Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

CHAP, xvi RESIDENCE AT TARAPOTO 95
first expedition to the Campana Mountain and
Lirio-pampa, already described at some length.
In February 1856, he made an excursion to the
head of the Puca-yacu, on the western slopes of
Mount Guayrapurima.
In March he went to the Upper gorges of the
Shillicaio river.
In May he went to the top of Cerro Pelado, and
to the upper gorges of the Aguashiyacu, Uchulla-
yacu, etc. There are a few notes on Mount Pelado,
which consists of bare sharp ridges running about
S.E. and N.W., the N.E. side being very precipitous
but sloping more plain
gradually towards the
of Tarapoto. The rocks are covered with
lichens, a few ferns, some rigid-leaved Liliacea?, and
a few dwarf shrubs. From the S.E. the ridges dip
abruptly to deep ravines, which form the sources
of the streams of the pampa, as well as of some
tributaries of the Huallaga. Lower down the
slopes are clad with low forest which is densely
mossy. The summit of all the ridges is a white,
friable, coarse-grained sandstone, in thin layers,
inclined at a very high angle. The Cumbasa rises
to the north of this group of mountains, and many
of the deep ravines above mentioned are some t
its tributaries.
(The accompanying beautiful drawing ol
mountains north of Tarapoto is the only one of
large size which was carefully shaded by Spruce
himself. With the one exception of the immediate
rough bit of foreground, it has been photograpl
from the drawing as he left it fitly years
curiously ridged mountain to the right exactl;
responds to his description of it above gn