50 



RIO MADRE-DE-DIOS. 



rivers, the Tono and Piflipifli, join and form the head of the river called 

 by the Quichua Indians A maru Mayu, . (serpent-river,) which Padre 

 Kevello had not long since named "Rio Madre-de-Dios," for the reason 

 the Chunchos had killed a number of Creoles and Quiehua Indians^ 

 and after destroying their little church, had thrown the catholic image 

 into a tributary stream, whence it had floated down, and was found on a 

 rock in the centre of Amaru-Mayu. 



This stream is very swift, about seventy yards wide, and not navigable 

 at the point I saw it, which is in latitude 12° 32' south, longitude 70° 26 f 

 west of Greenwich, and by barometrical measurement 1,3*7 7 feet above 

 the Pacific ocean ; showing a descent from the first flower on the side of 

 the ridge in sight of 9,723 feet; small hills intercept our view of the 

 river after it turns. Leechler informs me that the cascarilleros, from pro- 

 minent places on this side of the Andes, have seen Indians crossing the 

 " Madre de-Dios " in canoes, among the islands, a short distance below 

 us; and that the river is very winding in its course through a level 

 eountry. The padre has seen a stream called " Marcapata" to the west 

 of us, flowing northwest, which probably falls into the Madre-de Dios 

 below. 



The country is a beautiful one ; well watered, and from its general ap- 

 pearance adapted for cultivation, though wild and unpopulated as far 

 as we. have seen, except by monkeys of different species, who are very 

 busy in the evening cutting into the bamboo stalks for the water therein, 

 which they take as their tea. 



We feel great anxiety to visit the island in a Chuncho canoe ; to make 

 friends under the shade of a plantain orchard ; to contract at the door 

 ©f these Indians for a passage to the Amazon, and go home by this 

 route. Besides, I wished to see the effect produced on these wild men 

 by a present, from the padre, of angels, pictures drawn from a long tin 

 box under his arm ; but it is impracticable, and we lay down by the head 

 of the Madre-de-Dios, to sleep till morning, with thirty-eight leagues by 

 the road to travel back to Cuzco. 



The ants troubled us. Before the break of day, we all rose suddenly 

 from our saudy bed; the dogs skulking in with tails between their legs; 

 all more or less uncomfortably aroused by the growling of two large 

 tigers on the opposite side of the Pinipini. A light breeze was passing 

 from us to them ; they snuffed a breakfast, while the Indians silently 

 hung their heads. I was looking upon the water, expecting to see them 

 plunge in and swim towards us. Leechler examined my double-barrelled 

 gun, and laughingly called out in English, "thank you kindly, the rains 

 on the mountains during the night have flooded the Pinipini, and we, 

 therefore, cannot breakfast together this morning." 



