  In writing this biographical sketch I have performed not a task, but a labor of love, for I was, during many years, both in times of peace and of war, intimately associated with the distinguished sailor whose career I have attempted to trace. The appendix was added in consequence of letters I received asking for information in regard to the navigation of the upper Amazon river and its tributaries, a highway for commerce destined to be much better known in the near future than it is at present. J.H.R. Courtland, Virginia, PART I.The Tuckers — Birth of John Randolph Tucker. Boyhood — Appointed a Midshipman in the United States Navy — First Cruise — "The Roaring Lads of the Brandywine" — Passes Examination for Promotion — Appointed a Past Midshipman — Promoted to the Rank of Lieutenant — Marriage — Mexican War. Capture of Tobasco — Commands United States Bomb-Brig Stromboli — Made a Commander — Commands United States Receiving Ship Pennsylvania — Ordnance Officer at the Norfolk Navy Yard — Resigns on the Secession of Virginia During the first years of the present century John Tucker, of the Island of Bermuda, came to Virginia, where resided many of his kinsmen, a branch of the Tucker family having settled in Virginia prior to the War of the Revolution. The family has produced a number of gifted men who have been honorably prominent in the political and social life of the State, but no member of it has been more distinguished or more esteemed than the subject of the present sketch. John Randolph Tucker was born on the 31st day of January, 1812, at Alexandria, near Washington, on Young Tucker received his early education in the good private schools of his native city, which he continued to attend until he entered the United States Navy as a midshipman on the 1st of June, 1826, being then in the fifteenth year of his age. The profession upon which he entered was one for which he was by nature peculiarly adapted, and to the end of his days he loved the sea and all that was connected with the life of a sailor. It has been said of a great admiral that he could perform with his own hands the duties of every station on board a ship-of-war, from seaman-gunner to admiral, and the same may be, without exaggeration, said of Tucker. He was fortunate in beginning his naval career on the Mediterranean Station, where he made his first cruise in the frigate Brandywine. Before the establishment of the Naval Academy at Annapolis the best school for training a cadet in the etiquette, spirit and, perhaps, even in the seamanship of the service, was a smart frigate of the Mediterranean Squadron. If we may trust the traditions which have been handed down to us in song and story about "the roaring lads of the Brandywine," the training on board the ship in which Tucker first served was well calculated to develop all that was dashing and daring in the young gentlemen of her steerage mess. His last cruise whilst belonging to the United States Navy was made as executive officer of the frigate Cumberland, the flag-ship of Flag-Officer Stringham, on the Mediterranean Station, thus ending his active service in the United States Navy where it began, after an interval of thirty years. Soon after his promotion to a lieutenancy Tucker was married, at Norfolk, Virginia, on the 7th of June, 1838, to Virginia, daughter of Captain Thomas Tarleton Webb, of the United States Navy. This union was, uninterruptedly, most happy and harmonious until it was dissolved by the death of Mrs. Tucker in 1858. She left several children, three of whom—Randolph Tucker, of Richmond, Virginia; Tarleton Webb Tucker, of Memphis, Tennessee; and Virginius On September 14th, 1855, Tucker received his commission as a Commander, and at the same time was ordered to command the Pennsylvania, an old three-decker ship-of-the-line which was in commission as receiving-ship at Norfolk. His next duty was as Ordnance Officer of the Norfolk Navy Yard, and it was whilst he was employed on this duty that the secession of Virginia caused him to forward his resignation to the Secretary of the Navy. There is no intention of discussing in this biographical sketch the questions which were in controversy between the Northern and Southern States until they were finally settled by the arbitrament of arms; it is sufficient to say that nothing but the sincerest conviction that the highest duty required the sacrifice could have induced an officer in Tucker's position to leave an established and an illustrious navy to enter the service of a people who had neither ships nor sailors. PART II.ToCAppointed a Commander in the Virginia Navy — In Charge of the Defenses of James River — Transferred to the Confederate States Navy — Placed in Command of the Patrick Henry — Fitting Out Under Difficulties — First Partially Armored American Vessel. Lieutenant Powell's Plan for Armored Gunboats — Officers of the Patrick Henry — Guarding James River — Scaling the Guns — "Naval Skirmish" — A Flag Which Was Not Presented — Battle of Hampton Roads. Sinking of the Cumberland; an American Vengeur — Burning of the Congress — Combat Between the Virginia and the Monitor — Flag-officer Tatnall Takes Command of the Confederate Squadron — Sally Into Hampton Roads — Plan for Carrying the Monitor by Boarding — Evacuation of Norfolk — Towing Unfinished Gunboats to Richmond — Federal Squadron Enters James River — Crews of the Patrick Henry, Jamestown and Virginia man the Naval Batteries at Drewry's Bluff — Action at Drewry's Bluff — The Galena; a Well-Fought Vessel. Repulse of the Federal Squadron — Tucker ordered To Command the Iron-clad Steamer Tucker was appointed a Commander in the Virginia Navy, with rank from the date of the commission in the United States Navy which he had resigned. He was at first assigned by the Governor When Virginia became one of the Confederate States, all the officers of the Virginia Navy were transferred to the Confederate States Navy, with the same rank they had held in the United States Navy. The Patrick Henry was also transferred by the State of Virginia to the Confederate States. This vessel was a paddle-wheel steamer of about 1,400 tons burthen; she was called the Yorktown before the war, and was