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.
On the 4th of April, 1851, Lieutenant Lardner Gibbon, of the navy,
arrived at Lima, and delivered me orders from the Navy Department, of
which the following is a copy:
NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 15, 1851.
SIR: The department is about to confide to you a most important and
delicate duty, which will call for the exercise of all those high
qualities and attainments, on account of which you have been selected.
The government desires to be put in possession of certain information
relating to the valley of the river Amazon, in which term is included
the entire basin, or water-shed, drained by that river and its
tributaries.
This desire extends not only to the present condition of that valley,
with regard to the navigability of its streams; to the number and
condition, both industrial and social, of its inhabitants, their trade
and products; its climate, soil, and productions; but also to its
capacities for cultivation, and to the character and extent of its
undeveloped commercial resources, whether of the field, the forest, the
river, or the mine.
You will, for the purpose of obtaining such information, proceed across
the Cordillera, and explore the Amazon from its source to its mouth.
Passed Midshipman Lardner Gibbon, a prudent and intelligent officer,
has been selected to accompany you on this service, and is instructed
to report accordingly.
This, together with a few instruments, necessary for such an expedition,
will be delivered to you by him.
Being joined by him, you will commence to make such arrangements as
may be necessary for crossing the Andes and descending the Amazon; and
having completed them, you will then proceed on your journey without
further orders.
The route by which you may reach the Amazon river is left to your
discretion. Whether you will descend the Ucayali, or the Huallaga, or
any other of the Peruvian tributaries, or whether you will cross over
into Bolivia, and, passing through the province of Yongas, embark on the
Mamoré or Ytenes, or whether you will try the Beni or any other route
to the Madeira, and thence to the Amazon, the state of the information
which you have collected, under a former order, will enable you to
decide more judiciously than it is possible for the department, with
the meagre state of its information upon the subject, to do.
It is not desired that you should select any route by which you and your
party would be exposed to savage hostility, beyond your means of defence
and protection.
Neither is it desirable that your party should be so large, on the one
hand, as to excite the suspicion of the people, or give offence to the
authorities, of the country through which you may pass, nor so small,
on the other, as to endanger its success.
You are, therefore, authorized to employ a cook, servant, guide, and
interpreter, and to provide them with such arms as it is customary only
for travellers generally, in that part of the world, to carry for their
own protection. And these arms you will have returned to you at Pará.
The Navy Agent at Lima has been instructed to furnish, upon your
requisition, the necessary articles for the outfit of yourself and
party, and to honor your draft for a sum not exceeding five thousand
dollars, to cover your expenses by the way. As these expenses will be
mostly for mules and arrieros, boats and boats' crews, it is supposed
that the sum named will be much more than sufficient. You will use of
it only for the _necessary_ expenses of the party.
The geographical situation and the commercial position of the Amazon
indicate the future importance, to this country, of the free navigation
of that river.
To enable the government to form a proper estimate as to the degree of
that importance, present and prospective, is the object of your mission.
You will, therefore, avail yourself of the best sources of information
that can be had in answer to any or all of the following questions:
What is the present condition of the silver mines of Peru, and
Bolivia—their yield; how and by whom are they principally wrought?
What is the machinery used, whence obtained, and how transported?
Are mines of this metal, which are not worked, known to exist? What
impulse would the free navigation of the Amazon give to the working of
those mines? What are their capacities; and if the navigation of that
river and its tributaries were open to commerce, what effect would it
have in turning the stream of silver from those mines down these rivers?
With what description of craft can they be navigated respectively?
What inducements are offered by the laws of Peru and Bolivia for
emigrants to settle in the eastern provinces of those two republics, and
what is the amount and character of the population already there? What
the productions? the value of the trade with them—of what articles does
it consist, where manufactured, how introduced, and at what charges upon
prime cost?
What are the staple productions for which the climate and soil of the
valley of the Amazon, in different parts, are adapted? What the state
of tillage; of what class are the laborers; the value of a day's work;
the yield per acre and per hand of the various staples, such as matté,
coca and cocoa, sugar, rice, chinchona, hemp, cotton, India-rubber,
coffee, balsams, drugs, spices, dyes, and ornamental woods; the season
for planting and gathering; the price at the place of production, and
at the principal commercial mart; the mode and means of transportation?
with every other item of information that is calculated to interest a
nautical and commercial people.
You will make such geographical and scientific observations by the way
as may be consistent with the main object of the expedition, always
bearing in mind that these are merely incidental, and that no part of
the main objects of the expedition is to be interfered with by them.
It is desirable that you should bring home with you specimens or samples
of the various articles of produce from the Amazon river, together with
such seeds or plants as might probably be introduced into this country
with advantage.
Arriving at Pará, you will embark by the first opportunity for the
United States, and report in person to this department.
Wishing you a pleasant journey and a safe return to your country and
friends,
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
WILL. A. GRAHAM.
Lieut. WILLIAM L. HERNDON, U. S. NAVY, Peru, or Bolivia.
* * * * *
As the choice of route was thus left to my discretion, this, in
connexion with the best and most efficient mode of carrying out my
instructions, became an object of much consideration with me.
