THE CENTRAL PUTUMAYO
At about seven o'clock the next morning I awoke, yawned, crawled out of
our makeshift _pamacari_, and saw--a desert of wet, uneven sand.
Perfectly stupefied, I awakened Perkins, and we stepped out to
investigate. There stood--firm as a rock--the stump that had served as
our sheet-anchor, and yonder--separated from us by a broad stretch of
sandy beach--ran the river. At last we understood. The river had gone
down some two feet during the night and had left us stranded on the
enormous _playa_ that was now revealed.
Awakening at last from the stupefaction that had overcome us, we
endeavoured to push the canoe over the 150 metres of sand that lay
between the river and us. We might as well have tried to move the river
itself, for we could not shift it an inch. Still undismayed, we grasped
our trusty _machetes_, cut down several _selico_-trees, peeled off the
bark, and, after a severe struggle, got them under the canoe with the
idea of sliding it over them. But it was useless, for they sank out of
sight in the sand. The next attempt was still more laborious, for it was
nothing less than building a track, composed of two parallel rows of
logs and then inserting rollers between the track and the canoe. This,
too, proved unavailing. In despair we took out all our effects and tried
it again, but in vain. Roused to desperation, we made one more effort by
trying to overturn the craft, but it was so waterlogged that we could
not lift it three inches.
Panting, perspiring, and cursing bitterly, we saw that we were in for
it, so, taking a long drink of _aguardiente_ each, we carefully put
everything back in the canoe, and I cooked the breakfast while Perkins
fixed up the two mosquito-bars over the framework of our late
_pamacari_. Breakfast over, we sat down to consider the matter, calmly
and judicially. We had tried everything our ingenuity could suggest, but
without the slightest success. Thus we should be compelled to stop here
until some one came along and helped us or until the river rose again.
Judging by the fact that up to this point we had not encountered a
single traveller, the first possibility seemed very remote; and in
regard to the second, we now remembered that Fajardo had informed us
that this was probably the last rise of the river until the beginning of
the wet season, which is about the end of January. As it was now Friday,
December 13th, it looked as though we were bound to stay here some time.
After lunch we set out upon an exploring expedition along the deserted
_playa_, which proved to be some three kilometres in length. Through its
southern extremity ran a small _quebrada_, which issued from the dense,
impenetrable jungle and finally emptied into the river. In some of the
deep pools of this stream we observed several enormous alligators
swimming about, the tips of their noses protruding from the water like
the tops of logs.
Several species of Saurians are common in the Central and Lower
Putumayo, such as the Alligator cynocephalus, which is frequently from
eight to ten feet long; the Alligator palpebrosus, smaller but equally
voracious; and the Crocodilus sclerops, or spectacled alligator, so
called on account of his horrible red eyes, projecting outwardly like a
pair of glasses on his snout. This brute, which attains a length of from
twelve to fifteen feet, lays its eggs in the warm sand, where in due
time they are hatched. These alligators, or _caymanes_, rarely attack
man, and feed chiefly on fish and small animals, such as river-seals,
capivaras, &c.
Returning to the canoe, we thought that it would be an excellent idea to
remove our shoes and socks and go barefoot, for the sand was loose and
soft and inconvenienced us by getting in the tops of the shoes. We had
no sooner taken off these articles, however, than we discovered that the
sand was burning hot from the blazing rays of the sun--so hot, in fact,
that we hastened to put them on again at once.
While I busied myself preparing dinner Perkins went to work cleaning up
our rifle, which we had neglected and allowed to become very rusty. By
the time dinner was ready he had polished it up and it was as good as
ever, which made us feel a little more at home, for we had heard most
bloodcurdling tales of the ferocity of the jaguars and tigers so common
in this region.
The jaguar, ounce, or American tiger,[81] is almost as large and
ferocious as the tigers of Asia, often measuring over six feet in
length, exclusive of the two-feet-long tail. It attacks nearly all
animals, and sometimes man himself. Its sleek coat is of a bright tan
colour on the back and white underneath, and on its flanks four rows of
black rings, surrounding small black dots, are to be observed. This is
the most common kind met with.
Other species are: the black jaguar,[82] known to the Indians as the
_jaguareté_, which is very ferocious; the puma, _cougar_, or American
lion,[83] whose coat is of a uniform tan, and which often measures four
feet in length; the grey tiger,[84] which is only about two feet long;
and the _maracaja_ tiger,[85] which has a coat of different shades of
black, white, and grey, and is still smaller than the preceding one.
The next morning we again went out hunting and exploring, and found
numerous _danta_, or tapir tracks, from the forest to the river. They
were very large, and we followed them until they disappeared into the
inaccessible forest. Reaching the southern end of the beach, we observed
several turtle tracks, but did not notice them closely, for just then we
stumbled upon what looked like a jaguar trail, which we followed until
it, too, disappeared in the depths of the forest. Somewhat discomfited
at these repeated disappointments, we returned to the alligator pools
and amused ourselves at taking pot-shots at the alligators until they
discovered our game and promptly got away. A little later we shot a
small bird, resembling a seagull, which we saved as bait for a fishing
expedition we had planned for that evening.
