22 
NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
CHAP. 
June 1 8. — We slept in a chacra (shed) just 
below the worst fall, called Yurac-yacu (white 
water), because the water here bursts into foam 
over rocks strewed in the river at a narrow curve. 
An hour farther there is another similar mal paso 
(called Curi-yacu), where a stream comes in on the 
left bank, said to contain gold. Some way below 
Chasuta we passed, on the left bank, a considerable 
ravine with still black water called Yanacana-yacu 
(Ladder River), from its running over steps in its 
upper part as it comes down from Curi-yacu. This 
mountain, whenever we came in sight of it, had its 
summit wrapped in mists and showers, from which 
it is said to be never free. 
After passing the rapid of Curi-yacu the river 
gradually opens out wider, but still in many places 
runs rapidly over sharp gravel. Mountains appear 
on every side — Curi-yacu on the right, the low, 
rounded, acute-edged cerros of Chasuta nearly in 
front, and the lofty Morillo (yielding only to Curi- 
yacu in height) in front and rather to the left. On 
our left, directly across the river, are only lower hills. 
Alligators, turtles, and pirarucu exist in the 
Huallaga as far as the rapids of Yurac-yacu. The 
small alligator is found all the way up to Huanuco, 
as is also the fresh-water dolphin of the Amazon. 
Electric eels are frequent in the Huallaga and 
Ucayali, and still more in the lakes connected with 
these rivers. 
Jtme 23. — We reached Chasuta on the evening 
of the 1 8th. It is a considerable village on the 
left bank of the Huallaga, at the mouth of a rather 
large ravine, and from being situated at the very 
foot of abrupt rocky hills, while loftier ones appear 