one of a line of steamers running between Richmond and New York; she was reputed to be a fast boat, and deserved the reputation. When Virginia seceded this vessel was in James river, and, together with her sister steamer Jamestown, of the same line, was seized by the authorities of the State, taken up to the Rockett's wharf, at Richmond, and the command conferred, as has been said, upon Commander Tucker; this assignment of duty being afterwards confirmed by the Secretary of the Confederate States Navy. Naval Constructor Joseph Pearse, with a number of mechanics from the Norfolk Navy Yard, who had been brought to Richmond for the purpose, commenced the necessary alterations, which had previously been determined upon, and in a short time the passenger steamer Yorktown was converted into the very creditable man-of-war Patrick Henry, of 12 guns and one hundred and fifty officers and men. Lieutenant William Llewellyn Powell, who soon afterwards The armament of the Patrick Henry consisted of ten medium 32-pounders in broadside, one ten-inch shell gun pivoted forward, and one eight-inch solid-shot gun pivoted aft. The eight-inch solid-shot gun was the most effective gun on board, and did good service both at the battle of Hampton Roads and the repulse of the Federal squadron at Drewry's Bluff. The captain of this gun was an excellent seaman-gunner named Smith, who was afterwards The Patrick Henry was rigged as a brigantine, square yards to the foremast and fore-and-aft sails alone to the mainmast. At Norfolk, when she was about to be employed in running by the batteries of Newport News at night, it was thought best to take both of her masts out in order to make her less liable to be discovered by the enemy. Signal poles, carrying no sails, were substituted in their place. No list of the officers of the Patrick Henry at the time she went into commission can now be given, but the following is a list of those on board at the battle of Hampton Roads, so far as can be ascertained: Commander John Randolph Tucker, commander; Lieutenant James Henry Rochelle, executive officer; Lieutenants William Sharp and Francis Lyell Hoge; Surgeon John T. Mason; Paymaster Thomas Richmond Ware; Passed Assistant Surgeon Frederick Garretson; Acting Master Lewis Parrish; Chief Engineer Hugh Clark; Lieutenant of Marines Richard T. Henderson; Midshipmen John Tyler Walker, Alexander McComb Mason, and M.P. Goodwyn. To relieve the monotony of the irksome duty on which the Patrick Henry was employed, Tucker determined to take her down the river, feel of the enemy, and warn him of what might be expected if boat expeditions should attempt to ascend the river. On the afternoon of Friday, September 13th, 1861, the Patrick Henry weighed her anchor at Mulberry Island, and steamed down James river towards Newport News. Choosing her distance from that point, she opened fire upon the Federal squadron, which was promptly returned, principally by the Savannah, Louisiana, and a battery of light artillery, which had been moved up the left bank of the river. After giving the crew a good exercise at their guns, the Patrick Henry was steamed back to her anchorage off Mulberry Island. In February, 1862, the ladies of Charles City, a county bordering on James river, desired to present to the Patrick Henry a flag which they had made for her as an evidence of their appreciation of her services in keeping boat expeditions and the enemy's small steamers from ascending the river. But the presentation of this flag did not take place; the C.S. steamers Jamestown, 2, and Teaser, v, had reinforced the Patrick Henry, and such incessant preparations were going on that no time could be spared for the ceremony. The occasion of these preparations was the expectation of being soon engaged in the attack which it was understood that the Confederate iron-clad Virginia was about to make on the Federal batteries and men-of-war at Newport News. No care or preparation could make the Patrick Henry as well fitted for war as a vessel of the same size built especially for the military marine service; but the best that could be done to make her efficient was done, and not without success, as the part the vessel took in the closely following battle of Hampton Roads conclusively demonstrates. On the 7th of March, 1862, the James river squadron, consisting of the Patrick Henry, 12, Commander J.R. Tucker; Jamestown, 2, Lieutenant Commanding J.N. Barney, and Teaser, 1, Lieutenant Commanding W.A. Webb, proceeded down the river, and anchored at nightfall off Day's Neck Point, some six miles distant from Newport News. The 8th of March, 1862, was a bright, placid, beautiful day—more like a May than a March day. About 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the Virginia came steaming out from behind Craney Island, attended by the gunboats Beaufort and Raleigh. As soon as the Virginia was seen, the James river squadron got underway under all the steam the boilers would bear, and proceeded to join her in her attack on the enemy. As Tucker's small squadron approached the Newport News batteries he formed it in line ahead, the Patrick Henry, 12, leading; next the Jamestown, 2, and lastly the Teaser, 1; this order being maintained until the batteries were passed. The batteries were run with less loss than was anticipated; the enemy probably expected the Confederate vessels to pass in the usual channel, about eight hundred yards from the guns of the Federal works, but by Tucker's directions the Patrick Henry was run by much nearer the batteries, and the Jamestown and Teaser followed her closely. Probably in consequence of this deviation from the middle of the channel the Federal guns were not well aimed, and most of the shot from the batteries passed over the Confederate vessels. As the James river squadron ranged up abreast of the first battery, the vessels delivered their fire, and the flash from their guns had scarcely vanished when the Federal works were wrapped in smoke, and their Whilst the James river squadron was passing the batteries, the Virginia had rammed and sunk the Cumberland, a ship which was fought most gallantly to the bitter end, going down with her colors flying and her guns