THE PACHITEA RIVER 
ing a big curve where the Pachitea enters it. Just before 
reaching the mouth of the Pachitea, the Ucayalli had first 
a big arm deviating from the main stream on the left 
bank, then soon after another great arm, also on the left 
side. The navigation of those rivers was now getting diffi¬ 
cult, and we had to halt at night. 
On January twelfth we started up the Pachitea River, 
a stream much smaller than the Ucayalli, but more inter¬ 
esting. Soon after starting we could perceive in the dis¬ 
tance before us a high hill range. Crocodiles and white 
storks were innumerable, while fallen trees impeded navi¬ 
gation constantly. Once or twice we banged with such 
force against immense floating logs of wood that it made 
the launch quiver in a most alarming way. In the dirty 
water of the stream it was not always possible to detect 
the floating logs, which sometimes were just under the 
surface of the water. Immense quantities of cana bar ah a 
were to be seen on the banks, and great numbers of deli¬ 
cately tinted violet flowers enlivened the landscape. The 
cana had light violet-coloured panaches , which were much 
used by the Indians in the manufacture of their arrows. 
The banks were of alluvial formation. Islets of grey sand 
mixed with volcanic ashes could be seen. The current was 
strong. 
We saw large families of ciancias — beautiful birds 
with velvety black bodies speckled with white, and fan- 
tails of rich brown colour, feathers of the same colour being 
also on the outer half of the wings. They possessed slen¬ 
der, most elegant necks, small brown-crested heads, and 
light yellow chests. Seen at a distance they were not, in 
shape, unlike pheasants. Twenty or thirty together at a 
time could be seen playing among the lower branches of 
the trees along the edge of the river. Then there were 
small birds of a beautiful metallic blue-black, with very 
long tails; these latter were innumerable near the water. 
The rainy season was in full swing. In the morning 
871 
