of Tarapoto and Cumbasa are stationed four companies of militia, to guard the frontiers, and prevent the irruptions of the surrounding barbarous tribes.
Father Sobreviela was employed until the 18th in regulating the affairs of the above-mentioned towns, which had hitherto been but little subjected to his jurisdiction,[1] and in projecting an Indian settlement in the vicinity of the Huallaga, to spare navigators the three leagues from its banks to the port of Juan de Guerra. On that day he was joined by father Girbal, rector of Cumbasa, who, stimulated by his apostolical zeal, and by the persuasions of the licentiate Don Pedro Valverde, superior of the Maynas missions, was desirous to penetrate to Manoa. At one o’clock they embarked at the port of Juan de Guerra; and at half past two reached the Huallaga, encountering shortly after the dangerous pass of Estera. Here it was necessary to drag the canoes with ropes along the western bank. In the vicinity of this pass our travellers spent the night. On the 19th they set out at break of day, and by four in the morning came to another dangerous pass named Chumia, where they were obliged to have recourse to the same expedient as on the other occasion, dragging the canoes along the right bank. A few hours after, they reached Yuracyacu, at which place they had to perform a similar manœuvre at the left bank; and at half past two in the afternoon came to the Salto (flight) de Aguirre, navigating to the right.[2] Here the hills on each side unite, and narrowing the bed of the river, form by their junction the small strait at which they finally terminate.
- ↑ The Lamas missions belonged originally to the Franciscan monks, by whom they were afterwards assigned to the Jesuits, who maintained them until they were expatriated. In their stead the Franciscans were again entrusted with this charge, of which they were shortly after deprived, and the missions bestowed on the secular clergy. Lamas, Tarapoto, and Cumbasa, being now under the spiritual charge of a single rector, who resided at the former of these places, and the inhabitants of the latter perceiving that they could not receive the attendance which they desired, an application was made to the viceroy, to place them under the spiritual direction of the priests of Ocopa. This was done in the year 1789, when Tarapoto and Cumbasa were separated from the jurisdction of the rectory of the city of Lamas. In the year 1790 the above-mentioned companies were established by command of the viceroy.
- ↑ According to the traditions of the Lamas Indians, this pass was denominated Salto de Aguirre, in consequence of a person named Aguirre having there killed a terrible bird, which, issuing from the caverns of the adjacent hills, raised the passengers into the air in his talons, and dashed them to pieces against the surrounding rocks. This relation is worthy of a place among the flying dragons and other
cylinder by the woman, six or eight threads are twisted at a single turn, and are gradually drawn out to a considerable length. In this manner a woman spins more in one hour, than another with her distaff in twenty-four.