firing, like the celebrated French ship Vengeur. Having run by the batteries with no material damage, the James river squadron joined the Virginia and afforded her valuable aid in the battle she was waging. Whilst the forward guns of the Patrick Henry were engaging one enemy, the after guns were firing at another, and the situation of the Confederate wooden vessels at this time seemed well nigh desperate. The Newport News batteries were on one side, on the other the frigates Minnesota, St. Lawrence and Roanoke were coming up from Old Point Comfort, and in front the beach was lined with field batteries and sharpshooters. Fortunately for the wooden vessels, both Confederate and Federal, the Minnesota, St. Lawrence and Roanoke grounded, and the smaller vessels which accompanied them returned to Old Point Comfort. The Minnesota, though aground, was near enough to take part in the The frigate Congress, early in the action, had been run aground, with a white flag flying. Tucker, as soon as he saw that the Congress had shown a white flag, gave orders that no shot should be fired at her from the Patrick Henry, and he steadily refused to let any gun be aimed at her, notwithstanding that the Confederate gunboats Raleigh, Teaser and Beaufort had attempted to take possession of the surrendered vessel, and had been driven off by a heavy artillery and infantry fire from the Federal troops on the beach. After the Confederate gunboats had been forced to retire from the Congress, Flag-Officer Buchanan hailed the Patrick Henry and directed Commander Tucker to burn that frigate. The pilots of the Patrick Henry declared they could not take her alongside of the Congress on account of an intervening shoal, which determined Tucker to approach as near as the shoal would permit and then send his boats to burn the Federal frigate. The boats were prepared for the service, and the boats' crews and officers held ready whilst the Patrick Henry steamed in towards the Congress. This movement of the Patrick Henry placed her in the most imminent peril; she was brought under the continuous and concentrated fire of three points; on her port quarters were the batteries of Newport News, on her port bow the field batteries and sharpshooters on the beach, and on her starboard bow the Minnesota. It soon became evident that no wooden The engineers soon got one boiler in working order. The other was so badly damaged that they were unable to repair it for immediate use, and with steam on one boiler alone the Patrick Henry was again taken into action. The closing in of night put an end to the conflict, as in the dark it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe. The victory remained without dispute with the Confederate squadron, and was witnessed, as was the combat between the Virginia and the Monitor on the day following, by multitudes of spectators from Norfolk and the neighboring camps of the Confederate troops, as well as by many on the Federal side of the Roads. It has been stated that the total Federal loss in this battle was nearly four hundred. The numerical strength of the Confederate force engaged was about six hundred, of which the total loss was about sixty. The loss on board the Patrick Henry being five killed and nine wounded. The part taken by the Patrick Henry in this battle—it was a battle and not a combat—seems to have been lost sight of in consequence of the great power, as a new force in naval warfare, displayed by the Virginia, but the Federal commanders bear witness to the efficient service done by the Confederate wooden vessels. Lieutenant Commanding Pendergrast, of the Congress, reported that "the Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson (Jamestown), rebel steamers, approached us from up the James river, The closing in of night having put an end to hostilities until morning, the Confederate squadrons anchored under Sewell's Point, at the mouth of the harbor of Norfolk. The crews were kept busy until a late hour of the night, making such repairs and preparations as were necessary for resuming operations in the morning. Soon after midnight a column of fire ascended in the darkness, followed by a terrific explosion—the Federal frigate Congress, which had been on fire all the evening, had blown up, the fire having reached her magazine. Flag Officer Buchanan, having been wounded in the action, was sent to the Naval Hospital at Norfolk on the morning of the 9th, just prior to the getting under way of the squadron. The command ought, in conformity with military and naval usage, to have been formally transferred to the next senior officer of the squadron, who was Commander J.R. Tucker, of the Patrick Henry; but this obviously proper course was not followed, and Flag Officer Buchanan's flag was kept flying on board the Virginia, though he himself, in point of fact, was not and could not be in command of that vessel, or the Confederate squadron, since he was not within signal distance of either, being laid up in bed at the At the first peep of dawn, on the morning of the 9th of March, the Confederate squadron was under way, having in view for its first object the destruction of the Minnesota, that frigate being still aground near Newport News. As the daylight increased, the Minnesota was discovered in her old position, but no longer alone and unsupported. Close alongside of her there lay such a craft as the eyes of a seaman does not delight to look upon; no masts, no smokestack, no guns—at least nothing of the sort could be seen about her. And yet the thing had a grim, pugnacious look, as if there was tremendous power of some sort inherent in her, and ready to be manifested whenever the occasion required it. The Monitor (for it was that famous vessel) promptly steamed out to meet the Virginia, as the latter vessel bore down on the Minnesota, and the celebrated combat between these iron-clads was joined immediately. It was the first action that had ever been fought between armored vessels, and as such will ever be remembered and commented upon. The combat resulted in a drawn fight as far as the Virginia and Monitor was concerned, but it established the power of iron-clad steamers as engines of war, and completely revolutionized