io8 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
forest and not reaching the river margin as on the 
Maranon), it has been necessary to go ashore 
ourselves first with our firearms. 
A Httle before sunset we reached the upper point 
of an island, clad with a willow-like Composite, and 
rapidly becoming covered with water. Here we 
made fast, intending to pass the night, but shortly 
the Indians took alarm at seeing how easily an 
enemy could approach our encampment concealed 
by bushes which, although growing pretty close, 
admitted an easy passage ; so we moved off to the 
middle of the river, here very broad and shallow, 
with several prostrate dead trees sticking out which 
the rising waters had not yet liberated, though they 
were beginning to move them. I was not sorry for 
the change, for zancudos were very numerous and 
fierce on the island, though not entirely wanting 
on the river. The nocturnal zancudo is a small 
slender gnat with spotted wings — rest of body a 
uniform black. It is called birotillo (the little dart) 
because its puncture is so cruel, often leaving pain 
and swelling. When the days are dull we have 
them in the canoes at all hours, and the small 
mosquitoes are as abundant as on the Maranon. 
My skin has been in a very sensitive state since 
the journey from Tarapoto to Chasuta, and some 
of the mosquito wounds are beginning to ulcerate. 
In the woods I have made acquaintance with a 
minute and very active tick, which sucks a little 
here and there, and does not, like the other species, 
hang on to one place till it gets full ; its bites 
cause an intolerable itching, and if one scratches, 
ulcers ensue. 
April 1 2 — Don Victoriano's dog, which had 
