INTRODUCTORY. 



29 



"In the woods there are almonds of various kinds and superior qual- 

 ity. Towards the east there is another small lake called Puaja, whose 

 waters (united with those of Rogoaguado and Yapacha) form the river 

 Yatachico, or Black river, which is a confluent of the Mamore. I pre- 

 sume the Yata Grande is only an arm of the Beni from the clearness 

 of its waters, from the declivity of the land towards the Mamore, and be- 

 cause its sources are not found in the Steppes, (Llanos) there only 

 arising from these the Black river of the Lake Rogagua of Reyes, which 

 is a confluent of the Beni. 



" The navigation of the Yata Grande is a matter of interest ; and I 

 would have attempted it when I descended the Mamore had I had at 

 my disposal an armed party, which is absolutely necessary on account 

 of the multitude of savages which dwell upon its banks ; nevertheless, I 

 did ascend to its first rapids, where there is an abundance of pitch. 

 The Iruyani should be explored for the same reasons as the Yata 

 Grande." 



It was suggested by Mr. Pissis that I should take the route of the 

 Beni on account of the honor of discovery, and the addition I should 

 make to geographical knowledge; and General Ballivian, ex-president 

 of Bolivia, who was then in Valparaiso forming plans for revolution in 

 that country, which he afterwards endeavored to execute, but without 

 success, strongly urged me to take one of the Bolivian rivers ; but an 

 unanswerable objection to this in my mind was, that such a route 

 would bring me into the Amazon very low down, and make the neces- 

 sity of ascending that river to its sources ; a work which would occupy 

 years in its execution, and probably break down a much stronger man 

 than I am. 



Upon my arrival in Lima, I immediately set to work to investigate 

 routes. The best informed people of Peru are wide awake to the im- 

 portance of opening an inland communication between their territo- 

 ries to the east of the Andes and the Atlantic, and many attempts 

 have been made to secure the aid of government in the opening of such 

 a communication. From time immemorial a jealousy has existed upon 

 this subject between the people inhabiting points on the three most 

 feasible routes ; that is, that of the valley of Huanuco, that of Chancha- 

 mayo, and that of Paucartambo, to the eastward of Cuzco. This 

 jealousy originated in the fact that the valley of Huanuco, the first 

 settled, at one time supplied all the coca that was used in Peru. The 

 people of that valley saw in the opening of the Montana of Chancha- 

 mayo a rival interest that would decrease their gains, and at one time 

 they had such interest at Court as to get an order dismantling the 



