450 NOTES OF A BOTANIST chap. 
these letters and notes, to form the latter portion of 
this chapter.] 
Voyage to Maypures 
i^Abs tract of Journal by Editor) 
May 26, 1854, Spruce left San Carlos in his 
large canoe and travelled slowly up the Guainia, 
collecting plants on the way. On Sunday, June 4, 
he reached Tomo, and as the weather was very 
rainy he stayed there four days to dry and pack the 
Fig. 42.— Tomo, on the River Guainia or Upper Rio Negro. 
The palm is the Gztiliehiia speciosa. (R. S.) 
plants he had gathered, having to leave his boat 
here till his return from the Orinoco. This, he says, 
was a dreadfully hungry place. There was no fish 
to be had, and a couple of toucans formed his only 
fresh food while he stayed there. On the 9th he 
left in a much smaller boat for Maroa and Pimichin, 
reaching the latter place on the afternoon of the 
next day. 
Spruce observes that the road from Pimichin to 
Javita is kept clear and in good order, being about 
1 2 feet wide ; but the bridges of trunks of trees 
across the numerous streams are often in bad con- 