As I had some time previously received intimation of the intention of
the department to issue such orders, whilst in Valparaiso and Santiago
I had sought what information was to be had there, and conversed with
many persons regarding the routes through Bolivia and the navigability
of the Bolivian tributaries of the Amazon. Two interesting routes
presented themselves through this country: one from Cochabamba, by the
river Mamoré, a sketch of which had been given me by Mr. Bridges; and
the other by the Beni, (also a confluent of the Madeira,) which seems
nearly a "terra incognita."
_Palacios_, an officer of the Bolivian government, who had made some
explorations in the country between the Mamoré and Beni, and who visited
and navigated on the Lake Rogoaguado, (the existence of which has been
a subject of dispute among geographers,) describes the Beni, between
its sources and Los Reyes, (about half the course of the river,) as
being much obstructed by shoals, with very narrow channels, and broken
up into rapids, of which he enumerates twenty-two. He thinks, however,
that flat-bottomed iron boats would overcome many of the difficulties,
and navigate an immense distance up. He says that in some parts of the
course of the river are found veins of silver and gold, salt springs,
coal, lime, and (in Tequije) diamonds. I think that his description of
the Lake Rogoaguado would be a valuable contribution to geography; for
though it is evident that his account is not exact, or even correct,
yet it settles the point that there is such a lake, and that it does
not give rise to many of the large rivers that empty into the Amazon,
as was long supposed, and as is so represented in many maps. I give a
translation:
"The supreme government, being desirous of ascertaining if the great
Lake Rogoaguado had communication with the Beni or proceeded from it,
directed me to explore it for the purpose of facilitating communication
between that river and the Mamoré. For this purpose I directed the
construction of a boat and commenced my journey. I set out from the
town of _Exaltacion_, (a village on the Mamoré, some distance above its
junction with the Madeira,) the nearest point, and directed my course
W. N. W. 15 miles, to the estate (_estancia_) of Santa Cruz, passing
(a mile and a half from this point) the river Iruyani, which runs to
the N. E., and appears navigable. Its sources are unknown; but it is
supposed that it rises in some swamps situated in the flat country
about Reyes, or that it runs from the Beni. At this estate of Santa
Cruz there is a somewhat flat hill of 300 yards in height, and composed
of white 'soroché,' the generator (criadero) of gold. It is constantly
covered with grass and trees, among which are found those producing the
India-rubber.
"Hence I directed my march W. ¼ N., to the estate denominated San
Carlos, which is distant twenty-four miles from the first, and is
situated among morasses, with some eminences, the good pastures of which
maintain large flocks of cattle. The course from here was N. W., and at
the distance of nine miles I encountered the Lake Ibachuna, or, of the
winds, which is twelve miles broad and twenty-four long from north to
south, and whose outlet runs among swamps into Lake Rogoaguado, known
likewise by the name of Domú, on whose banks yet exist traces of the
ancient tribe of the Cayubabos, who now form the population of the town
of Exaltacion.
"Not finding the boat which I had ordered finished, I embarked in a
small canoe, and directed my course towards two islands in the lake,
about three miles from the shore. These are elevated a little above the
surface of the lake, which has not more than a fathom (braza, 66 inches)
of depth in this part, and are covered with an impenetrable thicket. On
the following day I launched the boat; it was 33 feet (12 varas) long,
3⅔ feet wide, and 2¾ feet deep. It rocked much, and I directed two small
canoes to be lashed, one on each side, to serve as counterpoises.
"I weighed from my port with a course N. W. ¼ N. At the distance of
fifteen miles I encountered a stream which served as an outlet, and was
connected with another small lake, called Yapacha, towards the N. E. I
changed the course, coasting along W. N. W. for nine miles, continuing
on other nine S. W. ¼ S.; thence I changed to S. twenty-four miles; to
S. W. four and a half; to S. ¼ E. thirteen and a half. So that I sailed
upon a bow-line" (much he knew about a bow-line) "with a depth of 2½
fathoms, (brazadas,) running six miles the hour. (!!)
"At the capes, or prominent points, I landed, and observed that the belt
of woods surrounding the lake was narrow; and that outside of this the
pasturages were so great that they formed a horizon, or could not be
seen across. On one occasion I set fire to them, and saw towards the N.
W. the answering smoke of the fires of the Chacobos savages. The country
of this people was afterwards explored. The tribe was found to consist
of three hundred souls; and among them were people white and ruddy.
"I continued on E. ¼ N., and having navigated twelve miles, the north
wind came on so strong, and raised such a sea, that I was in danger of
shipwreck. I therefore landed, and remained twenty-four hours, employing
the time in examining the mouth of the rivulet called Ibachuna, where
there were large morasses.
"I travelled the next day with oars against the wind, bailing the water
from the boat continually. The course was N. N. E.; and eighteen miles
brought me to the point whence I originally sailed.
"The lake is of good and clear water. It has a bottom of oxide of iron,
with 2½ fathoms (brazadas) of water. There are many fish and rays,
crocodiles and porpoises.
"In the woods there are almonds of various kinds and superior quality.
Towards the east there is another small lake called Puaja, whose waters
(united with those of Rogoaguado and Yapacha) form the river Yatachico,
or Black river, which is a confluent of the Mamoré. I presume the Yata
Grande is only an arm of the Beni from the clearness of its waters, from
the declivity of the land towards the Mamoré, and because its sources
are not found in the Steppes, (Llanos) there only arising from these
the Black river of the Lake Rogagua of Reyes, which is a confluent of
the Beni.
