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[Illustration: CATHEDRAL OF LIMA.
Pl 1.
Lt. Gibbon del.
Wagner & McGuigan's Lith. Phila.]
33D CONGRESS,} HO. OF REPS. { EXECUTIVE,
1st Session.} { No. 53.
EXPLORATION
OF THE
VALLEY OF THE AMAZON,
MADE UNDER DIRECTION OF
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT,
BY
WM. LEWIS HERNDON AND LARDNER GIBBON,
LIEUTENANTS UNITED STATES NAVY.
PART I.
BY LIEUT. HERNDON.
WASHINGTON:
ROBERT ARMSTRONG, PUBLIC PRINTER
1854.
LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY,
COMMUNICATING
A REPORT OF AN EXPLORATION OF THE VALLEY OF THE AMAZON AND ITS
TRIBUTARIES, MADE BY LIEUT. HERNDON, IN CONNECTION WITH LIEUT.
GIBBON.
JANUARY 6, 1854.—Resolved, That there be printed, for the use
of the members of the House, ten thousand extra copies of the
report of the Secretary of the Navy communicating the reports
of the exploration of the river Amazon and its tributaries,
made by Lieutenants Herndon and Gibbon, with the accompanying
maps and plates.
APRIL 13, 1854.—Resolved, That there be printed twenty
thousand additional copies of the reports of the surveys and
explorations of the river Amazon, with the plates and maps
accompanying, by Lieutenants Herndon and Gibbon—two hundred
and fifty copies for distribution by Lieutenant Herndon, and
two hundred and fifty copies by Lieutenant Gibbon, and the
remainder for the use of the members of the House.
* * * * *
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of the Navy,
accompanied by the first part of Lieut. Herndon's Report of the
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon and its tributaries, made by
him, in connexion with Lieut. Lardner Gibbon, under instructions from
the Navy Department.
MILLARD FILLMORE.
WASHINGTON, February 9, 1853.
* * * * *
NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 7, 1853.
To the PRESIDENT.
SIR: In compliance with the notice given in the annual report of this
department to the President, and communicated to Congress at the opening
of its present session, I have the honor herewith to submit the first
part of the Report of Lieut. Herndon, of the Exploration of the Valley
of the Amazon and its tributaries, made by him, in connection with
Lieut. Lardner Gibbon, under instructions from this department, dated
the 15th of February, 1851.
I am happy to be able to inform you that Lieut. Gibbon reached Pará on
his homeward journey some weeks ago, and may very soon be expected to
arrive in the United States. When he returns, Lieut. Herndon will have
all the materials necessary to complete his report, and will devote
himself to that labor with the same assiduity which has characterized
his present work.
I would respectfully beg leave to suggest that, in submitting this
report to the House of Representatives, it be accompanied with a request
to that body, if it should think proper to direct the printing of this
valuable document, that the order for that purpose may include all the
remaining portions of the report which may hereafter be furnished; and
that the order for printing shall include a suitable direction for the
engraving and publication of the maps, charts, and sketches, which will
be furnished as necessary illustrations of the subjects treated of in
the report.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, your obedient
servant,
JOHN P. KENNEDY.
* * * * *
WASHINGTON CITY, January 26, 1853.
To the Hon. JOHN P. KENNEDY,
Secretary of the Navy.
SIR: I have the honor to submit part first of the Report of an
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon, made by me, with the assistance
of Lieut. Lardner Gibbon, under instructions of the Navy Department,
bearing date February 15, 1851.
The desire expressed by the department for an early report of my
exploration of the Amazon, and the general interest manifested in the
public mind with regard to the same, have induced me to lay before you
at once as full an account of our proceedings as can be made before the
return of my companion.
The general map which accompanies the report is based upon maps
published by the Society for the diffusion of Useful Knowledge, but
corrected and improved according to my own personal observations, and
on information obtained by me whilst in that country.
The final report of the expedition will be submitted as soon after
Lieut. Gibbon's return as practicable. I am in daily expectation of
intelligence from him. At the latest accounts (26th of July, 1852) he
was at Trinidad de Moxos, on the Mamoré, in the republic of Bolivia,
making his preparations for the descent of the Madeira.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. LEWIS HERNDON,
Lieut. U. S. Navy.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
Page.
United States ship Vandalia—Valparaiso—Santiago—Vicente
Pazos—Preparatory orders—Lima—Means of
information—Conquests of the Incas in the
Montaña—First exploration of the Spaniards—Madame
Godin. 1
CHAPTER II.
INTRODUCTORY.
Orders—Investigation of routes—Lake Rogoaguado—River
Beni—Chanchamayo—Cuzco route—River
Madre-de-Dios—Gold mines of Carabaya—Route through
the cities of Truxillo, Caxamarca, Chachapoyas,
Moyobamba, &c.—Preparations for the journey—The
start. 20
CHAPTER III.
Passports—Means of defence—The road—Pacayar—Chaclacayo—Narrow
pass—Yanacoto—Bridge—Cocachacra—Tribute
money—Dividing line between the coast and the
Sierra—Moyoc—Varieties of the potato—Matucana—San
Mateo—Mines of Párac—Narrow valley—Summit of the
Cordillera—Reflections. 39
CHAPTER IV.
Mines of Morococha—A Yankee's house—Mountain of
Puypuy—Splendid view—Pachachaca—Lava
stream—Chain bridge at Oroya—Descent
into the valley of Tarma—Tarma—American
physician—Customs—Dress—Religious
observances—Muleteers and mules—General
Otero—Farming in the Sierra—Road to
Chanchamayo—Perils of travel—Gold mines
of Matichacra—View of the Montaña—Fort San
Ramon—Indians of Chanchamayo—Cultivation. 61
CHAPTER V.
Division of the party—Acobaraba—Plain of Junin—Lake
Chinchaycocha—Preservation of potatoes—Cerro
Pasco—Drainage of the mines—Boliches. 90
CHAPTER VI.
Departure from Cerro Pasco—Mint at Quinua—San
Rafael—Ambo—Quicacan—Huanuco—Cerro de
Carpis—Chinchao valley—Huallaga river. 111
CHAPTER VII.
