166 



CHASUTA. 



tween the rocks on the left-hand side. It took an hour to unload, pass 

 the canoe, and load up again. Three miles further is the mal-paso of 

 Canoa Yacu, (canoe water,) from many canoes having been wrecked 

 here. This is by far the most formidable rapid I have seen. There is 

 a small perpendicular fall on each side, and a shoot of 20° declivity in 

 the middle, down which the water rushes with a velocity of at least ten 

 miles the hour. The shoot looks tempting, and one is disposed to try 

 the rush; but there are rocks below over which the water dashes up 

 some two or three feet in height ; and I think no boat could shoot out 

 of the force of the stream so as to avoid these rocks. 



The river both here and at Estero is not more than thirty yards 

 wide. The average velocity of the current through the Pongo is six 

 miles the hour. It took one hour and a half to pass this obstruction. 

 Two miles further down we shot the mal-paso of Matijuelo under oar; 

 and immediately after, that of Chiunia, where the canoe was let 

 down as before, but without unloading. It took half an hour to do 

 this. A quarter of an hour afterwards we passed the rapid of Vaquero ; 

 and at 2-J p. m. arrived at Chasuta. We were kindly welcomed and 

 hospitably entertained by the Cura, Don Sebastian Castro. 



Chasuta is the port of the district of Tarapoto. The traders have 

 their cargoes carried on the backs of Indians between Tarapoto and 

 Chasuta, and embark and disembark at the latter place to avoid the 

 rapids of the Pongo. The distance by land, according to Hacket, is 

 eighteen miles ; and the cost of transportation, half a pound of wax for 

 a cargo of seventy-five pounds. There is from this point no further 

 obstruction to navigation for canoes ; and very little labor would enable 

 a draught of six feet to reach Chasuta at the lowest stage of the river. 



There were canoes in the port, just arrived from below, with salt fish 

 and wax ; and canoes about to start down with the products of the 

 district. The annual value of the commerce between this place and 

 below is fifteen hundred dollars. All articles which can readily be 

 transported on the backs of mules, or Indians, come from Lima, by the 

 way of Chachapoyas and Moyobamba. These are principally articles 

 of wearing apparel, or stuff to make them of. Heavier articles — such as 

 iron, iron implements, copper kettles, (for distilling,) guns, crockery, 

 &c. — come from below. The axes are narrow, worthless things, made in 

 Portugal, and sold in Tarapoto for a dollar in money, without handles. 

 Iron (of -which the inhabitants are very careful to buy Swedish only) 

 is worth in Tarapoto twelve and a half cents the pound. A common 

 plate for the dinner table is worth twenty-five cents ; a cup and saucer, 

 twelve and a half cents ; a glass with handle to drink water, fifty cents ; 



