small men, who were carrying a burden of nearly one hundred 

 pounds on their back. Their manner of carrying cargoes is to have a 

 sort of cotton satchel, of open work, with a broad stout strap to it. The 

 end of the trunk or package, which is placed on end, is put into the 

 bag, and the Indian, sitting down with his back to it, passes the strap 

 over his forehead, and then, with a lift from another, rises to his feet, 

 and, bending forward, brings the weight upon the muscles of his neck 

 and back. A bit of blanket, or old cotton cloth, protects the skin of 

 the back from chafe. The traveller in these parts should be as lightly 

 clad and carry as little weight as possible, for the path is very steep and 

 muddy. I had been thoughtless enough to wear my heavy Sierra 

 clothes, and to load myself with a gun of a greater weight, I believe, 

 than a standard musket — and so had occasion to envy Ijurra his light 

 rig of nankeen trousers and cotton shirt, long but light staff, and twilled 

 cotton " JefFersons." 



The descent of this hill, which is nearly as tedious as the ascent, 

 brought us to the banks of the river opposite the mal-paso of Palma. 

 This is the first rapid I have seen, and it looked formidable enough. 

 The river, obstructed in its rapid course, breaks into waves, which dash 

 with thundering violence against the rocks, and rush between them in 

 sluices of dazzling velocity. Cargoes must always be landed at this 

 place, and carried around. The canoe, thus lightened, under skilful 

 and practical management, may shoot the rapid ; but this should not be 

 attempted where it can be avoided. By prudence, these malos pasos 

 (the dread of travellers) are stripped of all danger ; but the Indians 

 sometimes get drunk and insist upon the attempt ; and thus these places 

 have become the graves of many. Since my return home I have a 

 letter from Castillo, the young man I met in Huanuco, enclosing others 

 which were sent to him at Tarapota from Lima to be forwarded to me. 

 He begged me to excuse the condition in which I should receive these 

 letters, for they had been shipwrecked in their transit. " Three persons," 

 said he, " were drowned, but the letters fortunately escaped." 



Nearly all the malos pasos are at the mouth of a tributary. These, 

 in the floods, bring down quantities of drift, with heavy boulders, which, 

 thrown crosswise into the stream, lodge and form the obstructions. 

 Little labor would be required to clear away the rocks, and make the 

 river passable for canoes at least, if not for light-draught steamboats. 

 9 