Itinerary—Tingo Maria—Vampires—Blow guns—Canoe
navigation—Shooting monkeys—Tocache—Sion—Salt hills
of Pilluana. 132
CHAPTER VIII.
Tarapoto—Pongo of Chasuta—Chasuta—Yurimaguas—Sta.
Cruz—Antonio, the Paraguá—Laguna—Mouth of the
Huallaga. 156
CHAPTER IX.
Entrance into the Amazon—Nauta—Upper and lower missions
of Mainas—Conversions of the Ucayali—Trade in
Sarsaparilla—Advantages of trade with this
country. 176
CHAPTER X.
Nauta—River Ucayali—Sarayacu—The missionaries—The Indians of
the Ucayali. 190
CHAPTER XI.
Upper Ucayali—M. Castelnau—Length of navigation—Loss of the
priest—Departure from Sarayacu—Omaguas—Iquitos—Mouth
of the Napo—Pebas—San José de los Yaguas—State of
Indians of Peru. 208
CHAPTER XII.
Chochiquinas—Caballo Cocha—Alligators—Indian
incantations—Loreto—Tabatinga—River Yavari—San
Paulo—River Iça—Tunantins—Making Manteiga—River
Jutay—Fonteboa—River Juruá—River Japurá. 229
CHAPTER XIII.
Egas—Trade—Lake Coari—Mouth of the Rio
Negro—Barra—Trade—Productions. 250
CHAPTER XIV.
Town of Barra—Foreign residents—Population—Rio Negro—Connexion
with the Oronoco—River Purus—Rio Branco—Vegetable
productions of the Amazon country. 269
CHAPTER XV.
Departure from Barra—River Madeira—Serpa—Villa
Nova—Maués—River Trombetas—Cocoa
plantations—Obidos—Santarem. 285
CHAPTER XVI.
Santarem—Population—Trade—River Tapajos—Cuiaba—Diamond
region—Account of the Indians of the Tapajos. 299
CHAPTER XVII.
Departure from Santarem—Monte
Alegre—Prainha—Almeirim—Gurupá—River Xingu—Great
estuary of the Amazon—India-rubber country—Method
of collecting and preparing the India-rubber—Bay of
Limoeiro—Arrival at Pará. 319
CHAPTER XVIII.
Pará. 334
CHAPTER XIX.
Resumé. 352
APPENDIX.
Notes—Table of approximate heights and distances from Callao
to the Atlantic—Meteorological journal. 369
ADDENDUM 397
LIST OF PLATES.
Page.
Plate 1.—Cathedral of Lima, (to face title page.)
Plate 2.—Yanacoto. 44
Plate 3.—Hacienda de Moyoc. 60
Plate 4.—San Mateo. 60
Plate 5.—Summit of the Cordillera. 60
Plate 6.—Mountain of Puypuy. 60
Plate 7.—Oroya. 76
Plate 8.—Tarma. 76
Plate 9.—Fort San Ramon. 92
Plate 10.—Cerro Pasco. 108
Plate 11.—Miner. 108
Plate 12.—Ore carrier. 108
Plate 13.—Givaro. 172
Plate 14.—Givara. 188
Plate 15.—Zaparo, (Hunter). 204
Plate 16.—Zaparo, (Fisher). 204
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
U. S. ship Vandalia—Valparaiso—Santiago—Vicente
Pazos—Preparatory orders—Lima—Means of information—Conquests
of the Incas in the Montaña—First explorations of the
Spaniards—Madame Godin.
Attached to the U. S. ship Vandalia, of the Pacific squadron, lying
at anchor in the harbor of Valparaiso, in the month of August, 1850,
I received a communication from the Superintendent of the National
Observatory, informing me that orders to explore the Valley of the
Amazon would be sent me by the next mail steamer.
The ship was then bound for the Sandwich Islands, but Captain Gardner,
with that kindness which ever characterized his intercourse with his
officers, did not hesitate to detach me from the ship, and to give me
permission to await, at Valparaiso, the arrival of my instructions.
The officers expressed much flattering regret at my leaving the ship,
and loaded me with little personal mementos—things that might be of use
to me on my proposed journey.
On the 6th of August I unexpectedly saw, from the windows of the
club-house at Valparaiso, the topsails of the ship mounting to the
mastheads; I saw that she must needs make a stretch in-shore to clear
the rocks that lie off the western point of the bay; and desirous to say
farewell to my friends, I leaped into a shore-boat, and shoved off, with
the hope of reaching her before she went about. The oarsmen, influenced
by the promise of a pair of dollars if they put me on board, bent to
their oars with a will, and the light whale-boat seemed to fly; but just
as I was clearing the outer line of merchantmen, the ship came sweeping
up to the wind; and as she gracefully fell off on the other tack, her
royals and courses were set; and bending to the steady northeast breeze,
she darted out of the harbor at a rate that set pursuit at defiance.
God's blessing go with the beautiful ship, and the gallant gentlemen,
her officers, who had been to me as brothers.
Owing to the death of President Taylor, and the consequent change
in the Cabinet, my orders were delayed, and I spent several weeks in
Valparaiso, and Santiago, the capital of Chili. This time, however, was
not thrown away: my residence in these cities improved my knowledge of
the Spanish language, and gave me information regarding the Bolivian
tributaries of the Amazon which I probably could have got nowhere else.
The commander of the English naval forces in the Pacific, Admiral
Hornby, was much interested in my mission, and searched for me, through
his valuable library, for all that had been written upon the subject.
I am indebted to him, and the officers of his fleet, for much personal
kindness.
I must also return thanks to Messrs. George Hobson, H. V. Ward, George
Cood, and Commodore Simpson, of the Chilian navy, for the loan of books
and maps which assisted me in forming my plans, and deciding as to
route.
Mr. Bridges, an English florist and botanist, who had descended the
Chaparé and Mamoré, tributaries of the Madeira, as far as the mouth
of the Beni, and who sent the first specimen of the Victoria Regia
to England from this country, gave me such a description of it as
enabled me to point out to Mr. Gibbon the most practicable route to the
headwaters of those streams.
