RESIDENCE AT TARAPOTO 89 
without suffering from mosquitoes, though a snake 
may creep to his side for warmth, or he may be 
disturbed by the invasion of a jaguar, especially if 
he has allowed his fire to get low. Tambos are 
always placed near good water, and as every 
traveller carries his coffee-pot and provisions, he 
has it in his power to enjoy one of the greatest of 
earthly pleasures — a cup of good coffee after a long 
and fatiguing walk or ride. Pans for cooking can 
rarely be carried, but meat and plantains can easily 
be roasted. 
The inhabitants of Tarapoto have often good 
broad roads to their farms and cane-mills, especially 
when several of these lie in the same direction. A 
great obstacle to the use of these, and indeed of all 
other roads, is in the swelling of streams and the 
improvidence of the people in making no bridges ; 
and though the waters generally fall as rapidly as 
they have risen, several hours must sometimes be 
passed on the banks, at great inconvenience or loss, 
awaiting their abatement. 
[Besides this main western route to Moyobamba, 
two other roads or mule-tracks lead out of Tarapoto 
to the south and east. That to Juan Guerra has 
been referred to in Spruce's letter to Teasdale 
describing his journey to Tarapoto. Another goes 
nearly due east till, after crossing the rivers Shillicaio 
and Aguashiyacu, with their intervening hills and 
ridges, it sends a branch south-westwards, and then 
again eastward to Chapaja on the Huallaga river, 
while the main route continues over a high shoulder 
of Mount Guayrapurima to Chasuta, at the lower 
entrance of the pongo of that river. Along all 
these roads Spruce collected assiduously, but he 
