MAMORE. 261 



perature of water, 76°. One of the Indians wanted us to give him our 

 compass, after inquiring what it was, saying there were none in Mojos. 

 The banks of the river are twenty-five feet high ; with the depth of the 

 river, the bed is fifty-eight feet below the surface of the plain. The 

 river is less winding, with a width of four hundred yards, and the chan- 

 nel little obstructed by snags. We progress very slowly in this clumsy 

 boat. The men propel her about half a mile per hour when they choose. 

 Sometimes we pole along the bank. She measures thirty feet in length, 

 and eight feet two inches beam, drawing three feet water when loaded. 



Here we meet fish. VDon Antonio came alongside with his batteau 

 and hand-net, and politely gave me one of each of the different kinds he 

 caught in a few hauls. This was quite an addition to our collection. 



The country around is a perfect level. Clusters of trees here and 

 there spot the plain, though cane-brakes and grass predominate. The 

 banks of the river are often picturesque, sloping down to the water, 

 covered with grass, while in other places the large drift-trees lay on the 

 beach, where the Indians cultivate patches of maize, earth almonds, or 

 ground peas. 



August 19, 1852. — At 9 a. m., thermometer, 80°; temperature of 

 water, 78°. Among the heavy clouds that approach us from the south- 

 east the thunder roars, and a rainbow comes towards the Andes. Ducks, 

 geese, turkeys, and cranes thickly line the stream ; porpoises puff and 

 hawks screech. The boat's crew and their wives enjoy a roasted ring- 

 tailed monkey for breakfast. 



We landed on the east side on a bank thirty feet high, and visited 

 the Trapiche of San Pedro. Four sugar mills were in motion by oxen. 

 The Indians had collected large piles of cane from the patches, and 

 were manufacturing rum and molasses under the superintendence of the 

 correjidor, a Creole, having a wife and children with him. We supplied, 

 ourselves with sugar of good quality for the voyage. 



The same planting produces sugar for twenty years in Mojos. The 

 suckers yield a juice which increases in sweetness for twelve years, after 

 which it begins to loose its saccharine matter. Cacao is gathered in 

 November, coffee in May, and sugar in August and September. 



We have quantities of musquitoes during the nigh?, but none in the 

 day. At 3 p. m., thermometer, 91°; water, 1S°. We count eighteen 

 different kinds of fish in the Mamore, where the river is thirty-nine feet 

 deep. The country has become somewhat broken in places; the land is 

 dry, and raised well up from the level of the river, while in others it sinks 

 down swampy. We drifted along by the current during the night 

 after getting entangled with a sawyer or run on the side of the shore. 