I also had long conversations with General Ballivian, ex-President of
Bolivia, then an exile to Chili. He lent me a map of Bolivia, executed
under his orders whilst President of that republic, of which I took a
tracing, but which I had afterwards the misfortune to lose.
At Santiago I received information regarding the river Beni, and the
interior of Bolivia and Peru, from a French gentleman named Pissis, an
engineer in the employment of the Chilian government; and also from a
gentleman named Smith, an employé in the large mercantile house of Huth,
Gruning & Co., who had travelled much in those countries.
To Don José Pardo, chargé d'affaires of Peru to the republic of Chili,
I owe much for information and advice. He gave me copies of letters from
Vicente Pazos, a citizen of Buenos Ayres, who has always manifested much
interest in the improvement and advancement of South America, and who,
in 1819, published a series of papers on the affairs of that country,
directed to Henry Clay. These letters I deem of sufficient interest to
give a translation of.
BUENOS AYRES, July 14, 1850.
To Don JOSE PARDO,
Minister of the Peruvian Republic, near the Government of Chili.
SIR: In a journal of this capital of the 2d inst., I have seen a
transcript of a letter from you to the editor of a periodical of this
place, in which you say, under date of the 25th of April last, that
you have received special notice of the discovery, in the province
of "Carabaya," of the ore and washings of gold. In consequence, the
government of Peru invites all who desire it to take advantage, and make
use of the natural productions of these regions, where emigrants of all
nations shall have all the political and religious guarantees necessary
in the exercise of their industry.
This announcement fills me with pleasure, because it is an evidence of
the elevation of ideas which obtains in the government, and which will
carry this part of Upper Peru to the height of prosperity to which it is
called by its topographical and territorial position; and particularly
because it has in its midst navigable rivers which connect it with the
Atlantic. I allude to the navigation of the Amazon.
I have been now engaged some ten years in the thought and study of the
political, social, and commercial relations concerning this matter, as
is shown in my many publications which have circulated in Europe and
America. These show the pains I have taken with the government of Louis
Philippe, King of France, in order to open a new line of commercial
communication between Cayenne and French Guyana and the republics of
Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
But I have always thought that our America, by the intelligence of
its people, was to make a great social and commercial change; and I
have always thought that this change would operate by means of its
gigantic and navigable rivers. This conception is corroborated by
the announcement of the discovery of the gold regions of _Carabaya_.
Its upper parts, which belong to the Andes, feed sheep of the most
exquisite wool; and as it goes on descending, vegetation springs up with
a fecundity and ease unknown in the Old World. The land is cut up with
mountain torrents, whose banks contain gold, and which unite to form
the river "Purus," one of the greatest tributaries of the Amazon.
Of this river, our celebrated botanist, D. Tadeo Há-enke, in a special
report, says: "Purus, or Cachivara, is a river of the first order.
It arises in the cordillera of Vilcanota, a little to the east of the
mountains of Carabaya, from which descend many considerable streams,
rich in gold." To the testimony of this wise naturalist I add that of
Condamine, and of the English naval officer, Smyth, and lastly the works
of the Count of Castelnau, who descended the Amazon from Cuzco.
The scientific and hydrographical works of these travellers persuade me
that the "Purus" will be the best channel of interior commerce, and will
put the centre of Peru in communication with the industrial, commercial,
and manufacturing nations of Europe and North America.
For this effect it is proper not only to speak of and familiarize people
with this easy line of communication, but also to stimulate foreign
emigration, and the civilization of the inhabitants of our forests—a
people of a gentle disposition and an active intelligence.
The first sight I had of steam in the United States of America, in
1818, gave me the idea that our rivers were equally susceptible with
theirs of this motive power, so that, in a work which I published in New
York in 1819, I said that the day would arrive in which vessels moved
by steam would navigate upon the gold-bearing rivers of Peru, as upon
the fabulous Pactolus. This prediction is not now to me a fable, and,
therefore, my conviction is unshaken, as will be seen by a letter which
I have written to the President of the republic, Prince Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte. The note to which I refer in it is very long, which prevents
me from copying it, but some day it will be published.
In the mean time, I congratulate you, and your government, that in its
administration should have taken place a measure so necessary for the
common good.
Permit me, also, to offer you my respects, and to subscribe myself,
Your obedient servant,
VICENTE PAZOS.
* * * * *
BUENOS AYRES, February 2, 1850.
To His Excellency Prince Louis NAPOLEON BONAPARTE,
President of the French Republic.
PRINCE: In bringing to the notice of your excellency the adjoined copy,
which is a duplicate of my note, laid before the executive power which
governed republican France in June, 1848, my object is to call the
attention of your excellency to the same project which Napoleon, your
august uncle, conceived for the aggrandizement of the most important
colony which France possesses in the New World—French Guyana. Before
the application of steam to navigation, this tutelar genius of France
comprehended that Cayenne would some day be the key to a vast commerce
in all those regions, where might be created great empires.
This sublime conception infused into my spirit the idea that the time
had arrived to realize the views of the Emperor; and, with this object,
I addressed myself to the French government, in April, 1840, when the
Chambers decreed trans-atlantic steam navigation, to the end that there
should also be established a river line between French Guyana and the
republics of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. All the ministers
who governed until February, 1848, including also the monarchy, approved
my project, and took the preliminary measures necessary for beginning a
system of navigation without equal since the days of Columbus and Vasco
de Gama.
Officers of the French navy, stimulated by the example of those of
the English, who had preceded them in the exploration of the Amazon,
made also important hydrographical observations of the course of that
river, which show that its principal outlet is along the shores of
French Guyana, whence France may command the fluvial navigation and the
commerce of those vast regions.
I thought that this advantage, which a glance at the geographical
position of French Guyana shows, would work effectually in the judgment
of M. Arago, then Minister of Marine and member of the provincial
government of the French republic.