the construction of the navies of the world. That the combat between the Virginia and the Monitor was an indecisive action is clear. The On her return to Norfolk harbor, the Virginia was accompanied by the Patrick Henry and the other vessels of the Confederate squadron. The Confederate wooden steamers had taken no part in the action between the Virginia and the Monitor, except to fire an occasional shot at the Monitor, as she passed, at very long range; no wooden vessel could have floated a quarter of an hour in an engagement at close quarters with either of the two iron-clads. Flag Officer Tatnall having relieved Flag Officer Buchanan, who was incapacitated from command on account of severe wounds received in the first day's fight in Hampton Roads, and all the vessels of the squadron having been refitted, on the 13th of April the squadron again sallied out to attack the enemy. The Confederate squadron steamed about in Hampton Roads for two days, but the Monitor did not leave her anchorage at Fortress Monroe, her passiveness being due, it seems, to orders from Washington not to engage the Virginia unless she attempted to pass Old Point Comfort. General J. Bankhead Magruder, commanding the Confederate Army of the Peninsula, was urgent in demanding the return of the James river squadron, and consequently the Patrick Henry and Jamestown were ordered to run by the Newport News batteries at night, and resume their old duty in James river. The Jamestown ran up the river on the 19th and the Patrick Henry on the 20th of April; the Beaufort, Raleigh and Teaser were also sent up the river; the headquarters of this detached squadron, of which Tucker was the senior officer, was at Mulberry Island, on which point rested the right flank of the Confederate Army of the Peninsula. When the Confederate authorities determined upon the evacuation of Norfolk, the James river squadron was employed to remove what public property could be saved from the Navy Yard to Richmond. The hulls of several uncompleted vessels were towed past the Federal batteries at Newport News. The running past the batteries was always done at night, moonless nights being chosen whenever it was practicable to select the time of making the trip. So far as known, the vessels employed on this service were never detected by the enemy; at least they were never fired upon. Soon after the evacuation of Norfolk, whilst the Confederate forces were retiring from the Peninsula to the lines around Richmond, a Federal squadron, consisting of the Monitor, Galena, Naugatuck, Aroostook and Port Royal, entered James river. The Monitor alone could with ease and without serious injury to herself have destroyed in fight all the Confederate vessels in James river, and no course was open to Tucker but to take his squadron up the river and make a stand at the place below Richmond best adapted for defense. The place most wisely selected was Drewry's Bluff, where the river had been obstructed by rows of piles, and the piles defended by four army guns mounted in a The naval guns were manned by the crews of the Patrick Henry, Jamestown and Virginia—the crew of the Virginia arriving at the bluff soon after she had been destroyed by Flag Officer Tatnall, to prevent her from falling into the hands of the enemy. It is not always possible for a sea captain to preserve the vessel he commands; but it is always possible to act with firmness, skill and judgment under trying and adverse circumstances, and this Flag Officer Tatnall The following naval officers may be named as participating in the engagement of Drewry's Bluff, though there were others whose names are not at this time procurable: Of the Patrick Henry, Commander John Randolph Tucker, Lieutenant James Henry Rochelle, Lieutenant Francis Lyell Hoge, and others; of the Jamestown, Lieutenant Commanding J. Nicholas Barney, Acting Master Samuel Barron, Jr., and others; of the Virginia, Lieutenant Catesby Roger Jones, Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, Lieutenant John Taylor Wood, Lieutenant Walter Raleigh Butt, and others. Commander E. Farrand was the ranking and commanding officer present, having been sent down from Richmond to command the station. It was on the 15th of May, 1862, that the Federal vessels Galena, Monitor, Naugatuck, Aroostook, and Port Royal made the well-known attack on the Confederate batteries at Drewry's Bluff, which was the only obstacle barring the way to Richmond, the capital of the Confederate States. The Galena and Monitor engaged the batteries at short distance, the other three Federal vessels keeping just within long range of the Confederate guns. The Monitor, after the action commenced, finding that her position was too near the bluff to allow of her guns being elevated sufficiently to throw their shot to the crest of the cliff, retired to a more favorable position. The Confederates wasted but The Galena was managed and fought with great skill and daring. Approaching to within about six hundred yards of the Confederate batteries, she was deliberately moored, her battery sprung and a well-directed fire opened upon the Confederate works. From half past six o'clock in the morning until about eleven, when the action ceased, she kept this position, receiving nearly the whole of the Confederate fire. The most effective gun on the Bluff was the eight-inch solid shot gun of the Patrick Henry. Knowing by previous experience the power of the gun, Tucker gave it his personal supervision. At 11 o'clock A.M. a shot from this gun passed into one of the bow posts of the Galena, and was followed by an immediate gushing forth of smoke, showing that the vessel was on fire or had sustained some serious damage, a conclusion confirmed by her moving off down the river, accompanied by the other four vessels of the Federal squadron. It was at Drewry's Bluff that Midshipman Carroll, of Maryland, was killed. He was struck by a projectile whilst standing by Tucker's side, whose aide he was. For some days it was expected that another attack on the Confederate position would be made, but no other effort to capture Richmond with iron-clads was attempted. A half a dozen armored vessels, built expressly for being forced