450 Heath's Bolivian Explorations . [August, 
mouth of the Yacuma, he disembarked and left his canoes, 
and, after the delay of a week at Santa Ana, he secured 
carts and commenced his land journey across the Pampas 
to Reyes. During the dry season the journey between these 
points is made by carts, but the country is flooded during 
the remainder of the year, and the journey is made by boats 
on the river. 
On September 30th, 1879, Dr. Heath arrived at Reyes, 
and built a house, and made addive preparations for the 
work before him. To become more familiar with the country 
he made a voyage down the Yacuma to Santa Ana, and to 
Lake Rogagua, whose outlet is the River Negro, and also to 
Tumupaza and San Jose on the River Tuichi, correcting 
their geography. He remained at Reyes until August 3rd, 
1880, occupied in making collections and in keeping a 
meteorological journal, when he embraced an opportunity of 
descending the Beni as far as the rubber camp Maco, near 
the mission Cavinas. Antenor Vasquez, the owner of this 
rubber estate, had forty Indians and boats to descend the 
Beni, for the purpose of discovering new places for rubber 
camps. Embarking with Don Antenor he descended the 
river five days to a point where Antenor Vasquez remained 
with most of his men, and Dr. Heath took a single boat 
with three Bolivians and nine Indians, and descended the 
river to a point as far as iT ii' 29" S. lat., where he made 
a chacra and planted bananas, the customary method of 
showing where a descent had been made on the river. By 
the river this point is 375 miles below Reyes, and the Boli- 
vians refused to go any further, on account of the general 
belief that the country contiguous to the Lower Beni was 
inhabited by cannibals. In passing the last rubber camp 
Dr. Heath found a family of Pacavara Indians, one of whom 
accompanied him on the descent, from whom he obtained 
some knowledge of the character of the Indians who occupy 
the country as far as the River Madre de Dios. 
From this point Dr. Heath was compelled to return to 
Maco, where he made preparations for a final descent of 
the river, which he believed could be successfully explored. 
As no one was found willing to risk his life on the Lower 
Beni, Dr. Heath determined to make the descent alone. 
But Don Antenor would not allow this, and offered him any 
of his men who would voluntarily accompany him. Ildifonzo 
Roca, a Trinitarian Indian, was the only one found who was 
willing to go. Dr. Vaca, a Bolivian rubber gatherer, after- 
ward furnished another Indian, and a boat 15 feet in length, 
which when loaded sank nearly to the water’s edge. 
