Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

ii 4
NOTES OF A BOTANIST
calico, to the other a Rondin to seek us each a
tapir. They brought us two fine animals with quite
as much flesh on them as a Tarapoto cow, and we
had charqui (dried meat) made of them for the
voyage. The weapon used in chasing tapir is a
lance with large well-tempered iron head, brought
from Quito or Riobamba. The dogs used in
tracking
the animal are a small breed with little
triangular heads and curled usually iron-grey or
bushy
fawn colour.
tails
One
colour
of our
hunters went alone with his ; dogs the other took
two . . . companions. Like most Indians who have
been brought to " Christianity," they have no manufactures
of any kind. Their canoes, hammocks,
blowing-canes, matiris,
"
Infieles"!
etc., are all bought from the
The present Governor of Andoas is Don Benito
Sumaita, a native of Moyobamba, who treated us as
kindly as his means would allow, and aided us much
in procuring men and food for the voyage. He is
subject to the recently-created and probably not
very permanent Prefectura del Alto Marafion.
The head-quarters of the Prefect are at Jeberos or
Xeberos, on the Aipena river which enters the
Huallaga near its mouth, which, though much
larger than Andoas, is quite as miserable a place.
Don Benito has been two years in this banishment
alone amongst the Indians save his son, a little boy
of ten ; years and he told us he slept more securely
the few nights we were there than he had ever done
before in Andoas, for he knew not on what night
the Infieles might break into the village and murder
him in his bed. He was almost in despair, poor
fellow, for he has no salary from the Government,