through obstructions and by batteries, could have passed Drewry's Bluff and captured Richmond, but the force with which the attempt was actually made was neither The Galena's loss was thirteen killed and eleven wounded, and one officer and two men were wounded on board the other Federal vessels. On the Confederate side the loss, including the battalion of Artillery, as well as the force of sailors, was eleven killed and nine wounded. After the Federal repulse at Drewry's Bluff, the officers and crew of the Patrick Henry, Virginia and Jamestown were permanently attached to the naval batteries at that place, Tucker continuing to command his men on shore. In August, 1862, Tucker was ordered to command the iron-clad steamer Chicora, which vessel had just been launched at Charleston. She was a casemate iron-clad, with armor four inches in thickness, and carried a battery of two nine-inch smooth-bore shell guns, and two six-inch Brooks rifles, throwing a projectile weighing sixty pounds. Flag Officer Duncan N. Ingraham commanded the Charleston squadron, and flew his flag on board the Palmetto State, Lieutenant Commanding John Rutledge. The Palmetto State was an iron-clad, similar to the Chicora in build and armor, carrying a battery of one seven-inch rifled gun forward, one six-inch rifled gun aft, and one eight-inch shell gun on each broadside. On the night of January 31st, 1863, the two Confederate iron-clads made a successful attack on the Federal blockading squadron off Charleston. Passing the bar of Charleston harbor at early dawn, the The official report to which Flag Officer Ingraham refers the Confederate Secretary of the Navy is as follows: "Confederate States Steamer Chicora, "January 31st, 1863. "Sir—In obedience to your order, I got under way at 11.30 P.M. yesterday, and stood down the harbor in company with the Confederate States steamer Palmetto State, bearing your flag. We crossed the bar at 4.40 A.M., and commenced the action at 5.20 A.M. by firing into a schooner-rigged propeller, which we set on fire and have every reason to believe sunk, as she was nowhere to be seen at daylight. We then engaged a large sidewheel steamer, twice our length from us on the port bow, firing three shots into her with telling effect, when she made a run for it. This vessel was supposed to be the Quaker City. We then engaged a schooner-rigged propeller and a large sidewheel steamer, partially crippling both, and setting the latter on fire, causing her to strike her flag; at this time the latter vessel, supposed to be the Keystone State, was "It gives me pleasure to testify to the good conduct and efficiency of the officers and crew of the Chicora. I am particularly indebted to the pilots, Messrs. Payne and Aldert, for the skillful pilotage of the vessel." "It gives me pleasure to report that I have no injuries or casualties." "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "J.R. Tucker, Commander, C.S.N. "Flag Officer D.N. Ingraham, C.S.N., The result of this engagement was a complete demonstration of the futility of any attempt on the part of wooden vessels to contend with iron-clads. The Federal squadron consisted of the Housatonic, Meresdita, Keystone State, Quaker City, Augusta, Flag, Memphis, Stettin, Ottawa, and Unadilla, ten vessels, all of them unarmored, and three, the Housatonic, Ottawa and Unadilla, built for war service, the other seven being merchant steamers converted into men-of-war. The Confederate squadron consisted of only two vessels, both iron-clads, the Palmetto State and Chicora, which received no damage whatever during the engagement, either to their hulls, machinery, or crew, whilst several of the ten Federal wooden vessels were seriously injured, though none of them were sunk, their escape from capture or destruction being due to the swiftness of their flight. The blockade of Charleston harbor was soon, indeed immediately, re-established, and kept up by the armored frigate New Ironsides and a number of heavy "Monitors." There was, from the end of this battle to the evacuation of Charleston by the Confederates, no time when there would have been the least probability of the success of another dash by the Confederate vessels in the harbor upon the Federal squadron blockading. In the month of February, 1863, Tucker was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Provisional Navy of the Confederate States, and in March following was appointed Flag Officer of the Confederate Forces Afloat at Charleston, the Chicora bearing his flag. On the 7th of April, 1863, Admiral Dupont made his attack on Charleston, with a squadron consisting of the armored frigate New Ironsides and eight "Monitors." Tucker, with his usual good judgment, held the Chicora and Palmetto State, aided by a number of rowboats armed with torpedoes, ready to make a desperate and final assault upon the Federal squadron if it should succeed in passing the Confederate forts guarding the entrance to the harbor. Admiral Dupont's squadron was repulsed by the forts, and the Confederate squadron was not engaged. The Confederate naval forces afloat at Charleston did not possess either the strength or swiftness necessary for an attack on the Federal blockading The boat attack on Fort Sumter, made by the Federals on September 8th, 1863, was easily repulsed, and the Charleston squadron materially aided in the repulse. A battalion of sailors from the recruits on board the receiving-ship Indian Chief, under the command Early in 1864 some changes were made in the commanding officers of the squadron; Commander Isaac Newton Brown was ordered to the Charleston, Commander Thomas T. Hunter to the Chicora, and Lieutenant Commanding James Henry Rochelle to the Palmetto State. No other changes were made in the commands of the squadron while it existed. The three iron-clads under Tucker's command at Charleston were all slow vessels, with imperfect engines, which required frequent repairing; for that day, and considering the paucity of naval resources in the South, they were fairly officered, manned and armed. All of them were clad with armor four inches thick, and they were all of the type of the Virginia, or Merrimac, as that vessel is frequently but