The reply of this wise astronomer, of April 14th, to my note of the
22d April preceding, smothered, not only my hopes, but closed the doors
to the prosperity of the French colonies, and to that of those nations
whose streams form the Amazon, and whose people desire with eagerness
this new and short way of communication between Europe and meridional
America.
The grandeur of this plan, which is found set forth in my notes,
memorials, and writings, which may be found in the different ministerial
bureaus of France, together with the opinions of many French writers
and travellers, among whom the most distinguished is M. Castelnau,
demonstrate the utility of encouraging the growth of Guyana.
To all the information furnished by these ought to be added the
verbal communications which I have received from the commander of
the "Astrolabe," M. Montravel, who is now on the station of the river
Plate, under the order of Vice Admiral Le Predour. M. De Montravel, in
the corvette Boulognaise, is the officer who made the exploration of
the Amazon, and whose most valuable information, which exists in the
department of the French marine, corroborates all that I have expressed
to the French government for these ten years, and now animates me to
address myself to your excellency directly, renewing the same project
which I had the honor of presenting to the French nation, &c.
VICENTE PAZOS.
* * * * *
The city of Santiago is situated in a lovely plain at the very foot of
the cordillera. The snowy summits of this chain, painted in bold relief
against the hard, gray sky of the morning, have a very singular and
beautiful appearance; they seem cut from white marble, and within reach
of the hand. It is almost impossible to give an idea of the transparency
of the atmosphere at this place. I was never tired of watching,
from Lieut. Gillis's little observatory, the stars rising over these
mountains. There was nothing of the faint and indistinct glimmer which
stars generally present when rising from the ocean; but they burst forth
in an instant of time, in the full blaze of their beauty, and seemed as
if just created. Gillis told me that his small telescope, of American
manufacture, of 6½ inches of aperture, was there fully equal in power
to the German glass at Washington of 9 inches.
Chili, in arts and civilization, is far ahead of any other South
American republic. There are many young men of native families, educated
in the best manner in Europe, who would be ornaments to any society;
and the manners of the ladies are marked by a simple, open, engaging
cordiality, that seems peculiar to Creoles. I do not know a more
pleasant place of residence than Santiago, except for two causes: one,
earthquakes, to the terrors of which no familiarity breeds indifference;
the other, the readiness of the people to appeal to the bayonet for the
settlement of political differences, or in the struggle for political
power. These two causes shook the city and society to their foundations
a few months after I left it.
On the 20th of January, 1851, I received the following instructions from
the Hon. William A. Graham, Secretary of the Navy:
NAVY DEPARTMENT, October 30, 1850.
SIR: Proceed to Lima, for the purpose of collecting from the
monasteries, and other authentic sources that may be accessible to you,
information concerning the headwaters of the Amazon and the regions
of country drained by its Peruvian tributaries. You will then visit
the monasteries of Bolivia for a like purpose, touching the Bolivian
tributaries of that river, should it in your judgment be desirable.
The object of the department in assigning you to this service is with
the view of directing you to explore the Valley of the Amazon, should
the consent of Brazil therefor be obtained; and the information you are
directed to obtain is such as would tend to assist and guide you in such
exploration, should you be directed to make it.
As this service to which you are now assigned may probably involve the
necessity of the occasional expenditure of a small amount on government
account, you are furnished with a bill of credit for one thousand
dollars, for which you will account to the proper office.
Also, enclosed you will find a letter of introduction to Messrs.
Clay and McClung, chargés d'affaires near the governments of Peru and
Bolivia.
Respectfully, &c.,
WILLIAM A. GRAHAM.
* * * * *
As I had obtained from my Santiago and Valparaiso friends—particularly
from General Ballivian—all the information that I would be likely to
get in the cities of Bolivia, I determined to proceed to Lima, and
accordingly embarked on board the mail boat of the 26th.
My residence in Valparaiso had made new friends and established new
ties, that I found painful to break; but this is the lot of the navy
officer: separated from his family for years, he is brought into the
closest and most intimate association with his messmates, and forms ties
which are made but to be broken, generally by many years of separation.
Taken from these, he is thrown among strangers, and becomes dependent
upon their kindness and hospitality for the only enjoyments that make
his life endurable. Receiving these, his heart yearns towards the
donors; and my Valparaiso friends will readily believe that I was sad
enough when compelled to leave them.
I arrived in Lima on the 6th of February. This city has changed greatly
since I was here, twenty years ago. Though we had bull-fights on the
accession of the new President, General Echenique, (which accession,
strange to say, took place without popular tumult, except a small
outbreak at Arequipa, resulting in the immediate imprisonment at Lima
of the opposing candidate, General Vivanco,) yet the noble amphitheatre
was not crowded as in old times with the _élite_ and fashion of Lima,
but seemed abandoned to the vulgar. The ladies have given up their
peculiar and most graceful national costume, the "Saya y Manto," and it
is now the mark of a ragged reputation. They dress in the French style,
frequent the opera, and, instead of the "Yerba de Paraguay," called
Matté, of which they used a great quantity formerly, they now take tea.
These are causes for regret, for one likes to see nationality preserved;
but there is one cause for congratulation, (especially on the part of
sea-going men, who have sometimes suffered,) the railroad between Lima
and Callao has broken up the robbers.
But with these matters I have nothing to do. My first business at
Lima was to establish relations with Don Francisco Paula y Vigil, the
accomplished and learned superintendent of the public library. This
gentleman, who is an ecclesiastic and a member of the Senate, has so
high a character for learning and honesty, that, though a partisan
politician, and a member of the opposition to the new government, he
preserves (a rare thing in Peru) the respect and confidence of all. He
placed the books of the library at my disposal, and kindly selected for
me those that would be of service.
The sources of information, however, were small and unsatisfactory.
The military expeditions into the country to the eastward of the Andes
left little or no reliable traces of their labors. The records of the
explorations of the Jesuits were out of my reach, in the archives of
Quito—at that time the head of the diocese, and the starting-point of
the missions into the interior—and nearly all that I could get at were
some meagre accounts of the operations of the Franciscans, collected by
Father Manuel Sobreviela, guardian of the missionary college of Ocopa,
and published, in 1790, in a periodical called "Mercurio Peruano,"
edited by an association styling itself "Amantes del Pais," or lovers
of their country.
