FROM MANAOS to TARAPOTO 35 
the steep perpendicular walls which confine these 
narrows, the Peruvians say very expressively that 
the rivers in such places are boxed in (''encajonado"). 
The pongo of the Huallaga commences a little 
above Yurimaguas, and it takes two days to ascend 
it when the river is pretty low — when it is high the 
pongo is impassable. Above the pongo are three 
of the worst malos pasos (rapids and falls) in the 
whole river. ... 
The principal inhabitant of Tarapoto is a 
Spaniard (a native of Mallorca) named Don Ignacio 
Morey. We had known each other by name some 
years, and he had signified to me that if I would 
visit Tarapoto he would assist me as far as lay in 
his power. From Yurimaguas I had advised him 
of my approach, and he was kind enough to send a 
couple of mules to meet me at Juan Guerra. 
When you consider the amphibious life I had led 
tor six years, during a great part of which period 
I had not so much as set sight on a horse, and that 
for several years before leaving England I had 
discontinued equestrian exercises, you will under- 
stand that I found the transition from a canoe to 
a horse rather abrupt. I am, however, too old a 
traveller to be taken aback by anything, and I 
immediately made choice of one of the two animals 
sent me — a large white macho, whose stride was as 
long as that of a racehorse, and whose caparisons 
were altogether strange to me, especially the large 
wooden stirrups, in form of a square pyramid, with 
a hole on one side for inserting the foot ; the whole 
curiously sculptured. An English horse would 
have felt weary with such trappings, but he would 
have stared in dismay at the road, though one of 
