s. Being absolutely straight, they are well
adapted for that purpose.

On January 9th we passed several villages. Along the banks we saw many
Indians, all dressed up in bright costumes, principally red shawls. We
entered a tiny channel on the right bank and went as far as a place
called San Jeronimo, a fairly large settlement. This small channel was,
as late as 1895, the main stream, which has since been diverted by the
formation of a low island. At sunset we perceived to the west what
appeared at first a mass of low clouds revolving in a circle at a great
speed. On closer inspection we found it to be millions of _garcas_ or
aigrette storks flying in a circle.

I arrived in the evening of January 10th at Masisea, where another
wireless telegraph station had been established by the Peruvian
Government. At this place I left the launch _Rimac_, and found the
Government launch _Esploradora_, which had been detained there by the
Prefect of Loreto for two days, awaiting my arrival. Having transhipped
at once, I was able to proceed on January 11th on the latter. She was to
take me as far as possible toward the foot of the Andes.

As we proceeded up the river we saw extensive farms surrounded by
clearings of good land, with lots of cattle and horses, especially on the
left bank of the river. We purchased an ox, so as to have fresh meat on
board.

The small launch was, unfortunately, packed with a great many Peruvian
travellers. There were no cabins, and one had to sleep on the roof of the
launch. Everybody was most civil, and with the new camp-bed I had
purchased in Manaos I was able to make myself as comfortable as was
possible under the circumstances.

Beautiful specimens of _cataua_ trees of great height were constantly to
be seen in the forest along the banks. The resin from these trees is
extremely poisonous, and is much used by the local Indians for killing
fish. We halted for five hours that day in order to take on board
sufficient wood for the engines to last us the entire journey. At 6.30
that afternoon we left the Ucayalli river and entered the tributary
Pachitea, on the left side, the Ucayalli describing a big curve where
the Pachitea enters it. Just before reaching the mouth of the Pachitea,
the Ucayalli had first a big arm deviating from the main stream on the
left bank, then soon after another great arm also on the left side. The
navigation of those rivers was now getting difficult, and we had to halt
at nig