196 



THE UCAYALI. 



of rolling off. About twelve feet of the middle of the boat is covered 

 and decked in like manner; but the covering is lower and narrower, 

 giving room for the rowers to sit on each side of it to paddle. Most of 

 the cargo is stowed under the decks, thus leaving a cabin for both 

 Ijurra and myself. There is a space between the two coverings which 

 is not decked over, that gives a chance for baling the boat when she 

 takes in water ; and a sufficient space is left in the bow on which to 

 place a large earth ern vessel to make a fire in. 



I bought from Senhor Cauper some Portuguese axes, some small fish- 

 hooks, (called by the Indians mishqui^) and some white beads, which 

 are most coveted by the savages of the Ucayali. 



We had several fishing pic-nics with the priest and governor, and 

 altogether a pleasant time at Nauta. 



September 25. — Having engaged a servant, a Tarapotino, named 

 Lopez, and embarked our luggage and provisions, I hoisted a small 

 American flag, given me from the frigate Raritan, and got under way for 

 ihe Ucayali. We started with ten peons, but were joined by two others 

 in a skiff (called montaria) next morning. In fifty-five minutes we ar- 

 rived at the mouth of the Ucayali. It is a beautiful stream, with low, 

 shelving, green banks at its mouth. But I was disappointed in its size ; 

 it was not more than half as wide as the Amazon. It is the longest 

 known tributary above Brazil, and is therefore called by some the main 

 trunk of the Amazon. We poled and paddled slowly up the left bank 

 for four and a half miles, and stopped at a bluff where there were one or 

 two huts of Nauta people. Threatening rain, we attempted to sleep in 

 the boat ; but our rnusquito curtains not being properly prepared, we 

 passed a wretched night. 



September 26. — Taking advantage of the eddies and still water near 

 the shore, we paddled and poled along at about the rate of a mile and a 

 half per hour. Our men work well. They commence paddling with 

 a strong, slow stroke, of about fifteen or twenty to the minute, and 

 gradually quicken them till they get to be half second strokes. They 

 keep this up for about half an hour, when, at a shout from the bowman, 

 they toss their paddles in the air, change sides, and commence the slow 

 stroke again. They, however, prefer poling to paddling, and will 

 always make for a beach, where they can use their poles, which they 

 do in a lazy, inefficient manner. 



The shores of the river to-day, on the left bank, are abrupt, and 

 about ten or fifteen feet high. They are of a light, loose earth, that is 

 continually caving in by the action of the current, and carrying trees 

 into the stream. On the other side the shores are low, green, and 