Though the information obtained in Lima was not great, I still
think that a slight historical sketch of the attempts to explore
the Montaña,[1] of Peru, made since the conquest of that country by
Pizarro, will not be uninteresting. Before commencing it, however, I
desire to express my acknowledgments to the many gentlemen, both native
and foreign, who have assisted me in my researches with information
and advice, particularly to Don Nicholas Pierola, the Director of
the National Museum, whose name is associated with that of Mariano de
Rivero, as "_par excellence_" the scientific men of Peru; to the Hon.
John Randolph Clay, chargé d'affaires of the United States; to Dr.
Archibald Smith, an eminent physician, and author of a very clever book
called "Peru as it is;" and to the courteous and hospitable partners of
the mercantile house of Alsop & Co., Messrs. Prevost, Foster & McCall.
Modern books upon the subject—such as Prescott's Peru; Humboldt's
Narrative; Von Tschude's Travels; Smith's "Peru as it is;" Condamine's
Voyage on the Amazon; Prince Adalbert's Travels; the Journals of the
English Lieutenants, Smyth and Maw; "Travels in Maynas" of Don Manuel
Ijurra, who afterwards accompanied me as interpreter to the Indians;
Southey's Brazil, and a Chorographic Essay on the Province of Pará,
by a Brazilian named Baena—were all consulted, and, together with oral
communications from persons who had visited various parts of the Valley
of the Amazon, gave me all the information within my reach, and prepared
me to start upon my journey at least with open eyes.
According to Garcilasso de la Vega, himself a descendant of the Incas,
the attention of the Peruvian government was directed to the country
east of the Andes even before the time of the Spanish conquest. The
sixth Inca, _Rocca_, sent his son, _Yahuar Huaccac_, at the head of
15,000 men, with three generals as companions and advisers, to the
conquest of the country to the northward and eastward of Cuzco, called
_Antisuyo_, inhabited by Indians called _Antis_. The young prince added
a space of thirty leagues in that direction to the dominions of his
father, but could reach no further on account of the roughness of the
country and the difficulties of the march. The tenth and great Inca,
_Yupanqui_, sent an expedition of 10,000 men to pursue the conquests
of Yahuar Huaccac. These reached the Montaña, and, embarking on rafts
upon the great river _Amarumayo_,[2] fought their way through tribes
called _Chunchos_, till they arrived, with only 1,000 men, into the
territory of tribes called _Musus_. Finding their numbers now too small
for conquest, they persuaded these Indians that they were friends, and,
by their superior civilization, obtained such an ascendency among them,
that the Musus agreed to send ambassadors to render homage and worship
to the "Child of the Sun," and gave these men of the Inca race their
daughters in marriage, and a place in their tribe.
Years afterwards, during the reign of _Huaynal Capac_, the Incas and
their descendants desired to return to Cuzco; but in the midst of their
preparations they received intelligence of the downfall of their nation,
and settled finally among the Musus, who adopted many of the laws,
customs, usages, and worship of the Incas.
I have little doubt of the truth of this account, for even at the
present day may be found amongst the savages who dwell about the
headwaters of the _Ucayali_, the _Purus_, and in the country between
the Purus and _Beni_, traces of the warlike character of the mountain
race, and that invincible hatred of the white man which the descendants
of the Incas may well be supposed to feel. This determined hostility and
warlike character prevented me from embarking upon the _Chanchamayo_ to
descend the Ucayali, was the cause why I could not get men to ascend the
Ucayali from _Sarayacu_, and I have no doubt hindered Mr. Gibbon from
penetrating to the eastward of Cuzco, and seeking in that direction the
sources of the Purus.
This character is entirely distinct from that of the Indians of the
plains everywhere in South America, who are, in general, gentle, docile,
and obedient, and who fear the white man with an abject and craven fear.
Love of dominion and power had induced the Indian princes of Peru to
waste their treasures and the lives of their subjects in the subjugation
of the Montaña. A stronger passion was now to urge a stronger people
in the same direction. Stories of great empires, which had obtained the
names of _Beni_, or _Gran Pará_, _Gran Pairiri_, or _Paititi_, and _El
Dorado_, filled with large and populous cities, whose streets were paved
with gold; of a lake of golden sand, called _Parima_; of a gilded king,
who, when he rose in the morning, was smeared with oil, and covered with
gold dust blown upon him by his courtiers through long reeds, and of
immense mineral and vegetable treasures, had for some time filled the
ears and occupied the minds of the avaricious conquerors; and, after the
partial settlement of affairs by the defeat of the _Almagro_ faction at
the battle of _Salinas_, near Cuzco, on the 26th April, 1538, various
leaders sought opportunities of obtaining wealth and distinction by
incursions into these unknown lands.
_Hernando Pizarro_ fitted out two expeditions, giving to _Pedro de
Candia_ the command of the first, and to _Pedro Anzulo_ that of the
second. These men, led on by the report of the Indians, who constantly
asserted that the rich countries they sought lay yet farther to the
eastward, penetrated, it is supposed, as far as the Beni; but, overcome
by danger, privation, and suffering, they returned with no results, save
marvellous stories of what they had seen and learned, which inflamed
the curiosity and cupidity of others. These parties were generally
accompanied by an ecclesiastic, who was the historian of the expedition.
Some idea may be formed of the worthlessness of their records by
examining a few of the stories related by them. Here is one:
"Juan Alvarez Maldonado made an expedition from Cuzco in the year 1561.
He descended the eastern range of the Andes, and had scarcely cleared
the rough and rocky ground of the slope when his party encountered
two pigmies. They shot the female, and the male died of grief six days
afterwards.
