Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

120 NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP.
loose and wet, so that the fragments of gold sink
into it by their weight.
At 4^ P.M. we reached the pueblo of Sara-yacu,
on the left bank. It stands on a steep ridge 15 feet
above the high-water mark of the river and distant
perhaps 200 yards. On each side of it and at a
short distance is a deep ravine with a rivulet ; at
the mouth the streams are barely 30 yards apart,
but the space between them widens higher up.
The track leading up to the pueblo has in one place
a steep slope on each side, with barely room for one
person to pass
another. A barricade across this
strait would render it defensible by two men
against a hundred. This position has no doubt
been selected for the pueblo with an eye to its
defence from attacks of Infieles, and it is far
there is some
stronger than that of Andoas, though
similarity.
May 20 (Wednesday]. Our Indians from Andoas
should have returned home from Sara-yacu, but
as we found there neither Governor nor Curaca,
we persuaded them to go on with us to Puca-yacu,
where the Governor was at present residing, and so
paid then each 2 varas of Tocuyo for the additional
labour all save two who could not be persuaded
to go farther. This day was passed dully enough
in the port of Sara-yacu, waiting till the Indians
should stuff themselves with masuto; enlivened only
by disputes about the payment to Puca-yacu, such
as are unavoidable in all traffic with Indians.
May 21 . . . (Thursday].- We left at an early
hour, and the
us more depth
slight
in the
rise of the waters gave
rapids, so that we got on