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TARAPOTO TO CANELOS 117
stick, and with the point of his forefinger makes
three broad red streaks from ear to ear, one below
the eyes, another along the base of the nose, and
the third below the mouth. This done he no
doubt considers himself dressed for the day, and holds
his head a full inch higher.
May ii (Monday). After a gloomy but dry
night, we got under way this morning at 3 o'clock,
the river having abated 4 feet. The history of
to-day varies little from that of preceding days.
The same winding turbid river in no place more
than 80 yards wide, and sometimes narrowing to
40 yards, when the current is stemmed with
difficulty.
May 14.--The banks now begin to be pictur-
: esque cliffs clad with ferns and mosses, a Helicomia
with distichous leaves and pendent scarlet and
yellowish spikes; a Calliandra like that at the Pongo
of the Huallaga, etc. ; tiny cascades falling over the
cliffs.
We breakfasted at the mouth of the Puca-yacu, the
most considerable stream we had seen entering the
Bombonasa. It comes in on the left bank with a
strong current --water muddy, reddish,
the mouth of this the water of the Bombonasa
is sensibly clearer, depositing very little earthy
matter when allowed to stand ;
it is whitish, like
the Upper Orinoco.
May 15.- Yesterday at 5! P.M. we reachc
Palisada-Zipishko, and remained all island, where there was the broadest
night on
beach we
an
seen on the Bombonasa. Pebbles begin to