"Following the course of the great river Mano downwards, at the
distance of two hundred leagues they landed upon a beach, and a piquet
of soldiers penetrated into the woods. They found the trees so tall
as to exceed an arrow-shot in height, and so large that six men, with
joined hands, could scarcely circle them. Here they found lying upon
the ground a man, five yards in height, members in proportion, long
snout, projecting teeth, vesture of beautiful leopard skin, short and
shrivelled, and, for a walking-stick, a tree, which he played with
as with a cane. On his attempting to rise, they shot him dead, and
returned to the boat to give notice to their companions. These went to
the spot, and found traces of his having been carried off. Following
the track towards a neighboring hill, they heard thence such shouts and
vociferations that they were astounded, and, horror-stricken, fled."
One more:
"Between the years 1639 and 1648, Padre _Tomas de Chaves_, a Dominican,
entered among the Chunchos, from Cochabamba, in Bolivia. He took twelve
of them to Lima, where they were baptized. He then went back and lived
among them fourteen years, making many expeditions. His last was in
1654 among the _Moxos_ Indians of the Mamoré. He there cured a cacique
of some infirmity, and the Emperor of the Musus (this is the great
Paititi or gilded King of the Spaniards) sent six hundred armed men to
the cacique of the Moxos, demanding that the reverend father should be
sent to cure his Queen. The Moxos were very unwilling to part with their
physician; but threats of extermination delivered by the ambassadors of
the Emperor induced compliance; and the padre was carried off on the
shoulders of the Indians. After a travel of thirty days, he came to
the banks of a stream so wide that it could scarcely be seen across;
(supposed to be the Beni.) Here the Indian ambassadors had left their
canoes; loosing them from the banks, they launched, went down the
stream twelve days, and then landed. Here the father found a large town
inhabited by an incredible number of savages, all soldiers, guarding
this great port of the river, and entrance into the empire of the Musus.
No women were to be seen; they lived in another town, a league off,
and only came in by day to bring food and drink to the warriors, and
returned at night.
"He observed that the river at this place divided into many arms, all
appearing navigable, and formed large islands, on which were great
towns. He travelled hence twenty-seven days, when he arrived at court.
The King came out to meet him, dressed in the finest and most delicate
feathers, of different colors. He treated his guest with great courtesy,
had a sumptuous feast prepared for him, and told him that, hearing of
his wonderful powers as a physician, he had sent for him to cure the
Queen of a disease which had baffled the skill of all his doctors.
The good father remarked that he was no physician, and had not been
bred to that art; but observing that the Queen was beset with devils,
('obsesa,') he exorcised her according to the formulary, whereby she
was thankfully made a Christian. He was eleven months in the court
of the Paititi; at the end of which time, seeing that the wine and
flour for the sacred elements were giving out, and having baptized an
infinite number of infants in 'Articulo Mortis,' he took leave of their
majesties, recommending to the Queen that she hold fast the faith she
had received, abstaining from all offence towards God. He refused from
the King a great present of gold, silver, pearls, and rich feathers;
whereat (says Father Tomas) the King and courtiers wondered greatly."
These are of the number of stories which, inflaming the cupidity of the
Spaniards, led them to brave the perils of the wilderness in search of
El Dorado. They serve to show at this day the little confidence which
is to be placed in the relations of the friars concerning this country;
I do not imagine, however, that they are broad lies. The soldiers of
Maldonado evidently mistook monkeys for pigmies, and some beast of the
forest, probably the tapir, for a giant; and there is doubtless some
truth in the account of Padre Tomas, though one cannot credit the six
hundred ambassadors; the river that could scarcely be seen across;
the garrisoned port; and the gold, silver, and pearls of an alluvial
country.
But the defeated followers of Almagro, flying from before the face of
the still victorious Pizarros, _did_ find to the eastward of Cuzco a
country answering, in some degree, to the description of the fabulous
El Dorado. They penetrated into the valleys of _Carabaya_, and found
there washings of gold of great value. They subjugated the Indians;
built the towns of _San Juan del Oro_, _San Gaban_, _Sandia_, &c.; and
sent large quantities of gold to Spain. On one occasion they sent a mass
of gold in the shape of an ox's head, and of the weight of two hundred
pounds, as a present to Charles V. The Emperor, in acknowledgment, gave
the title of "Royal City" to the town of San Juan del Oro, and ennobled
its inhabitants. The Indians, however, in the course of time, revolted,
murdered their oppressors, and destroyed their towns. Up to the last
three years this has been a sealed country to the white man. I shall
have occasion to refer to it again.
While these efforts to penetrate the Montaña to the eastward of Cuzco
were being made, Gonzalo Pizarro fitted out at Quito an expedition
consisting of 350 Spaniards and 4,000 Indians, with large supplies of
provisions and live stock. All who have read the brilliant pages of
Prescott know the history of this expedition: the discovery of cinnamon;
the treachery of Orellana; and the origin of the present name of the
great river. I shall not tread upon such ground; but shall content
myself with observing that, if Pizarro built a brig, or anything that
carried a mast, he either embarked low down upon the Napo, or, what I
rather suspect, the Napo was a much larger stream then than now.
The failure of this expedition, and the almost incredible sufferings
of the party who composed it, could not deter the Spaniards from
their search for El Dorado. In 1560 the Marquis of _Cañete_, Viceroy
of Peru, sent _Pedro de Ursoa_ with a large company on this mission.
This officer marched northward from Cuzco, and embarked upon the
_Huallaga_. At _Lamas_, a small town near that river, he was murdered
by his lieutenant, _Lope de Aguirre_, who determined to prosecute
the enterprise. Aguirre descended the Huallaga—and the Amazon to
its mouth—coasted along the shores of Guyana and Venezuela, and took
possession of the small island of Marguerita. There raising a party, he
landed at Cumaná, with the purpose of conquering an empire on the main
land. He was, however, defeated by some Spanish troops who had already
possession of the country, taken prisoner, carried to Trinidad and hung.
Aguirre appears to have been a bold and violent man. His letter to
Philip II, published in Humboldt's narrative, is indicative of his
character. He says: "On going out of the river Amazon we landed at an
island called La Margaretta. We there received news from Spain of the
great faction of the Lutherans. This news frightened us exceedingly.
We found among us one of that faction; his name was _Monteverde_. I had
him cut in pieces, as was just; for, believe me, signor, wherever I am,
people live according to the law.
