214 



OMAGUAS. 



I left Lopez, the servant, who had only engaged for the Ucayali trip, 

 and two of my Sarayacu people, who were reported to have gone into 

 the woods to gather chambira, but who I suspected were drinking with 

 the Cocamas, and did not wish to be found. 



We drifted with the current all night. The soundings at the mouth 

 of the Ucayali were forty-two feet. The Amazon looked grand in the 

 moonlight, below the island of Omaguas, where I judged it to be a mile 

 and a half wide. 



November 6. — We arrived at Omaguas at 5 a. m. The two Sarayacu 

 men that I had left at Nauta joined us in the montaria which I had left 

 there for them, carrying off their bedding. 



Omaguas is situated on a height on the left bank, and is screened 

 from the river, at this season, by a small island, which is covered in the 

 full. The entrance now is by a narrow creek, to the southward of the 

 town. The number of inhabitants is two hundred and thirty-two, of 

 the tribes of Omaguas and Panos. They are -peons and fishermen ; 

 cultivate chacras ; and live in the usual filthy and wretched condition 

 of all these people. I gave some calomel, salts, and spermaceti oint- 

 ment to the governor's wife, who was a pitiable object — a mere skeleton, 

 and covered with inveterate-looking sores. I was reminded of Lazarus, 

 or old Job in his misery. I doubt if my remedies were of the proper 

 sort; but her husband and she were anxious to have them ; and she 

 will probably die soon at any rate, and cannot well be worsted. 



Left Omaguas at a quarter past nine ; at eleven, anchored near mid- 

 stream in eighty-four feet water, and found two and one-third miles 

 current ; river three- fourths of a mile wide ; shores low, and wooded 

 with apparently small trees, though they may have appeared small on 

 account of the width of the river; sand benches few and small. 



At noon, moderate breeze from the northward and eastward. Ther- 

 mometer 86°. Most of the men and animals fast asleep. Even the 

 monkeys, except a restless fiiar, (who seems as sleepless as I am,) are 

 dozing. The friar gapes and closes his eyes now and then ; but at the 

 next instant appears to have discovered something strange or new, and 

 is as wide awake and alert as if he never slept. 



There was a great disturbance among the animals this morning. 

 The Pumagarza, or tiger crane, (from being speckled and colored like 

 the tiger of the country,) with a bill as long and sharp as an Infidel's 

 spear, has picked to pieces the head of a delicate sort of turkey-hen, 

 called Pava del Monte. The Diputado (as we call a white monkey, 

 because Ijurra says he is the image of the worthy deputy in Congress 

 from Chachapoyas) has eaten off the ear of the Maquisapa, (a stupid- 