erroneously called. The commander of the vessels were all formerly officers of the United States Navy, who were citizens of the Southern States and had resigned their commissions in the Federal service when their States seceded from the Union. The lieutenants and other officers were appointed from civil life, but they were competent to perform the duties required of them, and conducted themselves well at all times and under all circumstances. The crews of each vessel numbered from one hundred Every night one or two of the iron-clads anchored in the channel near Fort Sumter for the purpose of resisting a night attack on that place or a dash into the harbor by the Federal squadron. Not long before the evacuation of Charleston an iron-clad named the Columbia was launched there. She had a thickness of six inches of iron on her casemate, and was otherwise superior to the other three iron-clads of the squadron. Unfortunately, she was run aground whilst coming out of dock, and so much injured as not to be able to render any service whatever. Charleston was evacuated by the Confederate forces on the 18th of February, 1865. Several days previous to the evacuation a detachment from the squadron of about three hundred men, under the command of Lieutenant Commanding James Henry Rochelle, consisting of the officers and crews of the Palmetto State, Columbia, and the recruits from the receiving-ship Indian Chief, were dispatched by rail to Wilmington, which the detachment reached only a few days before it was, in turn, abandoned by the With the officers and crews of the Charleston and Chicora, Tucker left Charleston on the 18th of February, 1865, the day of the evacuation of the city by the Confederate Army. As far as Florence in South Carolina the Charleston naval brigade traveled by rail, but at that point Tucker received a telegram informing him that the Federal forces were about cutting the railway communication between Florence and Wilmington. This was the last message that came over the wires, and Tucker, knowing that the enemy had succeeded in seizing the railroad, abandoned his intention of making for Wilmington, and marched his command across the country to Fayetteville, where he received orders from the Navy Department to bring his force to Richmond. On the way from Fayetteville to Richmond the detached Charleston naval battalion was reunited to the main When Tucker took command at Drewry's Bluff the Confederate cause was at its last gasp. Richmond was evacuated by the Confederate Army and Government on the night of the 2d of April, 1865. Strange to relate, Tucker received no orders to retire with his command, and he held his post steadily until, early on the morning of the 3d, the Confederate iron-clads in James river were burnt by their own commanders. When he knew the troops were marching out of Richmond and saw the Confederate iron-clads burning in the river, Tucker thought it was not only justifiable but necessary for him to act without orders, and he retired with his command from Drewry's Bluff. General R.E. Lee told Tucker, when they met, that of all the mistakes committed by the Richmond authorities he regretted none more than the neglect to apprise the naval force at Drewry's Bluff of the intended evacuation of the city. The naval brigade from Drewry's Bluff, under Flag Officer Tucker, joined the rear guard of the Confederate Army, and was attached to General Custis Lee's division of General Ewell's corps, with which it marched until the battle of Saylor's Creek on the 16th of April, 1865. The naval brigade held Tucker was sent North and confined as a prisoner of war until the entire cessation of hostilities, when he was released on parole. On his return to Virginia he found that both the Confederate and State Governments were things of the past, and that he would have to mend his broken fortunes, if mend them he could, by engaging in the business pursuits of civil life. He succeeded, not without difficulty, in obtaining employment as an agent of the Southern Express Company, and was stationed at Raleigh, North Carolina, to take charge of the business matters of the Company in that city. FOOTNOTES PART III.ToCTucker Offered the Command of the Peruvian Fleet, With the Rank of Rear Admiral — Arrives in Lima — No Precedent for the Return of Money — Commissioned a Rear Admiral in the Navy of Peru — Commands the Allied Fleets of Peru and Chile — Spanish War — Tucker's Plan for a Naval Campaign; Projected Expedition Against Manila — Cessation of Hostilities — Tucker Retires From the Command of the Fleet, and Is Appointed President of the Peruvian Hydrographical Commission of the Amazon — Crosses the Andes and Reaches the Amazon — Explores the Yavari River — Ordered to the United States to Superintend the Building of an Exploring Steamer — Returns to the Amazon With Steamer Tambo. Expedition Up the Ucayali and Exploration of the Tambo River — Ordered to the United States to Procure a Steamer of Light Draught of Water — Returns to the Amazon With Steamer Mairo — Second Expedition Up the Ucayali — Canoe Expedition Up the Pachitea and Exploration of the Pichis River — Expedition Up the Amazon and Huallaga Rivers — Ordered to Lima. Ordered to New York to Superintend the While residing in Raleigh, North Carolina, Tucker received a letter from the Peruvian Minister to the United States, requesting an interview on affairs of importance. Going to Washington, Tucker saw the Minister, and the result of the interview was that he accepted a proposition to go to Peru and enter the Navy of that Republic as a rear-admiral, his commission to be dated from the time of his arrival at Lima. He was allowed to take with him two staff officers, one with the rank of captain and the other with that of commander. When Tucker entered the Navy of Peru, that Republic was engaged in a war with Spain. Spain had never recognized the independence of her former South American colonies, and thinking a favorable opportunity had arisen for asserting her dormant claims, the Spanish Government sent an iron-clad frigate, accompanied by several smaller vessels, to attack the Chilean and Peruvian seaport cities on the Pacific coast. The attack upon Valparaiso, the