Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

TARAPOTO TO CANELOS 121
capitally, and at 4 P.M. reached the port
of Puca-
yacu. Here we found that the village was nearly
a mile from the river and elevated 250 feet above
it, the ascent being very steep
1
and slippery. We
climbed up to pay our respects to the Governor, and
then returned to sleep in the port, I and Don
Ignacio in our canoes, and the rest on a narrow
beach scarcely elevated 2 feet above the water.
The beach was margined by a bank of earth 6 feet
high, densely clad with overhanging trees and
bamboos, and
level ground
then after a narrow strip
rose a gentle acclivity.
of nearly
As we
supped at sundown, thunder was heard at no great
distance, and the heavens gradually became entirely
obscured by a dense mantle of clouds. The Indians,
who had gone up to the pueblo to take chica, now-
rejoined us and also prepared to pass the night
on the beach. We had scarcely resigned ourselves
to sleep, at about 9 o'clock, when the storm burst
over us, and the river almost simultaneously began
to rise ; speedily the beach was overflowed, the
Indians leaped into the canoes ;
the
waters con-
tinued to rise with great rapidity, coming in on us
every few minutes in a roaring surge which broke
under the canoes in whirlpools, and dashed them
against each other. The lianas by which the
canoes were tied had to be moved every now
then higher up the trees, and finally broke.
Indians held on by the branches, and fortunately
found two contiguous lianas of Bignonia, which
having cut below, they fastened to the of prow eac
canoe, their upper part being securely entv
1
[By baroinctriiMl observation, Spi
village to be 425 metres = 1394 feet.
I
I tin