"The navigation of the Yata Grande is a matter of interest; and I
would have attempted it when I descended the Mamoré had I had at my
disposal an armed party, which is absolutely necessary on account of
the multitude of savages which dwell upon its banks; nevertheless, I
did ascend to its first rapids, where there is an abundance of pitch.
The Iruyani should be explored for the same reasons as the Yata Grande."
It was suggested by Mr. Pissis that I should take the route of the Beni
on account of the honor of discovery, and the addition I should make to
geographical knowledge; and General Ballivian, ex-President of Bolivia,
who was then in Valparaiso forming plans for revolution in that country,
which he afterwards endeavored to execute, but without success, strongly
urged me to take one of the Bolivian rivers; but an unanswerable
objection to this in my mind was, that such a route would bring me into
the Amazon very low down, and make the necessity of ascending that river
to its sources; a work which would occupy years in its execution, and
probably break down a much stronger man than I am.
Upon my arrival in Lima, I immediately set to work to investigate
routes. The best informed people of Peru are wide awake to the
importance of opening an inland communication between their territories
to the east of the Andes and the Atlantic, and many attempts have
been made to secure the aid of government in the opening of such a
communication. From time immemorial a jealousy has existed upon this
subject between the people inhabiting points on the three most feasible
routes; that is, that of the valley of Huanuco, that of Chanchamayo, and
that of Paucartambo, to the eastward of Cuzco. This jealousy originated
in the fact that the valley of Huanuco, the first settled, at one time
supplied all the coca that was used in Peru. The people of that valley
saw in the opening of the Montaña of Chanchamayo a rival interest that
would decrease their gains, and at one time they had such interest at
Court as to get an order dismantling the fort that had been built in
Chanchamayo, and breaking up the roads. The Tarma people never forgave
this, and in 1808 _Urrutia_, the Intendente of that province, addressed
a pamphlet to _Abascal_, the Viceroy, setting forth the advantages of
the Chanchamayo, and depreciating the Mayro or Huanuco route to the
Montaña.
"Surely, surely," says he, (and I entirely agree with him,) "nothing
but the especial concitation of the devil (thus interfering with
the conversion of the heathen) could have induced the government
to so suicidal a step as to break up so thriving a colony as that
at Chanchamayo." He says that he can scarcely refrain from tears at
thinking to what it would have grown in the twenty-five years that have
been lost between then and now. He writes with earnestness; and probably
would have succeeded in obtaining the aid of the government, but that
the cloud of the revolution was then above the horizon, and Viceroy and
Intendente soon had other matters to think of.
In 1827 _General La Mar_ again ordered the opening of the Chanchamayo
country. The direction of the work was given to my acquaintance and very
good friend _General Otero_, then prefect of the department. He pushed
the matter of opening the roads with success for some time; but the
roughness of the country, the difficulty of obtaining supplies, and the
steady hostility of the Indians, interposed so many obstacles, that the
work languished and was finally abandoned; the Indians taking possession
of the few plantations that had been made.
In 1847, however, the people of Tarma resolved to take advantage of so
fine a country so near them. They republished the pamphlet of Urrutia;
made an appeal to the government, and themselves broke into the country
under the lead of _Colonel Pablo Salaverry_. They drove the Indians
over the rivers of Chanchamayo and Tulumayo; and _Don Ramon Castilla_,
the President, (ever alive to the interests of his country,) sent a
company of eighty soldiers, under a captain in the navy named _Noel_,
with engineers, artificers, tools and supplies, and constructed the
little stockade fort of _San Ramon_, at the junction of these rivers.
Under the protection of this fort the Tarma people have begun to clear
and cultivate, and the former desert is now beautiful with the waving
cane, the yellow blossom of the cotton, and the red berry of the coffee.
_Juan Centeno_, deputy in Congress from Cuzco, in strong and earnest
terms advocated the propriety of taking the Cuzco route, telling me that
ten thousand dollars, appropriated by the government for the survey
of the river Amarumayo, now lay in the treasury, waiting the proper
time and man to take it up; and that he had no doubt but that I might
organize a surveying party and employ this money for that purpose.
It was a tempting proposition, but I feared the proverbially dilatory
action of the Peruvian government; and what I had seen in the journals
of Smyth and Castelnau regarding the efficiency of the co-operation of
Peruvian officials, revived school-boy recollections and brought to my
mind Virgil's
"Non tali auxilio; nec defensoribus istis."
This route had, moreover, the same objections as that by the Bolivian
tributaries; that is, that it would bring me into the Amazon too low
down. It is, however, a route of great importance, and well worth
investigation. Señor Centeno placed in my hands a pamphlet ("_El
brillante porvenir de Cuzco_") written by the confessor of his family,
an Italian Franciscan, Father _Julian Bobo de Revello_, in which
the advantages of this route are strongly and ably argued; and which
argument induced the above-mentioned appropriation by the Peruvian
government. The Father declares that he himself, in visiting the valleys
of Paucartambo, in company with Don José Miguel Medina, prefect of the
province, saw from the heights of Acobamba an interminable horizon of
woods towards the N. E.; and in the midst of this immense plain, the
winding course of the great navigable river "_Madre de Dios_." He labors
to prove that this Madre de Dios is the same river which, under the name
of Purus, enters the Amazon a few days' journey above the Barra do Rio
Negro.