"In the year 1559 the Marquis of Cañete sent to the Amazon Pedro de
Ursoa, a Navarrese, or rather a Frenchman. We sailed on the largest
rivers of Peru till we came to a gulf of fresh water. We had already
gone 300 leagues, when we killed that bad and ambitious captain. We
chose a Cavallero of Seville, _Fernando de Guzman_, for king; and we
swore fealty to him, as is done to thyself. I was named quartermaster
general; and, because I did not consent to all his will, he wanted to
kill me. But I killed this new king, the captain of his guards, his
lieutenant general, his chaplain, a woman, a knight of the order of
Rhodes, two ensigns, and five or six domestics of the pretended king. I
then resolved to punish thy ministers and thy auditors. I named captains
and sergeants. These again wanted to kill me; but I had them all hanged.
In the midst of these adventures we navigated eleven months, till we
reached the mouth of the river. We sailed more than 1,500 leagues. God
knows how we got through that great mass of water. I advise thee, O
great king, never to send Spanish fleets into that cursed river."
The following story, from the "Viagero Universal" of Ulloa, shows his
barbarity in yet more revolting colors. It appears that in all his
marches he carried with him a favorite daughter. When defeated and
surrounded, so that escape was impossible, he called this lady, and
addressing her, said: "I had hoped to make thee a queen. This now is
impossible. I cannot bear that you should live to be pointed at as
the child of a traitor and a felon. Thou must prepare for death at
my hands." She requested a few minutes for prayer, which was granted;
but her father, thinking she was too long at her devotions, fired upon
her whilst on her knees. The unfortunate lady staggered towards him;
but taking her by the hand as she approached, the villain plunged his
knife into her bosom, and she sank at his feet, murmuring "_Basta Padre
Mio_,"—It is enough, my father.
It is not to be expected that information of an exact and scientific
character could be had from the voyages of adventurers like these. They
were mere soldiers, and too much occupied in difficulties of travel,
conflicts with Indians, ambitious designs, and internal dissentions, to
make any notes of the topography or productions of the countries they
passed through.
But a task that had baffled the ambition and power of the Incas and
love of gold, backed by the indomitable spirit and courage of the hardy
Spanish soldier, was now to be undertaken by men who were urged on by
a yet more absorbing passion than either of these. I mean missionary
zeal—the love of propagating the faith.
The first missionary stations established in the Montaña were founded
by the Fathers Cuxia and Cueva, of the holy company of the Jesuits, in
1737.
They commenced operations at the village of _St. Francis de Borja_,
founded by _Don Pedro de Vaca_, in 1634, when he conquered and settled
the province of _Mainas_, under the direction of the Viceroy _Don
Francisco de Borja_, prince of _Esquilache_. This village is situated
on the left bank of the Marañon, not far below where it breaks its
way through the last chain of hills that obstructs its course, at the
_Pongo[3] de Manseriché_.
In the same year (1637,) according to Ulloa, (whose statements, I think,
are always to be received "cum grano salis") Pedro Texeira, a Portuguese
captain, ascended the Amazon with a fleet mounting forty-seven large
guns. After an eight months' voyage from _Pará_, he arrived at the port
of _Payamino_, or _Frayamixa_, in the province of _Quixos_, on the river
Napo. I am unable to find out how far up the Napo this is; but Texeira,
leaving his fleet there, went with some of his officers by land to
Quito. The Royal Audience of that city determined to send explorers with
him on his return, and the Jesuit Fathers, _Acuña_ and _Artieda_, were
selected for that purpose, and directed to report to the King of Spain.
Passing through the town of _Archidona_, on the headwaters of the Napo,
with much suffering they joined the fleet in the port of Payamino, and
after a voyage of ten months, by land and water, arrived at Pará, whence
they sailed for Spain.
The Spanish government, then occupied with the rebellion of Portugal,
could lend no aid to the missionaries, and Father _Artieda_ returned to
Quito in 1643. He appealed to the Royal Audience, and to the college
of the Jesuits at that city, for help to the missions, and the latter
institution furnished him with five or six missionaries. These were well
received by the Indians, and prosecuted their labors with such success,
that in the year 1666 they had formed thirteen large and populous
settlements in the country, bordering on the upper Marañon, and near
the mouths of the Pastaza, Ucayali, and Huallaga.
About this time the Franciscans commenced pushing their explorations and
missionary operations from Lima, by the way of Tarma and Jauxa, into the
Montaña, drained by the headwaters of the Ucayali; and here (thanks to
Father Sobreviela) we begin to get a little topographical information;
and the map may now be consulted in elucidation of the text.
In 1673 the Franciscan Father _Manuel Biedma_ penetrated into the
Montaña from _Jauxa_, by the way of _Comas_ and _Andamarca_, and
established the missionary station of _Santa Cruz de Sonomora_, on the
river _Pangoa_, a tributary of the Ucayali.
In 1681 he opened a mule road from Andamarca to Sonomora, and in 1684
one from Sonomora to the junction of the Pangoa with the Perene. In
1686 he embarked at this place with _Antonio Vital_, and descended the
Ucayali to near the junction of the _Pachitea_. Here he established
a station called "_San Miguel de los Conibos_," and, leaving Vital in
charge, he attempted to ascend the river again, but was killed by the
savages. Vital, hearing of his death, and seeing himself abandoned,
without hope of succor, determined to commit himself to the downward
current; and, embarking in a canoe with six Indians, he soon reached
the Jesuit missionary stations near the mouth of the Ucayali. Directed
by these missionaries, he ascended the Marañon, the Huallaga, and the
river Mayo as far as it is navigable. He then disembarked, travelled
by land through _Moyobamba_ and _Chachapoyas_, and passing through Lima
arrived at Jauxa, whence he had set out with Father Biedma.