chief port of Chile, was successful, but the Spanish Tucker arrived in Lima accompanied by his personal staff, David Porter McCorkle, captain of the fleet, and Walter Raleigh Butt, commander and aide. Just before their leaving New York the Peruvian Minister handed Tucker a bag of gold, with which he was told to pay all the traveling expenses of himself and staff; this was done, but when the party arrived at Lima the bag was still half full. Tucker insisted on returning this surplus to the Government, but there was no precedent for such a thing, and it was not without some difficulty that there could be found an officer of the treasury authorized to receive and receipt for the unexpected money. The Peruvian squadron was lying at Valparaiso when Tucker hoisted his flag on board the frigate Independencia. The Chilean squadron was also lying at Valparaiso, and Tucker, as senior officer present, was in command of the allied fleets of both Peru and Chile. An efficient state of drill and discipline was soon established in the fleets. A feeble attempt at mutiny broke out on one occasion during the temporary absence of Tucker, but it was easily quelled without bloodshed, and no similar attempt was ever again made whilst Tucker was in command. Officers of the Peruvian Navy, who were themselves opposed to giving foreigners high rank in their service, admitted that the fleet had never been in so good a condition for effective service as whilst it was under Tucker. The Spanish squadron had retired from the coast, but was expected to return as soon as it had been refitted and revictualed, but no apprehension was felt Tucker's plan of naval operations was to sail with a small squadron, composed of the most efficient vessels under his command, for Manila, a most important dependency of Spain in the East Indies. He expected to take the Spaniards entirely by surprise, to capture all Spanish vessels in port, and to hold Manila and the other ports of the Philippine Islands until peace was established. In order to provide for the reappearance of the Spanish fleet on the coast during his absence, Tucker advised the allied Governments to enroll as a naval reserve all the Peruvian and Chilean masters, mates and crews of merchant vessels, pilots and mariners engaged in employments on shore. A part of his plan was that all merchant steamers carrying the flags of the Republics, which could be made available for war purposes, should be inspected and held ready for active service in the Navy and manned by the naval reserve whenever the Government should think it necessary to employ them. This force, with the harbor defense iron-clads, and the forts and batteries on shore, Tucker thought would be a sufficient protection for the coast, whilst his squadron of the most efficient sea-going vessels was absent in the East Indies, where the capture of Manila would have dealt a heavy blow to Spain, and rendered an honorable peace, carrying with it an acknowledgment of the This plan, which would probably have been entirely successful if carried out with skill, daring and judgment, as it would have been by Tucker, was favorably considered by the Governments of the allied Republics, but it was not carried out, probably on account of the financial embarrassments under which the Republics labored, and which rendered it exceedingly difficult to find the funds required to fit out the expedition. The Manila expedition having been abandoned, and the Spanish fleet which had been employed on the Pacific coast having returned home, Tucker requested permission to visit Lima, in order that he might lay before General Prado, President of the Republic, a plan for making an exploration and survey of the Peruvian or Upper Amazon River and its tributaries. The President heartily approved of the enterprise, for the Government was at that very time considering the practicability of opening better communications between the west coast and the eastern part of the country, and of finding an outlet by the waters of the Amazon for the rich productions of the interior. Tucker resigned his commission as rear-admiral in the Navy of the Republic, and was immediately appointed President of the Peruvian Hydrographical Commission of the Amazon. He left Lima with a full corps of assistants, and made his way across the mountains to the head of navigation on the Palcazu river, where the party was received on board a In the small steamer Naps, belonging to the Government, Tucker made an exploring expedition of two hundred and fifty miles up Yavari, the river which forms the boundary between Peru and Brazil. None of the Peruvian steamers on the Amazon being suitable for exploring and surveying purposes, the Government at Lima ordered Tucker to proceed to the United States and procure such a vessel as was required for the duty pertaining to his Commission. In obedience to this order Tucker spent some months in the United States, and had a steamer built by Messrs. Pusey, Jones & Co., of Wilmington, Delaware, expressly adapted to the navigation of the shoals and rapids of the Upper Amazon. This vessel, named the Tambo, was delivered to Tucker at Para, the Brazilian city at the mouth of the Lower Amazon. Embarking on board the Tambo, Tucker took the steamer up the river to Iquitos, where supplies were taken on board sufficient to last for several months. He then proceeded to make an important expedition up the Upper Amazon, the Ucayali and the Tambo rivers. The Tambo river had never been explored, and it was thought that it presented a feasible route for navigation to San Ramon, a military station in the heart of the interior, only Leaving Iquitos, the Tambo, with the Commission on board, passed up the Amazon to the mouth of the Ucayali river, up the Ucayali past the rapids of the "Devil's Leap," and entered the Tambo river. The Tambo was found to be a narrow stream, full of rocks and rapids and not practicable for navigation by steamers. When the steamer Tambo could ascend no higher, Tucker fitted out a small boat and pulled some twenty miles farther up the river, but everywhere found such obstructions as rendered it an impracticable route to the interior. It is, perhaps, to be regretted