There is no doubt that there is a great unknown river in these parts.
Every expedition made into this country brought back accounts of it,
and represented it under various names—such as Amarumayu; Tono; Mano;
Inambiri; Guariguari; and Madre de Dios, according to the nomenclature
of the various tribes that live upon its banks—as great and containing
much water—(Grande y Caudaloso.) It is impossible to say whether this
river turns to the N. W. and joins the Ucayali, flows straight N. E.,
and, as either the Yavari, the Jutay, the Jurua, the Teffe, the Coari,
or the Purus, empties into the Amazon; or, flowing east, is tributary
to the Beni. It is, of course, likewise impossible to say whether or
not it is free from obstructions to navigation; but it is reasonable
to suppose, from the fact that the country through which it flows
(supposing it to take the general direction of the rivers there and
run N. E.) is very far from the Andes on one side, and the _Cordillera
Geral_ of Brazil, which form the obstructions to the Madeira, on the
other, that it is free from impediments for an immense distance up. This
route, however, takes its importance, in a commercial point of view,
from the following facts:
It will be recollected that I stated, in the preceding chapter, that
the defeated followers of Almagro, hiding themselves in the valleys and
dens of the broken country to the eastward of Cuzco, called Carabaya,
discovered, in the small streams that dashed down from the neighboring
Cordillera, washings of gold of great value—that they built villages,
and sent immense treasures to Spain.
In the month of June, 1849, two brothers named Poblete, seeking Peruvian
bark in the valleys of Carabaya, discovered grains or pits (pepitas)
of gold in the "Gulch" of Challuhuma. They were soon joined by other
hunters of bark; the news spread in the province; companies were formed,
and petitions made to the board of miners for titles; quarrels arose
about priority of discovery and rights, and the paths were broken up,
and bridges and rafts for crossing the rivers destroyed, so that, up to
the time of my information, little had been done in gathering the gold.
It appears from an official letter of Pablo Pimentel, sub-prefect of the
province of Carabaya, in answer to certain questions propounded to him
by the Treasury Department, that the mining district is situated in the
valleys to the N. and E. of _Crucero_, the capital of the province, and
is reached from that place by the following routes and distances. (It
will be as well to premise that Crucero is situated in about latitude
14° south, and longitude 74° west from Greenwich; and that to reach it
by the nearest route from the Pacific coast, one should land at Islay;
and travelling on horseback through the cities of Arequipa and Puno,
he will arrive at Crucero, by easy stages of fifteen miles a day, in
about twenty days.) From Crucero the route, running to the eastward, and
crossing the Cordillera at probably its highest and most difficult pass,
conducts the traveller to the small and abandoned village of Phara,
forty-two miles from Crucero.
Here he puts foot to ground, and travels seventy-two miles (four
days' journey) to the banks of the great river Guariguari; although
his provisions and implements may be carried to this point on mules
or asses. He crosses this river on a perilous swinging bridge, called
Oroya, and makes his way thirty miles further towards the north without
any broken track, save an occasional one made by the bark hunters.
This brings him to Challuhuma.
The valley, or gulch, is from thirty to thirty-six miles long from the
top of the mountains, whence descend the three small torrents which
form the auriferous stream called Challuhuma, to its entrance into the
Guariguari; but it is calculated that only about a fifth part of this
can be worked, as the other four parts are hemmed in by precipitous
rocks on each side; and "to turn the course of the river at these parts,
so as to get at its bed, would be about as easy a task as to remove the
Andes."
Pimentel supposes that from the time of the discovery, in June, to the
date of his letter, in November, about one hundred thousand dollars
had been collected; but that the best parts had been worked, and such
success was no longer to be looked for. He says, moreover, that the
difficulty of obtaining provisions and supplies is very great, from the
small number of persons engaged in agriculture, the general laziness of
the people, and the difficulty of transportation.
It is quite evident that Pimentel is disposed to throw difficulties in
the way, and to distract attention from Challuhuma by dwelling upon the
undiscovered riches in other valleys, and the great vegetable wealth of
the country a little to the eastward of it. Other accounts from this
district give a different version, and represent Pimentel as a party
in one of the mining companies, and interested in keeping secret the
true state of affairs. The quarrel on this subject ran very high in the
department of Puno, and even the motives and conduct of General Deustua,
then prefect of the department, and now governor of the "Provincia
Littoral" of Callao—a man of the very highest standing and character
in his country—were impugned. He vindicated his reputation in a very
spirited letter to the Secretary of State for the Treasury Department,
demanding to be relieved, and receiving an apologetic reply from the
government.
It appears from some notices of this country, written by Manuel Hurtado,
a citizen of Puno, "that the province of Carabaya has an extent of
one hundred and eighty miles, from north to south, rendered more to
the traveller, who wishes to pass over its whole length, on account of
his having to cross the spurs of the mountains, which divide the whole
country into valleys, having auriferous streams; for, from Cuia to
Quica, there are eighteen miles; to Sandia, forty-two; to Cuyo-Cuyo,
twelve; to Patambuco, eighteen; to Phara, thirty-six; to Uricayas,
forty-five; to Coasa, eighteen; to Thiata, thirty; to Ayapata, eighteen;
to Ollachea, forty-two; and to Corani, eighteen; making three hundred
and seven miles. All these villages, except the last, are in the line
of the edge of the Montaña. The villages of Macusani and Crucero are
on this other side of the Cordillera. The population of the province
is thirty thousand souls, over and above strangers, who come to collect
the gold and cascarilla.