About this time the Franciscans, also penetrating from _Tarma_ by the
valleys of _Chanchamayo_ and _Vitoc_, established the missions of the
_Cerro de la Sal_ and the _Pajonal_. The Cerro de la Sal is described as
a mountain of rock and red earth, with veins of salt of thirty yards in
breadth, to which the Indians, for many miles round, were in the habit
of repairing for their supply. The Pajonal is a great grassy plain,
enclosed between the river Pachitea and a great bend of the Ucayali. It
is about one hundred and twenty miles in length from north to south, and
ninety from east to west; and I judge from its name, and some imperfect
descriptions of it, that it is a very fine grazing country.
In the year 1712 _Padre Francisco de San José_ established a college,
"de propaganda fide," at the village of _Ocopa_, in the Andes, a few
leagues from Jauxa. By his zeal and abilities he induced many European
monks, of the order of St. Francis, to come over and join him in his
missionary labors. These men labored so successfully, that up to 1742
they had established ten towns in the Pajonal and Cerro de la Sal,
and had under their spiritual direction ten thousand converts. But in
this year an Indian of Cuzco, who had been converted and baptized as
_Juan Santos_, apostatized from the faith; and, taking upon himself
the style and title of Inca, and the name of _Atahuallpa_, excited to
rebellion all the Indians of the plain, and swept away every trace of
the missionary rule; some seventy or eighty of the priests perishing in
the wreck.
It is quite evident that no distaste for the Catholic religion induced
this rebellion; for in the year 1750, eight years afterward, the Marquis
of _Minahermosa_, marching into this country for the punishment of the
rebels, found the church at _Quimiri_, on the river Perene, in perfect
order, with candles burning before the images. He burned the town
and church. And six years after this, when another entrance into this
country was made by _Gen. Bustamente_, he found the town rebuilt, and
a large cross erected in the middle of the plaza, or public square. I
have had occasion myself to notice the respect and reverence of these
Indians for their pastors, and their delight in participating in the
ceremonial, and sense-striking worship of the Roman Church.
It remains but to speak of the conversions of the Ucayali, in the _Pampa
del Sacramento_, made by the Franciscans of Ocopa, and which are the
only trophies that now remain of the zeal, patience, and suffering of
these devoted men.
The missions established on the Ucayali by Fathers Biedma and Caballero,
in the years 1673 to 1686, were lost by insurrections of the Indians in
1704. In 1726, the converted Indians about the head of canoe navigation
on the Huallaga, (the tidings of the gospel were first carried to these
from _Huanuco_, by _Felipe Luyendo_, in 1631,) crossing the hills that
border that river on its eastern bank, discovered a wooded plain, which
was named Pampa del Sacramento, from the day of its discovery being the
festival of _Corpus Cristi_. This was a new field for the missionary;
and by 1760, the Fathers of the college at Ocopa had penetrated
across this plain to the Ucayali, and re-established the missions of
_Manoa_, the former spiritual conquests of Biedma. To get at these
missions with less difficulty, expeditions were made from Huanuco by
the way of Pozuzu, Mayro, and the Pachitea, in the years 1763 to 1767.
Several missionaries lost their lives by the _Cashibos_ Indians of the
Pachitea; and in this last year the Indians of the Ucayali rose upon the
missionaries, killed nine of them, and broke up their settlements. But
not for this were they to be deterred. In 1790 Father _Narciso Girbal_,
with two others, under the direction of Sobreviela, then guardian of
the college at Ocopa, went down the Pachitea and again established
these missions, of which there remain three at this time, called,
respectively, Sarayacu, _Tierra Blanca_, and _Sta. Catalina_.
The difficulties of penetrating into these countries, where the path is
to be broken for the first time, can only be conceived by one who has
travelled over the roads already trodden. The broken and precipitous
mountain track—the deep morass—the thick and tangled forest—the danger
from Indians, wild beasts, and reptiles—the scarcity of provisions—the
exposure to the almost appalling rains—and the navigation of the
impetuous and rock-obstructed river, threatening at every moment
shipwreck to the frail canoe—form obstacles that might daunt any heart
but that of the gold-hunter or the missionary.
The most remarkable voyage down the Amazon was made by a woman. Madame
Godin des Odonnais, wife of one of the French commissioners who was sent
with _Condamine_ to measure an arc of the meridian near Quito, started
in 1769, from _Rio Bamba_, in Ecuador, to join her husband in Cayenne by
the route of the Amazon. She embarked at _Canelos_, on the _Borbonaza_,
with a company of eight persons, two, besides herself, being females. On
the third day the Indians who conducted their canoe deserted: another
Indian, whom they found sick in a hovel near the bank, and employed as
pilot, fell from the canoe in endeavoring to pick up the hat of one of
the party, and was drowned.
The canoe, under their own management, soon capsized, and they lost
all their clothing and provisions. Three men of the party now started
for _Andoas_, on the Pastaza, which they supposed themselves to be
within five or six days of, and never returned. The party left behind,
now consisting of the three females and two brothers of Madame Godin,
lashed a few logs together and attempted again to navigate; but their
frail vessel soon went to pieces by striking against the fallen trees
in the river. They then attempted to journey on foot along the banks of
the river, but finding the growth here too thick and tangled for them
to make any way, they struck off into the forest in hopes of finding a
less obstructed path.
They were soon lost: despair took possession of them, and they perished
miserably of hunger and exhaustion. Madame Godin, recovering from a
swoon, which she supposes to have been of many hours' duration, took
the shoes from her dead brother's feet and started to walk, she knew
not whither. Her clothes were soon torn to rags, her body lacerated
by her exertions in forcing her way through the tangled and thorny
undergrowth, and she was kept constantly in a state of deadly terror
by the howl of the tiger and the hiss of the serpent. It is wonderful
that she preserved her reason. Eight terrible days and nights did she
wander alone in the howling wilderness, supported by a few berries and
birds' eggs. Providentially (one cannot say accidentally) she struck
the river at a point where two Indians (a man and a woman) were just
launching a canoe. They received her with kindness, furnished her with
food, gave her a coarse cotton petticoat, which she preserved for years
afterwards as a memorial of their goodness, and carried her in their
canoe to Andoas, whence she found a passage down the river, and finally
joined her husband. Her hair turned gray from suffering, and she could
never hear the incidents of her voyage alluded to without a feeling of
horror that bordered on insanity.