218 



THE RIVER. 



mouths of the river Nanay, enters the Amazon just above the town. 

 The main mouth of the Nanay is five miles below ; it is said to commu- 

 nicate, back of the plain, with the Tigre Yacu, which empties into the 

 Maranon above San Regis ; and branches of it, which run to the north- 

 ward and eastward, inosculate with the Napo. 



We left Iquitos at half past 9 a. m. The shores of the river just 

 below are bold, and of white clay ; at a quarter to eleven we passed the 

 mouth of the Nanay, about one hundred and fifty yards broad. The 

 depth of the Amazon at the junction of the two rivers is fifty feet ; the 

 current a mile and two-thirds the hour. After passing several small 

 islands, where the river appeared two miles wide, it seemed to contract 

 within its own banks to half a mile, immediately in front of a settlement 

 of two or three houses, called Tinicuro, where I found no. bottom at one 

 hundred and eighty feet ; at half-past five we arrived at Pucallpa, where 

 we passed the night. 



November 8. — Pucallpa, or New Oran, is a small settlement, of twenty 

 houses, and one hundred and eleven inhabitants, who formerly belonged 

 to Oran, but who, finding their situation uncomfortable, removed and 

 settled here. It is one of the most pleasantly-situated places I have 

 seen — on a moderate eminence, with green banks shelving to the river. 

 The water is bold (twenty-five to thirty feet deep) close to the shore. 

 Two islands — one above and one below the town, with a narrow opening 

 in front — gave the place the appearance of a snug little harbor. 



We bought at this place two of the great cranes of the river, called 

 Tuyuyu. These were gray. A pair that I succeeded in getting to the 

 United States were white. Started at 4 a. m. ; high white chalky banks 

 just below Pucallpa. At nine we arrived at the mouth of the Napo ; we 

 found it two hundred yards broad, and of a gentle current. The sound- 

 ings across the mouth were thirty-five and forty feet; stopped at Choro- 

 cocha, a settlement of eighteen inhabitants, just below the mouth of the 

 Napo. We found some of our Nauta friends here salting fish, and got 

 a capital breakfast from them. After leaving, we anchored near the 

 head of a small island, where I supposed we would feel the effect of the 

 current of the Napo ; but had but a mile and two-thirds current. 



November 9. — We started at 5, and arrived at Pebas at 10 a. m. 

 We found that the people of Pebas, under the direction of Father 

 Valdivia, (my Nauta friend,) were establishing a new town about a 

 quarter of a mile up a stream called Ambiyacu, which enters into the 

 Amazon two miles above Pebas. We pulled up this stream, and found 

 the good priest and the governor general busy in directing the felling 

 of trees and building of houses. I determined to stay here for some 



