Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-04-29

nay be said TO belong to the houses There others
the neighborhood They glad to travellers to
ear the news for they are shut out from the world
AZ night was politely given the centre Of the oor OF
OF the houses for my bed Three slept side
me and the pretty woman of the house on the other
With sucking baby between us which seemed to have
post extraordinary appetite for milk and kepta constant
nufiiing and pulling like young pup The houses are
uilt with bamboos placed about four inches apart that
ir may pass After all got asleep something made
near our heads and in the morning tracks Of large
tger indicated his desire for baby. The thought
e must be monster by the prints, and pointed to
ne had his paw through the opening but his arm
vas not long enough. They seldom so daring and
10 must have been mmoderatey hungry.
At the base of the Andes, where hundred
ultivating the coca plant embraced by Padre Re-
eio, franciscan missionary from Italy. We are now
the eastern frontier settlements and the end of the
pad for mules. The only way to shorten the distance
etween us and the Atlantic to dsmount and cut
tay through the forest foot The underground is
ck that III difficult to where the tigers and other
fild animals get through.
jose left in charge Of the mules. With barome-
pr and poncho slung to my back revolver in belt and
bng knifs in hand pushed through the woods accom-
hy the Padre Leechler and four Indians. The
lis WYstled and called sPaititi J" Merto," aCaha-
valsdor" and his four brave dogs bounded ahead
as rangera
us to the bask the Cosnipata river, in the territory
Of the Chuncho savages The stream is very swift with
rocky bed forty yards wide; the water of greensh
er The descent Of the stream is very gradual but not
here and there present striking contrast with the spark
ling tributaries amidst the glaciers of the Andes Leech
Ter shot two wild turkeys, and fine fish, which helped
out boiled rice and parched corn for supper.
One of tie Indians taken sick administered three
antibliouspis which cured him. Cutting enough balsa
wood early the morning, the logs fastened toge
ther, and the first North Amercan-buit raft launched
upon this tributary Of the Amazon. embarked with
Leecher nd old Indian for the opposite shore There
were falls above and below the current swift We
poed part of the way but found the river too deep
for that process We landed rocky little island, af
being nearly carried the falls Leecher lost the
basa his for the padre; the current too
strong for him, and he had to swim for ife while opr
baqus carried down stream and wrecked against the
rocks At P. M. thermometer in the sun 1902; tenn
perate of the river water 70 In the evening Leecher
more timber he swan and spent the night On the
island with In preference to sleeping in the woods
laydown upon the rocks under heavy rain with loud
caps Of thunder which echoed up the Andes. At mid
night the old Indian called from bed Of water The
river was rising, the night dark and rain poured
down. match was lit when it was discovered we could
not escape We the rushing waters between us and
the shores When the mountain torrents suddenly rise
the rivers below flooded by which sweep every
thing before them. sudden rise of three feet would
carry off Leeohler assured could not gain the
shore by swimming. mark was placed by the edge Of
the water and seated ourselves very uncomforaby to
await fate The roaring Of the waters terrible
The old Indian hears the dogs bark and think the
Chunchos are attacking the padre on the main land
mySeI
the stream continue to rise its present rate must be
lost Suddenly the old Indian looking up turned to me
with bghtnng eyes, pointed the southeast and said in
Quchua, daybreak This great relief particular
ly the Indian smile it expressive, natural,
and knowing. As the daylight the storm cleared
off, and survey our prison. The waters had turned
muddy, the drift wood dancing by great logs
rolled they foated Down. The wild toucan, with
its large beak, screamed as it few to it's nest the
fish seemed to rejoice at the food jumping up the air
though making signs for the river to rise while the
good old padre, dressed in his snucoored robes,
toned to the waters were subsidng The made
by the rapid motion Of the water in md-channe were
quite as high as our heads and the island much reduced
in size.
away and gained the opposite main land. Leechler
lost second basa trying to the stream to the island
again for the Indian and another night was spent with
the party divided Our provisions were getting short
small bamboo basa was now constructed the barometer,
pistols and clothing put upon it. My provisions were
left with the old Indian and he told to remain there
until we returned. He said if he was left alone the
Chunchos would murder him the tigers would devour
him at night if we left him he would jump into the
river But he was again directed to remain where he
while sought help, to take care OF his prov-
sions and he would be with his friends. He told
Leechler he would obey but he must first bring over his
coca,' which on the opposite side.
With Leecher one side of the bamboo raft and
the other jumped into the stream and after hard work
swimming gained the padre in time to save our raft
from passing over the falls In the evening at
San Miguel farm after three days hard work and two
nights without Sleep Resting ourselves we found great
difficulty in getting persons to 20 with after the old
Indian The padre made spirited speech to them which
had the desired effect. In the evening encamped at
the junction of the Tono and Cosnipatan rivers To
my great Joy the old Indian down opposite to
after being called by Leecher he built his fire in sight
Of ours In the morning early feed tree the
sTono where it cuts through mass Of rocks, and de-
scending along the banks of that stream for dis
tance we came to smooth place in the river. Another
raft was built which rescued the old Indian but also
lost and we saved the by telling large tree the
rocks to which they clung
The old Indian had eaten all he had the night left
him. and very hungry He was delighted to get
his coca and handed the cigars gave him to smoke
man had treated him. After following the Tono ell day
we the river PhpiG with width of forty yards
saw at could get further, but it salts
faction behold these two rivers the Tono and PhpiG
Join and form the head Of river called by the Quchua
Indians Amars Mayu, Serpent river) which Padre Re-
vello had not long since named the Rio Madre de Dos,
for the the Chunchos had killed number of
oes and Quichua Indians and after destroying their
little church. had thrown the Catholic image of the Virgin
into tributary stream whence it had foated down and
was found on q rock in the centre of aru-Mayu.
This stream is very swift, about seventy yards wde
and not navgable at the point saw it, which in la
tude 12o 32 SOUTH longitude 0o 26 west Of Greenwich
and by barometrcal measurement 1877 feet above the
Pacific ocean; showing descent from the first flower
the side of the ridge in sight of feet Small hills
intercept view of the river after it turns Leechler
informs me that the Cascarleros from prominent places
this side the Andes have Indians crossing the
g Madre de Dios in canoes among islands short dis
tance below u.s. and that the river is very winding in its
course through stream
called "Marcapata to the west of u.s. flowing northwest
which probably falls into the Madre de Dios below. The