"The exportation of the products of the province for the last year were
about three hundred thousand pounds of cascarilla, twenty-five thousand
baskets of coca, (of twenty-one pounds each,) and one thousand pounds of
coffee. The small crops of maize, &c., are only for the consumption of
the country. The only two plantations that have been opened in the last
two years, by D. Augustin Aragon and D. Lorenzo Requelme, will begin to
render their crops in the coming year.
"According to the notices acquired from different persons, and
particularly from Pimentel and the Pobletes, we know that the gold
taken from Challuhuma, from the middle of June to September, amounts
to seven hundred pounds, of which the Pobletes hold three, and the
balance has been sold by various individuals in the fairs and markets
of Azangaro, Tangazuca, and Crucero, over and above the many pounds
that have been sent for sale to Puno and Arequipa, and that which the
Indians indubitably hold, seeing that they only sell enough to purchase
themselves necessaries; although one has been known to sell the value
of six hundred dollars. About the end of September the associates
of the company styled 'Descubridora' destroyed the hanging bridges,
(oroyas,) the rafts, and even some parts of the road, saying that in
Challuhuma there is nothing, and advising all to return to their houses.
This rather encouraged them to proceed. They plunged into the woods
where human foot had never trodden, and, crossing the great river on
temporary oroyas, many persons settled themselves in Challuhuma; whence
they have been taking gold without its being known how much has been
collected in the month and a half which has intervened. It is worthy of
note that these people and the Pobletes have very imperfect means of
extracting the gold: being reduced to what they call '_chichiquear_,'
which is, to place earth in a trough, wash it a little while in the
stream, and collect the gold that has settled; which may be one, two,
or more ounces, according to the fortune of the washer. They repeat
this operation as many times a day as their strength will permit. On
one occasion the sub-prefect Pimentel obtained from one trough-full
twenty-odd ounces of gold, as he himself related to us; and no
trough-full yields less than one ounce."
There seems exaggeration in this account; but an anonymous publication
from Puno on this subject of Carabaya goes beyond this. It says:
"In the year 1713, a mine of silver was discovered in a hill called
Uncuntayo, among the heights (Altos) of Ollachea, which gave more than
four thousand marks to the caxon. (Six marks to the caxon is a paying
yield in Cerro Pasco.) These riches gave rise to such disturbances,
violences, and murders, that the Viceroy had to march to suppress the
disorders; but after a few years the hill fell in and closed the mines.
"It has been always known that much gold existed in all the ravines of
the district of Phara, and the proof is the discovery of it, in the
present year, at the points called Beinisamayo, Rio Challuhuma, and
Acomayo, from which '_placeres_' it is certain that even in this short
time many arrobas (twenty-five pounds) of fine gold, in the shape of
melon seeds, have been taken and seen in Puno Arequipa, &c. The sight
of this gold, and the conviction which is entertained of the existence
of abundance of this metal, have awakened the avarice of all, and are
attracting to Carabaya a concurrence of the people of the departments
of La Paz, Puno, Arequipa, and Cuzco. The work must cease, on account
of the rains, towards the end of October; but from May onwards, we shall
have growing up there a society, heterogeneous, avaricious, and needing
authorities and judges, that the 'placeres' may be appointed among
the workers according to law; that property may be secured; and that
those disorders which may be expected to grow out of such a state of
affairs may be checked: for the sub-prefect, besides being a principal
associate in the companies for collecting gold and cascarilla, has not
the weight of character necessary in these cases. Moreover, the person
who directs in mining matters (Diputado de Mineria) resides in Puno,
two hundred miles from the point whence the gold is extracted. The
companies endeavor, by every means in their power, to hide the riches
which exist in the already discovered mines, and to throw difficulties
in the way of getting there; but we know that every trough-full of the
earth which is washed gives six ounces and upwards, and that there are
only three days on horseback from Phara to the banks of the great river,
though the road is somewhat rough; and from the other side of the river,
(which may be crossed by an oroya or on rafts) to the mines is only one
day on foot. The climate of the greater part of the Montaña of Carabaya
is entirely healthy, and of an endurable heat. Its lands are so rich
that they give three crops a year, and produce fine coca, coffee that
rivals that of Mocha, superior cacao, potatoes, maize, fruits, raisins
of every kind, the vanilla, superior and most abundant woods, and the
cascarilla, called calisaya, with all the other classes. Added to this
there are rivers with immense fisheries, so that people would do well
to colonize there even if there were no gold. The savages, in tribes of
more than two hundred souls, live scattered about sixty or ninety miles
to the eastward of the placeres. It is necessary to adopt some measures
of precaution to anticipate attacks which they would be likely to make
on small parties."
Pimentel says that the Indians on some of the beaches of the great river
"Inambari," which flows through this Montaña, make a sort of scaly
pavement (_empedrado, en forma de escama_) just before the increase
of the river, caused by the rains, so that the gold borne down by its
current may be deposited. They call these their _chacras_, or farms of
gold, and collect their crop at the falling of the river.
