Upper Amazon. Miles. Letitia to Loreto 37 Loreto to Pebas 144 Pebas to Iquitos 117 Iquitos to Tamshiyacu 20 Tamshiyacu to mouth of the Ucayali river 43 Mouth of the Ucayali river to Nauta 6 Nauta to San Regis 50 San Regis to Santa Cruz de Parinari 28 Santa Cruz de Parinari to Parinari 20 Parinari to Vaca Marina 41 Vaca Marina to Elvira 18 Elvira to San Pedro 41 San Pedro to Fontevera 15 Fontevera to mouth of the Huallaga river 22 Mouth of the Huallaga river to Cedro Isla 15 Cedro Isla to mouth of the Pastaza river 69 Mouth of the Pastaza river to Barranca 31 Barranca to Mouth of the Potro river 19 Mouth of the Potro river to mouth of the Morona river 12 Mouth of the Morona river to Limon 12 Limon to Punta Achual 24 Punta Achual to Borja 48 From the Atlantic to Borja, the head of navigation, 2660 miles. Borja to Lake Laracocha 500 Source of the Amazon. Length of the Amazon river from its source to its mouth, 3160 miles.
The Huallaga has its source in Lake Chiquicoba, flows by the important central city of Huanaco, and thence in a direction nearly north, for 450 miles, until its confluence with the Amazon. The mouth of the Huallaga is 2430 miles distant from the Atlantic, and its current is about 3 miles per hour. Eighteen feet of water can usually be carried up to Yurimaguas, and steamers ascend 40 miles higher to a place called Rumicallarina; above Rumicallarina the river is navigable for a great distance by canoes. About 8 miles below Yurimaguas the river is divided by an island, on each side of which there are sand-bars that steamers drawing more than 11 feet of water are sometimes unable to pass during the months of June, July and August.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2447 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2473 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2528 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
Latitude, 5° 5' 55" south; longitude, 75° 59' 58" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 47' east; thermometer, 77°; elevation above sea-level, 440 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2554 miles; current, 3-1/4 miles per hour.
The advantage which Yurimaguas possesses over all the other river ports on the Upper Amazon is that of its being the point where travelers from Lima and articles of export from Moyubamba, a city of 10,000 inhabitants, meet the steamers from Para. Canoes ascend the Huallaga from Yurimaguas to Chasuta in eight days and make the return trip in three; from Chasuta there is a mule road to Moyubamba, Chachapoyas and Cajamarca, and from the latter place a railway runs to Lima. This is the best route from the Amazon to the Pacific coast, and the only one which does not involve long marches on foot. Steamers drawing five or six feet of water could make regular trips to Chasuta at any season of the year, even at lowest water, and meeting larger steamers at Yurimaguas would establish better communication with the rich country of the interior. On the Huallaga, above Yurimaguas and a little back from the river, are to be found the best locations for colonies. Thirty miles above Yurimaguas, on the right bank of the river, is situated Shucushiyacu, a place well known as commanding a fine view of mountain and river scenery.