Returning to the canoe, we had lunch; and, then, as it was too hot to go
out on another expedition, devoted the rest of the afternoon to chess:
but I lost every game, although when we were on the Cauca Railway I used
to beat Perkins easily. Whether my mind was distracted by our shipwreck,
or whether Perkins had done some studying up, I cannot say; the fact
remains that during all the time we were shipwrecked I only won a single
game, and we must have played over fifty.
At about seven o'clock in the evening we went down to the edge of the
river and commenced fishing. At first we did not get a single bite, and
we were just about giving it up in despair, when a school of enormous
catfish appeared upon the scene, and in less than an hour and a half we
had enough to last for a couple of days. Here we observed several more
monstrous alligators, and soon so many appeared that we began to get a
little nervous. They did not molest us, however, and we kept on fishing
until nine o'clock, when we retired to our humble abode--the canoe.
Shortly after breakfast the next morning I went out on another
expedition, taking my _machete_ with me. After exploring the _playa_,
without seeing anything more than tracks, I succeeded in penetrating a
short distance into the forest, where I was lucky enough to kill a fine,
large bird, known as the _paujil_. Returning to the canoe, I stumbled
upon a large turtle track; following it some distance, I observed that
it had dug up the sand, probably to deposit some eggs, so, excavating a
little with my _machete_, I discovered the nest, which contained over
eighty eggs. As these eggs are excellent eating, I took off my shirt,
tied them up in it and carried them to camp, along with the _paujil_. At
any rate, we were in no danger of starving.
There are two kinds of turtle common on the Putumayo, a large and a
small species, known respectively as the _charapa_ and the _charapilla_.
The former is often two or three feet in diameter, and lays eggs almost
as large as those of a hen and sometimes as many as a hundred in a nest.
The latter is only about a foot or eighteen inches across, its eggs are
only about half the size of the former's, and there are only from twenty
to thirty of them in a nest. The flesh of both these Chelonians is
succulent and nourishing; the shell, which, however, is not so valuable
as that of a seaturtle, is used in some places for different purposes.
The eggs are very agreeable, and are eaten either fresh or smoked; in
Brazil they extract from them an oil, which is employed for
illuminating, like kerosene.
After lunch, which was composed of rice, turtle-eggs, fish, and _yuca_,
we again took up chess, which we played steadily until about three
o'clock, when, happening to glance up towards the river, I was overjoyed
to perceive several canoes coming upstream. Rushing down to the water's
edge, we saw that there were five canoes, each one containing about ten
Indians. As soon as they came up to us, I told them of our misfortune
and asked them to help us out, promising to reward them generously. The
wretches merely smiled and passed on, which so enraged us that, had I
not observed that they were all well-armed, I should certainly have
fired a couple of rifle-shots across their bows. As it was, we could do
nothing but stand there and execrate them, which naturally was useless.
When they finally disappeared, we returned with bitter thoughts to our
chess, which we kept at until after dinner.
During this meal we were so upset over the malicious action of the
Indians that we determined to have blood of some sort, so, after some
deliberation, we decided that it should be the _danta's_ whose track I
had observed in the morning. Accordingly, at about nine o'clock, we set
out on the warpath; Perkins carried the shot-gun and I the rifle, while
we both had a revolver and a naked _machete_. Arriving at the spot where
the trail disappeared into the forest, we selected a couple of
well-concealed but comfortable seats and waited.
After spending several hours sitting there in absolute silence, our
patience was finally rewarded by hearing the sound of snapping
underbrush, and the next moment a large, awkward form waddled past us
and out upon the moonlit sands. We fired almost simultaneously, and had
the satisfaction of seeing the animal fall with a thud; the next
instant, however, it was again upon its feet and dashing wildly and
violently about. Meanwhile, we discharged our revolvers again and again,
but without much effect; at last the gallant Perkins rushed up and with
a few powerful blows of his _machete_ ended the mêlée, receiving,
however, a slight gash in the calf of his leg from a projecting tusk.
We dragged the heavy body of the vanquished _danta_ to our canoe, and,
after duly celebrating our victory, found him to be nearly six feet in
length and close to three feet in height. We then proceeded to skin him
and cut him up in small pieces for smoking, for this is the most common
method of preserving meat in this region. This operation concluded, we
immediately built a large fire, erected over it a _barbacoa_,[86] and
then, salting the pieces one by one, we put them over the roaring fire
until they were cooked through. This task was not finished until
daylight, when, not troubling to get breakfast, for we had eaten an
enormous quantity of the roasting tapir, we immediately retired, quite
exhausted but happy.