It will be perceived, from the above accounts, that, if the river
"Madre de Dios" of Father Bobo should be identical with the Purus,
and there should be a navigable communication between this country
and the Atlantic, the advantages to commerce would be enormous, and
the "Brillante Porvenir," or dazzling future of Cuzco, would be no
dream. I judge, from the description of the country through which
this "great river" (as it is called in all the accounts of people who
have visited these parts) flows, that it is not navigable; and it is
certain that neither the cascarilla nor the gold can be collected for
six months in the year. Yet I judge that there is a much nearer and
easier communication with the Atlantic, by this route, than that by the
passage of the Cordillera, and the voyage around Cape Horn; and that the
opening to trade of a country which produces, in abundance, gold, and
the best quality of cinchona, would soon repay the courage, enterprise,
and outlay of money which would be necessary to open, at most, but a
short road, and to remove a few obstructions from a river.
Since writing the above I have received from Mr. Clay, our distinguished
chargé at Lima, a slip from the _Comercio_, a Lima journal, containing
an account of the fitting out of an expedition for the exploration of
this river by the people of the town of Paucartambo. These, tired of
waiting the tardy action of the government, met in council on the 10th
of June, 1852, and subscribed one hundred and fifteen dollars to pay the
expenses of the exploring party. Twenty Indians were hired, for twenty
days, at five dollars a head, and ten dollars given as gratification
to their overseer; the remaining five were expended in repairing the
axes and other tools supplied by the farmers. The party, consisting of
young volunteers, having their expeditionary flag blessed by the Curate,
being exhorted by their governors and elders, and placed under the
especial protection of our blessed Lady of Carmen, marched out, under
the guidance of Don Manuel Ugaldi, amid the strains of music and the
"vivas" blessings and tears of their relatives and friends. We have yet
to see the result of so enthusiastic an outburst.
I was so much impressed with the importance of this route, that I left
Lima undecided whether I should take it or not; and at Tarma, after long
and anxious deliberation, (the measure being supported by Mr. Gibbon's
advice and earnest personal solicitation,) I determined to take the
responsibility of dividing the party, and did so, furnishing Mr. Gibbon
with the following instructions, and verbally calling his attention to
the river Beni:
TARMA, June 30, 1851.
SIR: From a careful perusal of my instructions from the Navy
Department, it appears to be a matter of importance that as
much of the great South American basin, drained by the Amazon
and its tributaries, should be explored as the means placed
at my disposal will allow; and having now arrived at a point
where, if the party is kept together, some objects of much
interest will have to be abandoned to secure others, I have
determined to divide the party, and confide a portion of it
to your direction.
You will, therefore, with "Mr. Richards" and a guide, proceed
to "Cuzco," and examine the country to the eastward of that
place. It is said that a large and navigable river, called the
Madre de Dios, has its source in the mountains of Carabaya,
and may be approached at a navigable point by descending the
Andes from "Cuzco." Many arguments have been adduced to show
that this river is the "Purus," which is known to empty into
the Amazon.
It is desirable that this should be determined; and you
will make such inquiries in Cuzco as will enable you to
decide whether it is practicable to descend this river. I am
under the impression that its shores, near where you would
be likely to embark, are inhabited by tribes of savage and
warlike Indians, who have committed frequent depredations
upon the "haciendas" established in the neighborhood. You
will constantly bear in mind that your loss will deprive
the government of the after-services expected of you in the
prosecution of our important and interesting enterprise. You
will therefore run no unnecessary risk, nor expose yourself
or party to unreasonable danger from the attacks of these
savages. The inhabitants of Cuzco are said to be so much
interested in this discovery, that they may furnish you an
escort past the point of danger.
Should you find this route impracticable, you will proceed
south, to Puno, on the banks of the "Lake Titicaca;" thence
around the southern shores of this "lake" to La Paz, in
Bolivia; thence to Cochabamba; and, descending the mountains
in that neighborhood, embark upon the "Mamoré," and descend
that river and the "Madeira" to the Amazon. You will then
ascend the Amazon to the "Barra do Rio Negro," and, making
that your headquarters, make excursions for the exploration
of the main stream and adjacent tributaries, until my arrival,
or you hear from me.
You are already possessed of the views of the department
regarding the objects of this expedition. A copy of its
instructions is herewith furnished you. You will follow them
as closely as possible.
Should you go into "Bolivia," I would call your attention
to the "cascarilla," or Peruvian bark, which is of a better
quality in that country than elsewhere. Make yourself
acquainted with its history and present condition.
Wishing you success, I remain your obedient servant,
WM. LEWIS HERNDON,
Lieutenant U. S. Navy.
Passed Midshipman LARDNER GIBBON,
U. S. Navy.
* * * * *
Other reasons that induced me to take this step were, that I might carry
out the instructions of the department as fully as lay in my power; and
while I gave my own personal attention to the countries drained by the
upper Marañon and its tributaries, Mr. Gibbon might explore some, and
gather all the information he could respecting others, of the Bolivian
tributaries of the Amazon. The objections were, that the department had
not sanctioned the step, and that by separating we were deprived of the
comfort and assistance to be derived from companionship—no small item in
so long and lonely a journey. But I did not conceive that these should
weigh against the consideration that we could cover more ground apart
than together.
