Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

TARAPOTO TO CAXELOS 12
have not yet mentioned that our companion Don
Victoriano and the two muchachos, when the rising
waters drove them from the beach, thinking that
it was merely a brief thunder-shower which had
caught us, gathered up their beds and climbed the
barranco, where they set up two palm mats belonging
to the canoe, and sheltered themselves under
them as well as they could ; but scarcely had they
accommodated themselves here when the llood
reached them and burst on them so unexpectedly
that several articles which were loose, trousers,
handkerchiefs, etc., were swept away. They retired
in all haste, and in the dense gloom, ignorant of
whither they were going, the only guide to their
position being the roar of the river. They wished
to enter the canoes, and called out at the top oi
their voices, which were drowned by the
conflict of the elements, and the cries of the Indians
in the canoes were all unheard by them,
they wandered about all night, the flood continually
obliging them to retreat farther inland, and when
day broke it found them half dead with cold, and
their clothes and bodies torn and wounded
prickly bamboos and palms. To reach the canoe
they had to wade with the water to their waists
As we were unloading the canoes, the barranco
which we had at first been moored fell into the
river with several large trees on it ;
which we happily escaped by having
another peril
had to move
lower down.
Puca-yacu consists of but eight house*
the convent and church ;
they
are in the
as those of Ancloas, and there is
near them, though
most have an od