The tapir, _danta_, or _gran bestia_ is the largest mammal of the Amazon
Valley, and somewhat resembles the hog. Its snout is, however, prolonged
to a small, flexible proboscis and its brown skin is covered, not with
bristles but with a few silky hairs. During the daytime the tapir
generally remains hidden in the cool, swampy marshes, coming out only at
night to feed on roots, nuts, &c. When startled, he rushes along at
great speed, his head down and perfectly regardless of trees and
underbrush, through which he passes like a whirlwind. The only sounds
this animal makes are low grunts and short, shrill whistles, quite out
of proportion to his large frame. The tapir--the most valuable of all
the pachyderms--ought to be domesticated, for its flesh is excellent and
its skin makes first-rate leather; in addition to this, it has been
suggested that it would also serve as a beast of burden.
We did not awake until about 11 a.m., when we had breakfast or
lunch--whichever it was--after which we set out on our usual stroll.
Perkins elected to take the shot-gun and penetrate the forest a short
distance, while I went down to the alligator-pool. I saw several turtle
tracks on the way, but decided not to dig any eggs, as we had an ample
supply of provisions. Arriving at the pool, I sat down in the sand
awaiting for some of the Saurians to put in an appearance; I sat there
for some time, and was just thinking of returning to camp, when the
water swirled up and the head of a river-cow or _lamantin_ showed up for
an instant. I jumped to my feet and the Cetacean promptly disappeared;
although I hung around the pool for an hour or more, I saw nothing more
of the river-cow, and, quite disappointed, returned to our abode.
The manatee, _dugong_, _vaca-marina_, or _lamantin_ is none other than
the classical siren, and sometimes reaches a length of from twelve to
fifteen feet. Its pisciform body terminates in a fan-shaped tail, while
the two fins in front, although flat and membranous, consist of five
claw-like projections, somewhat resembling human fingers. The females
have breasts, similar in shape to those of a woman. Their flesh is
excellent, and they generally yield large quantities of fat, which is
often used as an illuminant. As the manatee has a very delicate sense of
hearing, its capture is rather difficult, and the Indians generally
conceal themselves in the thick rushes that surround the bank of a pool
and wait there for the victim to come up. As it feeds on certain plants
that grow on the edge of the bank, it approaches the shore with some
frequency. The Indians then watch their chance and, at a favourable
moment, spring out and stab it before it can escape. This animal is
becoming rarer every year, owing to the persecution it suffers.
In about half an hour Perkins arrived with three victims--a small dove,
a little green lizard, known as the _iguana_, and a parrot. After making
a brief examination of these trophies, of which he seemed very proud, I
prepared dinner, after which we had a quiet smoke and then retired.
The next morning we were overjoyed to perceive that the river had risen
nearly a foot during the night, but our hopes began to abate when it
slowly commenced to go down again, and by eleven o'clock completely
vanished, for the water was even lower than before. It certainly began
to look as though we were to be detained here several weeks, possibly
months.
In the afternoon we went out hunting, in spite of the suffocating heat.
Coming to Perkins's trail in the forest, we followed it to the end, took
out our _machetes_, and, cutting out some of the underbrush, proceeded
for about a kilometre farther. Resting here for some time without seeing
anything worth shooting, we were about to return when the crackling of
twigs indicated that some large animal was prowling around in our
vicinity. Approaching cautiously, we peered through the rank vegetation
and perceived a herd of about fifteen peccaries, busily engaged in
devouring the fallen fruits of a group of palm-trees. As we had plenty
of meat, we did not kill any of them, but, after observing them for a
few minutes, started back to camp.[87]
The flesh of these pachyderms is excellent; if the animal killed is a
male, it is necessary, however, to remove certain glands immediately,
otherwise the meat will have a strong, disagreeable flavour. In some
parts the natives take advantage of the natural pugnacity of this animal
to encompass its destruction. The _modus operandi_ is as follows: The
hunter sneaks to them as they are feeding and excites them by imitating
the barking of a dog; as soon as they perceive him they all make a rush
in his direction; the hunter climbs a convenient tree and the enraged
peccaries dash themselves against it in an endeavour to overturn it; the
hunter then descends within reach of them, and, with his stout _machete_
frequently kills numbers of the infuriated animals before they abandon
their attack.
In the evening we again went fishing, but with indifferent success. The
fish did not seem hungry, and it was not until after ten o'clock that we
caught enough for breakfast. These were, as on the other occasions, all
catfish. Other fish, however, abound in the Central and Lower Putumayo,
most of which are already mentioned. One small fish, known as the
_candirú_, is much feared in some parts on account of its fondness for
entering the lower orifices of people in bathing.
On the following day Perkins did not feel very well, so I went out alone
with the object of securing some more turtle eggs. Reaching the
vicinity of the alligator-pool, I found a small trail which led along
the bank for some distance. Following it with my eyes on the ground, I
suddenly stumbled over something and almost lost my balance. Looking
around, I perceived that I had run up against an enormous spectacled
alligator that had been sunning himself on the sands, and I assure the
gentle reader that I lost no time in making my get-away. The hideous
monster lost no time in pursuing me, and my blood ran cold when I looked
around and saw his wide-open jaws not more than two metres behind me.
