Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

60 NOTES OF A BOTANIST
as the Cinchonas, some of which it sufficiently
resembles in both leaves and flowers, but differs
the
generically in the seeds being wingless ; and
bark, although slightly bitter, has none of the febrifugal
and antiperiodic properties of the Cinchonas.
There had not been wanting people on the spot who
warned Don Luis of his mistake ;
but
he was too
opinionated to listen to them, and persevered to his
disastrous overthrow.
My host at Lamas was the venerable vicar,
Padre Antonio Reategui, and he must needs have
me stay all the following day with him ;
but the
time was not lost to me, for I botanised the whole
hill-top, made a sketch of the curious town, and on
the two evenings of my stay profited by the intelligent
conversation of the Padre. It was from him
I got the first trustworthy account of the mountain
I was bent on visiting. A small colony had recently
been established on the flanks of the Campana, con-
sisting of an Indian named Chumbi and his family,
and of his two sisters, their husbands and young
children. To Chumbi the Padre gave me a letter
of recommendation, and assured me I should find
in his hut at least good shelter, and store of plantains
to eat along with my charqui.
Having lingered so long at Lamas,
hasten over the remainder of the journey.
I must
On the
22nd we reached Tabalosos, a small Indian village
on the opposite side of the deep valley of the Mayo,
and at about the same distance from Lamas as
Tarapoto. At Tabalosos I passed the night in the
house of some relations of Chumbi, my bed being
merely a hide spread on the earthen floor, like those
of the other inmates. The next day's journey was