I felt that, under my instructions requiring me to explore the Amazon
from its source to its mouth, I could not neglect the route I finally
determined to take. This route would enable me to form a judgment
respecting the practicability of a transitable connexion between Lima
and the navigable headwaters of the tributaries of the Amazon—would
lead me through the richest and most productive mineral district
of Peru—would put under my observation nearly all the course of the
Amazon—and would enable me to gather information regarding the Pampa
del Sacramento, or great plain, shut in between four great rivers, and
concerning which the "Viagero Universal" says "that the two continents
of America do not contain another country so favorably situated, or so
fertile."
The last and most commonly-used route to the Montaña is through the
cities of Truxillo, Caxamarca, Chachapoyas, Moyobamba, &c. The Andes
here break into many chains, sending off spurs in all directions,
but none of any great height, so that there is a tolerably good mule
road all the way to Moyobamba; and almost all articles of foreign
manufacture—such as cloths and the necessary household articles used in
the small towns that border the Huallaga and the Marañon—are supplied by
this route. The climate and productions of this country are, on account
of its precipitous elevations, and, consequently, deep valleys, very
various; and here the sugar-cane and the pine-apple may be seen growing
by a spectator standing in the barley field and the potato patch.
This route crosses the Amazon, or rather the Marañon, where, according
to Lieut. Maw, it is sixty yards wide, and rushes between mountains
whose summits are hid in the clouds. This point is about three degrees
north of its source, in Lake _Lauricocha_; but the river is nowhere
navigable until _Tomependa_, in the province of _Jaen de Braca Moros_,
is reached; whence it may be descended, but with great peril and
difficulty, on rafts. There are twenty-seven "pongos," or rapids, to
pass, and the water rushes over these with frightful velocity. Four days
of such navigation passes the last, called the _Pongo de "Manseriché_,"
near the village of San Borja, and I am satisfied that an unbroken
channel, of at least eighteen feet in depth, may be found thence to the
Atlantic Ocean.
That the rains might be entirely over, and the roads on the mend in
the Cordillera, I fixed upon the 20th of May as the day of departure,
and Mr. Gibbon and I set about making the necessary preparations. I
engaged the services of Don Manuel Ijurra, a young Peruvian, who had
made the voyage down the Amazon a few years before, as interpreter to
the Indians; and Capt. Gauntt, of the frigate Raritan, then lying in the
harbor of Callao, was kind enough to give me a young master's mate from
his ship, named Richards; besides supplying me with carbines, pistols,
ammunition, and a tent. Capt. Magruder, of the St. Mary's, also offered
me anything that the ship could supply, and furnished me with more arms,
and fifteen hundred fathoms of the fishing-line now put on board ships
for deep-sea soundings.
Our purchases were four saddle-mules, which, through the agency of Dr.
Smith, we were fortunate enough to get young, sound, and well bitted,
(indispensable requisites,) out of a drove just in from the mountains.
We consulted the learned in such matters on the propriety of having them
shod, and found the doctors disagreeing upon this subject very much.
As they were from the mountains, and their hoofs were round, sound, and
apparently as hard as iron, we decided not to shoe; and, I believe, did
better than if we had followed a contrary course. We also purchased
about a thousand yards of coarse cotton cloth, made in the mills at
Lima, and put up for mountain travel in bales of half a mule-load;
hatchets, knives, tinder-boxes, fish-hooks, beads, looking-glasses,
cotton handkerchiefs, ribbons, and cheap trinkets, which we thought
might take the fancy of the Indians, and purchase us services and food
when money would not. These things were also put up in boxes of the
same size and shape, and each equal to half a mule-load. Our trunks
were arranged in the same way, so that they might be lashed one on each
side of the mule's back, with an India-rubber bag, (also obtained from
the Raritan,) which carried our bedclothes, put on top in the space
between them. This makes a compact and easily-handled load; and every
traveller in the Cordillera should take care to arrange his baggage in
this way, and have, as far as possible, everything under lock and key,
and in water-tight chests. Such small, incongruous articles as our pots
and pans for cooking, our tent, and particularly the tent-pole, which
was carried _fore and aft_ above a cargo, and which, from its length,
was poking into everything, and constantly getting awry, gave us more
trouble than anything else.
Our bedding consisted of the saddle-cloths, a stout blanket, and
anything else that could be packed in the India-rubber bag. An
Englishman, from New Holland, whom I met in Lima, gave me a coverlet
made of the skins of a kind of racoon, which served me many a good turn;
and often, when in the cold of the Cordillera I wrapped myself in its
warm folds, I felt a thrill of gratitude for the thoughtful kindness
which had provided me with such a comfort. We purchased thick flannel
shirts, _ponchos_, of India-rubber, wool, and cotton, and had straw
hats, covered with oil-cloth, and fitted with green veils, to protect
our eyes from the painful affections which often occur by the sudden
bursting out of the sunlight upon the masses of snow that lie forever
upon the mountain tops.
We carried two small kegs—one containing brandy, for drinking, and
the other the common rum of the country, called _Ron de Quemar_, for
burning; also, some coarse knives, forks, spoons, tin cups, and plates.