Fortunately, the forest was close, and in less time than it takes to
tell it I was up a tree and pouring down a hot revolver fire upon my
disgruntled antagonist, who soon walked off in disgust. After some time
I cautiously descended; needless to say, I did not follow up any more
turtle trails in the vicinity of the pool, for I had no desire to enter
those pearly gates that I had just escaped from so narrowly.
Perkins, better in the afternoon, went out, while I remained with the
canoe; in about an hour and a half he returned with about twenty small
eggs, having found a _charapilla's_ nest and a large, beautifully
plumaged bird, known as the _piurí_; this bird has a magnificent, black
curled topknot and a yellow bill, tipped with black, and is about the
size of a turkey. I believe this fine bird is rather rare.
The next morning Perkins and I set out on a forest expedition; following
our previous trail to the end, we took out our _machetes_ and hacked our
way on a couple of kilometres farther. On the way we saw a tribe of the
monkeys known as the Barrigudos; they are hairy and pot-bellied, with
large, bullet-shaped heads and well-formed limbs. As soon as they saw us
they scampered off, and we did not take a shot at them. Finally,
perspiring from every pore as a result of our exertions, we were about
to sit down to rest a little while, when Perkins heard in the distance
the hoarse, piercing call of the _toucan_.[88] Wishing to secure a
specimen of this strange, queer-looking bird, he set out in the
direction from whence the call seemed to come, while I remained at the
end of our _trocha_, enjoying a smoke. After waiting there an hour or so
I began to get alarmed for him, and hallooed repeatedly at the top of my
voice, but the deep silence of the forest was broken by no answering
yell. Then I bethought myself to discharge my rifle, but nothing was to
be heard in reply except the long-drawn-out echoes.
What could I do? I dare not set out in search of him, lest I, too, be
lost, for in these dense solitudes people have perished from starvation
and exposure, unaware that they were within a kilometre of a house. I
sat there for hours, shouting and firing my rifle at short intervals and
was just becoming desperate, when, faint in the distance, I thought I
heard the dull report of a shot-gun. When the echoes of my answering
discharge died away, I listened anxiously and, after a short interval,
once more heard the muffled boom of the shot-gun, but a little louder
than before. Keeping up a steady fire, in about three-quarters of an
hour I was overjoyed to see Perkins, with the _toucan_ in his arms,
appear in quite a different direction than he had set out from.
After he had recovered himself somewhat by means of the small flask of
_aguardiente_ that I had with me, he informed me that the possibility of
getting lost had never occurred to him until having shot the bird. After
about an hour's pursuit, he started to return; then he had realised that
he was lost, for he had not the slightest idea of which way to return,
and wandered about for hours until he finally got within range of the
report of my rifle. After that, the rest was easy, and in less than an
hour he had found his way back.
Returning to the camp, we examined the _toucan_ that had been the means
of leading him astray. These birds are as a rule about the size of a
pigeon; their huge yellow beak is almost as big as their entire body. It
is, however, of a porous and cellular structure, and does not weigh
much. Their plumage is brilliant and attractive, the back, tail, and
wings being of a dark rich blue, while the breast is yellow. The
_toucan_ lives in hollow trees in the depths of the forest, and feeds on
fruits and insects; as a rule, it lays only two or three eggs, which it
often devours.
At about four o'clock I went out in search of some turtle eggs, and,
after some half-hour's trailing, found a large nest containing over a
hundred. Tying them up in my shirt, I was returning to camp when I heard
the report of the rifle, which seemed to come from that direction;
hastening onward, I turned a bend and saw three men get out of a canoe
and approach our abode, where they seemed to be cordially received by
Perkins. Within a few minutes I joined them, and was overjoyed to see
that they were a detachment of the Caraparaná police force of the
_Corregidor_, Gabriel Martínez.
The officer in charge of the little band--_Alférez_ Velasco--was very
agreeable and courteous, and readily consented to lend a hand. So after
dinner, which was a very pleasant affair, we removed all our effects
from the canoe, collected our rollers, passed around the _aguardiente_,
and in less than two hours our gallant craft was again afloat. The
_Alférez_ and his men then retired, completely exhausted by this task
and the long day's poling up the river, and Perkins and I commenced our
heartbreaking labour of carrying our baggage, &c., over the
half-kilometre that separated us from the canoe--for it had not been
convenient to roll the heavy craft to the nearest part of the river on
account of the sand-hummocks that intervened, and to have taken the
canoe up to this place would have meant two hours' hard work on account
of the strong current and the long bend in the river.
