The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XII, No. 2 [‎301v] (105/154)

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THE MONTHLY RECORD.
detailed account of a journey made by him in 1894:, accompanied by his brother,
Carl Rimbach, to the upper Amazon, for the purpose of studying the physical
features, and especially the vegetation, of some of the less known parts of that
region. Starting from Cuenca, between the two main chains of the Andes of
Ecuador, the travellers first proceeded northward to Riobamba, near the headwaters
of the Pastaza, it being their object to descend this little known stream to its con
fluence with the Maranon. Between the basin of Cuenca and that of Riobamba,
the Azuay range (14,700 feet, andesite) had to be crossed, and Dr. Rimbach gives
some interesting notes on the character of the vegetation at different altitudes, and
on the varying aspect of the Andean ranges visible during the journey. The route
totheMarahon via the Pastaza was used by the missionaries j)f Quito in De la
Condamine’s time, and was even followed by Madame Godin in 1 < 69 on her adven
turous journey to join her husband, one of the French astronomers who took part
in the measurement of the degree in the equatorial regions of South America. It
appears to have fallen into disuse of late years, and the path to Canelos, a mission
station on the Bobonaza, was so indistinct as to be missed even by Dr. Rimbach’s
cruide, who had often traversed it before. The passage of the eastern cordillera is
made by a deep cleft at the northern foot of the volcano of Tunguragua, on the
slopes of which the travellers could distinguish the lava stream due to the eruption
of 1886. At the village of Banos, within the pass, the travellers found the inhabi
tants much exercised in mind on account of the Peruvian encroachments, and were
taken for spies of that nation. Soon after passing this the vegetation characteristic
of the Sierra was replaced by forest, which, however, did not at once assume the
moist tropical character typical of the lower regions. The numerous tributaries of
the Pastaza mostly emptied themselves into the main stream by waterfalls from
small plateaux, which are chosen as the sites of settlements. At Canelos, the
travellers were detained some weeks by swelling and ulceration of the feet, due to
the long marches through the forest. The route was continued by canoe down the
Bobonaza and Pastazi amid incessant rain, which caused the river to rise rapidly,
flooding its low-lying banks, and bringing down trunks of trees in dangerous
quantities. Below the village of Andoas, at the mouth of the Bobonaza, the banks
of the Pastaza were quite uninhabited, except at two spots where Peruvian rubber
collectors had settled. One of the Indians of the party having been bitten by a
poisonous snake, Dr. Rimbach allowed his escort to return, while he and his brother
continued the canoe voyage alone, finally reaching the Maranon, and continuing
down that stream to the station of Parinari. A compass survey of the Pastaza
was carried out, and its course as given by Dr. Rimbach, differs considerably from
that shown on the maps. A sketch of the complete river system of the northern
tributaries of the Maranon, based on Dr. Rimbach’s observations and inquiries,
accompanies the paper. The Maranon, too, was found to be much swollen at the
end of May, the chief period of high water lasting from February to May, while a
smaller rise takes place in October and November. After exploring the banks of the
Samiria, a small stream which enters the Maranon just bslow Parinari, the travellers
proceeded by steamer to Yurimaguas, on the Huallaga, and thence by land to the
coast via Moyobamba, Chachapoyas, and Cajamarca. This route involved the
crossing of five high ranges, and gave many opportunities of studying the varying
aspects of climate and vegetation in Northern Peru. The forest region which had
continued without intermission since the descent from the highlands of Ecuador
ceased near Moyobamba, the western slopes of the cordillera east of that place
showing a tendency to a xerophytic character. On both branches of the central
cordillera the contrast between the moist vegetation of the eastern, and the dry
vegetation of the western slopes is most marked, while on both branches of the