260 



THE CODAJASH. 



January 1, 1852. — At 9 a. m. we had the easterly breeze so strong 

 that we were compelled to keep close in shore to avoid the sea raised 

 by it. Our heavy flat-bottomed boat rolls nearly gunwales under. Some 

 of the Indians look alarmed, and Tomas, a servant whom we brought 

 from Caballo-cocha, is frightened from all propriety. He shouts to the 

 men to make for the land ; and, seizing a paddle, makes one or two 

 vigorous strokes, but fear takes away his strength, and he stretches him- 

 self on his face, and yields to what appears his inevitable destiny. Ijurra 

 is much scandalized at his cowardice, and asks him what he would do 

 if he got upon the sea. 



At 12 m. we passed another mouth of the Purus. These mouths can 

 only be navigated at high water, and in small canoes. At half-past four 

 we passed the mouth of the Codajash. We were on the opposite side 

 of the river, and had nearly passed before I was aware of it. Smyth 

 places the islands of Coro and Onga above it. They are really below. 

 The mouth appeared a quarter of a mile wide ; but I was afterwards 

 told that this was not the largest mouth, and that the true mouth lay 

 opposite to the island of Coro. I learned from some persons who were 

 engaged in salting fish upon a small sand island just below this mouth, 

 (one of whom had visited it,) that it is an arm of the river communi- 

 cating with a large lake abounding with fish, vaca marina, and turtle ; 

 and had growing on its shores many resins and oils, particularly the 

 copaiba. It requires three days to ascend the arm of the river to the 

 lake, and two more to reach the head of the lake, which is fed by small 

 streams that are said to communicate with the Japura, on one hand, 

 and the Rio Negro, on the other. 



The Amazon, at this little island, commenced falling day before 

 yesterday. A boat which arrived at Egas from Tabatinga the day be- 

 fore we left there, reported that the river had commenced falling at 

 Tabatinga on the twentieth of December. This is probably the fall due 

 to the "Verano del Nino" of the Cordillera, and will only last a week 

 or ten days, when the river will again commence to swell. 



At seven we stopped at a factor ia on Coro island, where the party 

 who were working it had made one thousand pots of manteiga, and 

 were about starting for below. Camped on the beach on right bank 

 at half-past 11 p. m. 



January 2. — The usual fresh easterly wind commenced at nine. 

 The oniy time to make progress is at night ; during the day the breeze 

 is so fresh, and the sea so high, that very little is made. The wind 

 usually subsides about 4 or 5 p. m., and concludes with a squall of 

 wind and rain ; leaving heavy-looking thunder- clouds in the southward 