It was truly a sickening task. We had had originally seven _bultos_,
weighing about four _arrobas_ each; now, in addition to this we had a
barrel of _aguardiente_, our Indian souvenirs, Perkins's mineralogical
specimens, our _danta_, &c. To add to our disgust the river commenced to
rise rapidly, and soon we perceived that, if we had not been in such a
hurry, there would probably have been no necessity for carrying our
things, as the river would have relieved us of this task. Sweat fell
from us in streams, the rough edges of the _bultos_ cut our shoulders
mercilessly, and, to make matters worse, it began to rain in torrents.
Still we stuck to it, and at about one o'clock in the morning Perkins
staggered on board with the last load--the barrel of _aguardiente_--on
his back. After lightening this part of our equipment by two good drinks
each, we immediately retired and slept the sleep of the just.
The next morning it was as we had expected--the river had kept on
rising, and the greater part of the _playa_ was submerged. Making our
way to the police detachment, we held a long chat with the officer, gave
them a chunk of the smoked _danta_-meat, passed around the
_aguardiente_, and thanking them heartily, took our departure. The swift
current took us along rapidly, and soon the scene of our shipwreck faded
away in the distance and became but a pleasant memory of the past.
Lunching in the canoe at about eleven o'clock, we steadily continued our
descent. At about two I thought I would like to try my hand at being
_popero_, so Perkins accordingly gave me a few hints on it and then
retired under the _pamacari_ to enjoy a short nap. I got along
first-rate for an hour or so and was beginning to think myself almost
the equal of a professional Indian _boga_, when, borne along at a
tremendous rate by the rushing current, we ran into a log that stuck
some six feet out of the water at an angle of about thirty degrees. The
log was too high to strike the bow, and passed over it; it reached the
_pamacari_, got caught fast in it, the canoe turned broadside, listed to
port, water poured over the gunwale in torrents, and I commenced to say
my prayers. The next moment the _pamacari_ snapped, the canoe veered
around bow foremost again, the log, with the released _pamacari_ still
attached to it, raked the rear part of our craft, knocked me overboard,
and the canoe was free. I hastily grasped the end of the log and hung to
it like a tick to a nigger's shin, until Perkins struggled to his feet
and threw me a rope, for no mortal man could have come up with the canoe
in the teeth of the current. I grabbed the rope, and Perkins, after some
delay, finally yanked me aboard, none the worse for my misadventure
except a large bruise on my forehead. I did not play the rôle of
_popero_ again for some time.
At about five o'clock we stopped for the day at a large _playa_; I may
say, however, that we spent some time in sounding the vicinity of the
place where we tied the canoe, in order not to get stranded again.
Taking a little walk to explore our neighbourhood, we stumbled upon
several turtle trails, and, following them up, found some three large
nests. Digging a little with our _machetes_ at one of them, we unearthed
about eighty eggs, which we conveyed to the canoe; some of these eggs we
had for dinner in the shape of an omelette.
The next morning we again set out on our journey. As our _danta_ was now
getting spoiled, I kept an eagle eye on the trees along the bank in
hopes of killing something, and shot at several monkeys, but with
apparently no effect. Finally I perceived a large turkey, and as soon as
we got within range drew a bead on him and fired. The bird fell to the
ground, we drew up, I got out and found the dead body of a buzzard or
_gallinazo_.
This repugnant bird, also known as the _urubú_ in Brazil, is about the
size of the wild turkey, which it somewhat resembles at a distance. Its
plumage, however, is a sort of dingy black, and its fairly large beak is
of the same colour. They always emit an insufferable, carrion smell, and
are the universal scavengers of the tropics. Indeed, in Colombia the
killing of a _gallinazo_ is punishable by a heavy fine. Of these birds
the best known species are the Cathartes foetens, the C. aura, and the
C. jata.
The white _gallinazo_ is not so common, and is popularly supposed to be
the king of the flock. While on the Cauca Railway I saw one feeding on a
dead mule, while all the common _urubús_ stood on one side, waiting
until he had had enough. The Indians (as well as many of the "whites")
are very superstitious in regard to this bird, and consider its
appearance as a good omen.
Having shot nothing eatable, we reached a promising-looking _playa_ at
two o'clock and disembarked in search of some more turtle-eggs. We were
busily engaged in excavating a nest, when Perkins saw a solitary canoe
slowly making its way up-stream. Approaching the bank, we hailed the
strangers, and they began to steer in our direction; as they came nearer
we saw that they were all Indians, except one, who was a well-dressed,
elderly white man. It was then that we became conscious of our clothes,
or rather of our lack of them, for I was dressed only in a torn shirt,
an equally torn pair of trousers, and a wide Stetson hat, while Perkins
was clad only in a long shirt and his flowing beard.
Mastering our embarrassment, we introduced ourselves to the old man, who
proved to be none other than Don Rogerio Becerra, the gentleman who had
escorted the exiles down to the Caraparaná, from whence he was now
returning to Mocoa. He seemed to be a very pleasant and agreeable man,
and we held quite a conversation with him, in the course of which he
informed us that the _Corregidor_, Don Gabriel Martínez, to whom Jurado
had given us a letter, was on his way up also with his police force, and
that we might expect to meet him in a couple of days. After a little
more conversation he presented us with a live _charapilla_, of which he
had several, and slowly resumed his long and tedious journey.