I did not carry, as I should have done, a few cases of preserved meat,
sardines, cheese, &c., which would have given us a much more agreeable
meal than we often got on the road; but I did carry, in the India-rubber
bags, quite a large quantity of biscuit, which I had baked in Lima,
which served a very good purpose, and lasted us to Tarma.
We had the mules fitted with the heavy, deep-seated box saddles of
Peru. I believe the English saddle would be much more comfortable, and
probably as safe to the rider accustomed to it; but it would be almost
impossible with these to preserve the skin of the mule from chafe. The
Peruvian saddles rest entirely upon the ribs of the animal, which are
protected by at least six yards of a coarse woollen fabric manufactured
in the country, called _jerga_, and touch the back-bone nowhere. These
saddles are a wooden box frame, stuffed thickly on the inside, and
covered outwardly with buckskin. They are fitted with heavy, square,
wooden stirrups, which are thought to preserve the legs from contact
with projecting rocks, and, being lined with fur, to keep the feet warm.
There is also a heavy breast-strap and crupper for steep ascents and
descents; and a thick _pillon_, or mat, made of thrums of cotton, silk,
or hair, is thrown over the saddle, to make the seat soft. The reins and
head-stall of the bridle should be broad and strong, and the bit the
coarse and powerful one of the country. Our guns, in leathern cases,
were slung to the crupper, and the pistols carried in holsters, made
with large pockets, to carry powder-flasks, percussion caps, specimens
that we might pick up on the road, &c. A small box of instruments for
skinning birds and dissecting animals; a medicine chest, containing,
among other things, some arsenical soap, for preserving skins; a few
reams of coarse paper, for drying leaves and plants; chart paper, in a
tin case; passports and other papers, also in a tin case; note-books,
pencils, &c., completed our outfit. A chest was made, with compartments
for the sextant, artificial horizon, boiling-point apparatus, camera
lucida, and spy-glass. The chronometer was carried in the pocket, and
the barometer, slung in a leathern case made for it, at the saddle-bow
of Mr. Gibbon's mule.
On the 15th of May I engaged the services of an _arriero_, or muleteer.
He engaged to furnish beasts to carry the party and its baggage from
Lima to Tarma at ten dollars the head, stopping on the road wherever
I pleased, and as long as I pleased, for that sum. An ordinary train
of baggage mules may be had on the same route for about seven dollars
the head. The arrieros of Peru, as a class, have a very indifferent
reputation for faithfulness and honesty, and those on the route, (that
from Lima to Cerro Pasco,) to which my friend particularly belonged,
are said to be the worst of their class. He was a thin, spare, dark
Indian, of the _Sierra_ or mountain land, about forty-five years of
age, with keen, black eye, thin moustache, and deliberate in his speech
and gesture. I thought I had seldom seen a worse face; but Mr. McCall
said that he was rather better looking than the generality of them. He
managed to cheat me very soon after our acquaintance.
Arrieros, when they supply as many mules as I had engaged, always
furnish a _peon_, or assistant, to help load and unload, and take care
of the mules. Mine, taking advantage of my ignorance in these matters,
said to me that his _peon_ was "_desanimado_," (disheartened,) was
afraid of the "_Piedra Parada_," or upright rock, where we were to
cross the Cordillera, and had backed out; but that he himself could very
well attend to the mules if I would be good enough to let him have the
occasional assistance of my Indian servant. I unwarily promised, which
was the cause of a good deal of difficulty; but when the old rascal
complained of over-work and sickness on the road, I had an answer for
him which always silenced him—that is, that it was his own cupidity
and dishonesty which caused it, and that if he did not work and behave
himself, I would discharge him without pay, and send back to Lima for
another.
I directed him to bring the mules to the hotel door on the 20th; but,
upon his finding that this was Tuesday, he demurred, saying that it was
an unlucky day, and that no arriero was willing to start on that day,
but that Monday was lucky, and begged that I would be ready by then.
This I could not do; so that on Wednesday, the 21st of May, we loaded
up, though I had to cajole, and finally to bribe the old fellow, to take
on all the baggage, which he represented to be too much for his beasts.
I did wrong to start, for the party was short of a servant allowed by
my instructions. (I had not been able to get one in Lima, except at
an unreasonable price, and depended upon getting one in some of the
towns of the Sierra.) The arriero needed a peon, and the mules were
overloaded. I would strongly advise all travellers in these parts to
imitate the conduct of the Jesuits, whose first day's journey is to
load their burden mules, saddle and mount their riding-mules; go twice
round the patio or square, on the inside of their dwelling, to see that
everything is prepared and fits properly; and then unload and wait for
the morning. However, I foresaw a longer delay by unloading again than I
was willing to make; and after a hard morning's work in drumming up the
Peruvian part of the expedition, (these people have not the slightest
idea that a man will start on a journey on the day he proposes,) the
party, consisting of myself, Mr. Gibbon, Mr. Richards, Mr. Ijurra,
Mauricio, an Indian of _Chamicuros_, (a village on the Huallaga,) and
the arriero, Pablo Luis Arredondo, with seven burden-mules, defiled out
by the Gate of Marvels, (_Puerta de Maravillas_,) and took the broad
and beaten road that ascends the left bank of the Rimac.