After unearthing the rest of the eggs, we, too, set out and continued
our trip without any further incidents until about half-past five, when
we stopped at a large _playa_. While I was engaged in cooking the dinner
here, Perkins went out for a prowl with the shot-gun and succeeded in
getting a large duck.
The following morning, December 22nd, we got an early start at six
o'clock and continued the trip without incident until ten o'clock, when,
owing to the stifling heat, we drew up to a beach and put up a new
_pamacari_-frame, over which we laid our mosquito-bars to make a little
shade. No sooner was this accomplished than the sun disappeared behind a
cloud, a strong wind arose, and it began to rain in torrents. This kept
up for some two hours, and, of course, we got soaked; at the end of
this time, however, the sun came out again as hot as ever, and in
another two hours we were dry.
Shortly after this we met a group of four or five _capivaras_ trying to
scramble up the crumbling, four-foot-high vertical bank of an immense
sand island covered with a tall, dense grass. As soon as we got within
range Perkins let fly at them with his rifle, while I did the same with
the shot-gun; the only noticeable effect was to accelerate their frantic
efforts to mount the bank. Then the swift current wafted us down
opposite to them, and we opened up a hot revolver fire. One or two of
them dived then, and another, with a desperate leap, got on top of the
bank and instantly disappeared in the tall grass. By this time we were
some distance past the spot where they had been, and as the current was
very strong, we did not judge it worth while to go back, seeing that
they had all disappeared.
On the following day we were again favoured, at about noon, with another
heavy downpour. The wind was so strong as to cause large waves and make
our progress exceedingly slow. When the storm passed, at about one
o'clock, the sun again obligingly came out and dried our clothes for us,
as on the previous day. A little after this we had the luck to shoot a
turkey and find a large nest of turtle eggs; the _charapilla_ that Don
Rogerio had given us we still kept tied up on his back alive in the bow,
intending to keep him for Christmas.
At about 3 p.m. we came in sight of a house, which, according to what
Don Rogerio had told us, we surmised was Yaracaya, the rubber
establishment of Señor Jesús López. Around the house was a little patch
of clearing, planted with _yuca_, plantains, &c., while, surrounding
this little piece of man's feeble handiwork rose the unbroken stretch of
primeval forest and the island-studded river, rushing onward to join the
mighty Amazon.
Keeping in towards the right bank--upon which the establishment is
situated--we were so engrossed in taking stock of the place that we got
stuck on a submerged sand-bar and some difficulty was experienced in
getting off it. Then a tall, dark, bearded man, dressed in a pair of
checkered blue trousers and a white shirt, who proved to be López
himself, came down to the bank, accompanied by a _peon_, and gave us a
cordial welcome.
Leading us up the gentle slope, he conducted us into the house, which
was built on posts about six feet above the level of the ground. It was
of bamboo and split-palm, large and ample, and had a porch running along
the front, which faced the river. Presently a tall, rather pretty woman
appeared, whom he introduced to us as the wife of his partner, now
absent on a trip to Iquitos, via the River Napo. In the kitchen we
observed a number of Indian women busily engaged in making _fariña_.
We had not intended stopping here for more than an hour or so, but
shortly after our arrival Perkins was attacked by a heavy dose of fever,
and as López pressed us to stay, we were glad to accept his invitation.
I spent most of the time in conversation with our host, who kindly
supplied me with considerable information about the region of the
Caraparaná.
In the course of this conversation I learned that there was considerable
ill-feeling between the Colombians of that section and the Peruvians on
account of the boundary dispute and the aggressions of the latter, who
are much more numerous than the Colombians and all employees of a large
firm which has its headquarters in Iquitos and is known as the Peruvian
Amazon Company. López informed me that this company, planning to get
possession of the rubber estates of the Colombians of the Caraparaná,
had influenced the Peruvian officials at Iquitos, in open violation of
the _modus vivendi_, to send troops up to help expel them, and that,
moreover, these troops had just arrived.
Somewhat taken aback at this rather interesting information and not
wishing to get mixed up in any frontier disputes, I asked López if it
were not possible to avoid passing through that region and cross over by
some _varadero_[89] to the River Napo, as his partner had done. He
replied that there were several _varaderos_ we could take, the best one
being near an establishment known as Remolino--some five-days journey
down the river--which belonged to the Colombian company of Ordoñez and
Martínez. These gentlemen, López went on to inform me, had plenty of
Indians in their service, and, in addition to lending us the necessary
number of _cargadores_, would probably be glad to buy our canoe and such
effects as we did not desire to take with us. This advice seemed
reasonable, and I determined to act on it.
The next morning found Perkins no better, so we had to prolong our
stay. In the course of my conversations with López, who seemed to take
life pretty easily, I learned that all the rubber produced in this
section of the Putumayo is an inferior kind of _jebe_ or _siringa_,
known technically as _jebe débil_ or weak-fine rubber. Such large
quantities of it are produced, however, and at such a small cost,
especially in the Caraparaná and Igaraparaná districts, that its poor
quality is more than compensated for. López furthermore told me that he
had several _racionales_ and a number of Indians employed on his inland
estates. The former he paid a salary, while the Indians exchanged the
rubber they collected for merchandise.
In the middle of the afternoon we perceived several canoes coming up the
river; finally reaching the port, they disembarked, and we saw that they
were the police force that Becerra had told us of. López and I went down
to the port to greet the _Corregidor_, Don Gabriel Martínez; what was
our amazement when the corporal in charge gave us the pleasing
information that four or five days previously, while they had been
stopping at an establishment known as Yubinete, a launch had appeared
with about forty employees of the Peruvian Amazon Company on board, who
had informed the _corregidor_ that he must go to El Encanto, their
headquarters, with them. Upon his refusal they had exhibited their arms,
and declared that they would take him by force then. Seeing that
resistance would be useless, Martínez had ordered his men to wait three
days for him, and, if he did not appear at the end of that time, to
proceed on up the river. They had not seen him since, and naturally
feared that he had been detained.
López asked them to stop over Christmas, and they gladly assented, for
the poor fellows, of whom there were eight, were in a lamentable
condition. Thin, weak, and emaciated, they looked more like ghosts than
men. They were all in rags, without food, without medicines, and
suffering from malarial fever of the worst kind. López gave them some
food and assigned them quarters under the house, while I gave them the
greater part of our quinine. They were accompanied by ten or twelve
Cioni boatmen, who, curiously enough, looked quite plump and healthy.
The next day was Christmas, and Perkins was better, so we celebrated the
occasion by killing the turtle Don Rogerio had given us. In addition to
this delectable dish, the lady of the house made some plantain dessert
and several other dainties, which we devoured ravenously. Then López
brought out a small barrel of the indispensable _aguardiente_, and
everybody, including the sick policemen, their Cioni boatmen, and
Perkins and myself, got on more or less of a jag,[90] which lasted all
day, and was not interrupted even by the death of one of López' Indians,
who, it seems, had been ailing for some time.
The next morning at eight o'clock the policemen set out on their
homeward journey. We saw them off, and, returning to the house, spent
the rest of the forenoon in taking down a lot of Cioni words, which
López was kind enough to furnish us with. This task completed at four
o'clock, we had lunch, and after rendering the genial López a small
return for his hospitality, Perkins and I set out once more upon our
journey down the river.
During the afternoon we stopped on a large _playa_ and dug up a quantity
of turtle eggs. While engaged in this operation we observed a
magnificent bird of a blackish colour, which we took to be the ibis. We
endeavoured to drop him, but he was too wily for us, and we could not
get within range. A little later I succeeded in killing a couple of wild
ducks, which seemed to be very numerous in this vicinity.
On the following morning we set out at about six o'clock, being awakened
at about half-past five by a numerous army of gnats or _moscos_. These
little pests, described in the first chapter as being very prevalent on
the Cauca Railway, had not afflicted us since leaving Puerto Guineo, the
point of embarkation. They now became very aggravating, and such was
their ferocity and perseverance that we were finally compelled to don
the gloves and veils we had had made in Pasto for the purpose. Owing to
the suffocating heat, these articles were inconvenient to a degree, but
as they were undoubtedly the lesser evil, we endeavoured to put up with
them.
At about 2 p.m. we reached Yubinete, the place where Martínez had been
kidnapped. As soon as we reached the port a couple of _racionales_ came
down and conducted us up along a winding path to the little split-palm
hut, which was situated on a high knoll on the right bank, some two
hundred metres from the river. The place seemed desolate and neglected,
for rank weeds and large bushes arose on every side. The proprietor, it
seemed, was absent, and the two _racionales_, who had been left in
charge, took life very easy.
Here we had lunch with them, which was a rather meagre affair, after
which we sold them some of our remaining Indian trading-stuff in order
to get it out of the way. During the course of this deal, which was
enlivened by a considerable amount of haggling and _aguardiente_, we
learned that nothing more had been heard of the unfortunate Martínez,
and the opinion of the two _racionales_ was that he was being detained
at El Encanto for some underhand purpose.
Bidding _adios_ to the hospitable _racionales_, we resumed our descent
at about 3.30, and continued it without incident until about six
o'clock, when we stopped at a large _playa_ near where the river--or at
least the arm that we were following--divided into three _brazos_. Here
we saw several ducks, but they would not let us get within range. With
the darkness the gnats disappeared, but great blood-sucking mosquitoes
soon took their place; it was out of the frying-pan into the fire.
After a night of torture we resumed our journey on the following
morning, taking the left _brazo_, as the two _racionales_ had informed
us that it was the quickest. The gnats now relieving the mosquitoes, we
again put on the paraphernalia of the previous day, but found it
unendurable, for the narrow _brazo_ was like an oven, being too wide to
provide shade and too small for the breeze to enter.
Had it not been for these little wretches we should have enjoyed the
passage through the _brazo_, for on either side--almost within arm's
length--towered up in magnificent confusion the luxuriant, impenetrable
vegetation of the Amazon Valley. The calm beauty of the scene was from
time to time enlivened by the numerous bands of gaily-coloured parrots
and parroquets that, with shrill, hoarse cries, would circle about in
the sky far above us. Again, we would perceive a group of monkeys
leaping from tree to tree with the agility and quickness peculiar to
them. At other times the silence would be broken by the splash of the
large fish, which, intent on securing some delectable insect for their
lunch, would leap out of the water in their eagerness.
At about two o'clock we emerged from the _brazo_ and again entered the
main channel, which along here averaged from one to two kilometres in
width. Here there was a little wind, which served to relieve us a
trifle, but, unfortunately, it did not last long, and the stifling heat
and the clouds of gnats soon resumed their sway.
A little later, while keeping along the right bank to get the benefit of
the current, we observed a band of the large _guariba_[91] monkeys
making their way along the bank. As we were in need of some meat, we
hastily disembarked and set out in pursuit of them. Perceiving an
especially large one, I let fly at him with the shot-gun; he fell, but,
striking a branch in his descent, caught it with his tail and hung there
head downwards. Finally, after shooting him six times more and spending
over half an hour throwing sticks at him, he condescended to fall, and
we took him in triumph to the canoe. We had a fine dish of monkey-steak
for dinner that night.
The _guaribas_ are the largest and most interesting of the numerous
species of monkeys that abound in the forests of the Putumayo. They
average two feet in height, have well-developed fingers, and a heavy
beard under the chin. Their long, prehensile tail is covered with hair
on top, but the under surface is bald and horny. They are generally of a
brownish colour, but this often varies, according to the age of the
individual. The _guaribas_ have powerful voices, and when they all get
together and begin howling, the din is deafening. They feed on fruits
and nuts, and the females carry their young on their backs like some
Indian women.
The next day we got another early start; the river was high, and the
current took us along rapidly. During the morning we shot at several
splendid-looking parrots, but they were too far off for our fire to be
effective. The gnats still hen-pecked us, though not so ferociously as
on the previous days, because we now got along faster. We had intended
digging some turtle eggs, but the river was so swollen that the greater
part of the _playas_ and islands were covered.
At noon a heavy rain set in, which soaked us through and through. Then
the sun came out again in all its glory and dried us within an hour or
so, while our enemies the gnats took their toll of us; they literally
appeared around us in clouds, and we killed thousands of them at a time
by simply clapping our hands together. Finally they became so numerous
that I was compelled to make a fire in the pot in the bow, which I
rendered as smoky as possible by wetting the wood. This drove them off a
little, but was as bad for us as it was for the gnats.
During the afternoon the river went down somewhat, and the beaches and
_playas_ were once more revealed. The water, however, had obliterated
all tracks, &c., and consequently we were unable to find any nests. At
five o'clock we stopped at the mouth of a little _quebrada_, where the
fish actually swarmed. Every moment they would jump up out of the water,
for some reason or other, and two of them even went so far as to leap
into our boat. Nevertheless, our daintiest bait would not tempt them to
bite.
The next morning, December 30th, we again set out on our journey. The
river had gone down considerably, so we made rather slow progress, and,
consequently, the man-eating gnats had us more or less at their mercy,
for it was so hot that our armour was unbearable. At ten o'clock a slow,
drizzling rain set in, which was peculiarly annoying, for it was not
strong enough to dissipate the gnats, but sufficiently damp to soak us
completely.
The wet season had apparently set in, and, owing to the gnats and rain,
our trip had lost much of its charm, so we made up our minds to follow
López' advice in regard to crossing over to the Napo by the Remolino
_varadero_ without delay. Besides, we rather wished to travel by an
overland route, in order to see the country between the rivers. Above
all, we did not wish to get mixed up in any backwoods frontier
fighting.
In spite of the drizzle we got out upon reaching a promising-looking
_playa_, and, after some trailing, found a large nest of eggs, which had
apparently been laid during the previous night. We also had the luck to
shoot a small duck, so our larder, at least, was provided for.
Turning a bend, we saw a house, surrounded by a large cleared area,
perched upon the left bank. Approaching nearer, we perceived that the
river--heretofore nearly two kilometres wide--narrowed down until, when
opposite the house, it was not over a couple of hundred metres in width.
Here the banks were high and vertical, and the river, rushing between
them like a mill-race, formed an immense eddy, or _remolino_, on the
other side. Then, turning at a sharp angle, it gradually spread out and
soon attained its former width again. We had arrived at Remolino.