that time did not allow of an examination of the other affluents of the Usayali trending towards San Ramon and Tarmo. On his return to Iquitos, Tucker was again dispatched to the United States to procure another and smaller exploring steamer. During his absence Captain James Henry Rochelle was directed by the Government at Lima to take charge of the Hydrographical Commission as its acting president. After an absence of some months, Tucker returned to Iquitos with the new steamer, which was named the Mayro, and was little more than a large steam launch, intended for use where a vessel of greater draught of water could not be employed. The next expedition decided upon was for the exploration of the water route towards Huanaco, by way of the entirely unknown river Pichis. Most of In February, 1873, the Mayro, with a detachment of the Commission on board, was dispatched from Iquitos, with orders to await at the mouth of the Pachitea river the coming of the Tambo. Tucker embarked on board the Tambo on the 1st of April with the main body of the Commission, and arrived at the confluence of the Pachitea and Ucayali, seven hundred and sixty-five miles from Iquitos, on the 13th of May. The river had commenced to fall, which rendered it prudent not to ascend the Pachitea in steamers, for had one of them got aground whilst the water was falling, it would probably have remained in that situation until the next annual rise of the river. The water of the Amazon, and the same may be said of all its tributaries, begins to rise about October, and continues to increase its flood until December. In December there is a short period of no rise, or perhaps even a slight fall, after which the river again continues to rise until May, when the permanent fall commences and continues until the The annual fall of the river having set in when the Tambo reached the mouth of the Pachitea, Tucker determined to continue the expedition in canoes. Six of the largest and best canoes that could be procured from the Indians were fitted out, and the whole Commission embarked in them, accompanied by its escort of a dozen Peruvian soldiers under the command of Major Ramon Herrera. From the 19th to the 30th of May the Commission prosecuted its survey of the Pachitea without interruption, but on the 30th, at a place called Cherrecles Chingana, fifteen or twenty Cashibo Indians came down to the left or north bank of the river, and by signs and gestures signified a desire for friendly communication. The canoes were paddled in to them, and some few presents of such articles as could be spared were distributed among them, and, apparently, received most thankfully. But the Cashibos did not let the occasion pass without showing the treachery for which they are notorious. When the interview was ended, seemingly in the most amicable manner, and as the canoes of the Commission were paddling off, a flight of arrows was discharged at them by a party of Cashibos who had been lying in ambush during the interview. A few volleys from Of all the savage tribes that roam about the head waters of the Ucayali, the Cashibos alone are cannibals. They are brave, cunning and treacherous, and are only surpassed by the Campas in their hatred of the white man. The Campas inhabit the spurs and hills at the foot of the eastern Cordilleras, where the Ucayali and Pichis rivers have their origin. They are a fierce, proud and numerous tribe, and are held in great fear by their lowland neighbors. They permit no strangers, especially no whites, to enter their country, and the members of the expedition under Tucker were the first white men who ever ascended the Pichis into the regions of this warlike tribe. The canoes of the expedition entered the mouth of the Pichis on the 6th of June. Being an unknown river, it became necessary to give names to the prominent points as they were discovered; and these names were used subsequently in making the charts of the surveys of the Commission. The navigation of the Pichis was found to be clear and unobstructed from its mouth for a distance of fifteen miles up to Rochelle Island, which is in latitude 9° 57' 11" south, longitude 75° 2' 0" west of Greenwich, and three thousand one hundred miles from the Atlantic coast, following the course of the Amazon river. Rochelle Island was reached on the 7th of June, and was named after Captain James Henry Rochelle, the senior member of the On the 15th of June the expedition arrived at the head of canoe navigation on the Pichis. The point was named Port Tucker, after the president of the Commission. Port Tucker is in latitude 10° 22' 55" south, longitude 74° 49' 0" west of Greenwich, distant three thousand one hundred and sixty-seven miles from the mouth of the Amazon, following the course of the river, and one hundred and ninety miles in a direct line from the Pacific coast. The lofty mountains so plainly in sight from Port Tucker are the eastern spurs of the Andes, the chosen land of the savage and numerous Campas Indians. Several days before the expedition reached the shoals which terminate the navigation of the Pichis, the tom-toms or drums of the Campas were heard night and day beating the assembly of the warriors. The purpose for which the braves were to be assembled was not a matter about which there was the least doubt, but probably sufficient numbers were not got together in time to execute their intentions, for no attack was made on the Commission whilst it was in the Campas country. During this expedition the Palcazu river was also ascended to Port Prado, or Puerto del Mairo, the head of navigation for steamers of light draught. Two new rivers were discovered by the Commission flowing into the Pichis. One of them was named the Trinidad, from having been discovered on Trinity Sunday, and the other was called Herrera-yacu, after Major Ramon Herrera, of the Peruvian Army, who commanded the escort of the Commission. The supplies of the expedition were running too short to allow of any but a cursory examination of these two rivers. The Trinidad, trending to the westward, can only be of value as affording a water route to the plains lying between the Pichis and the Ucayali, but it is possible that the Herrera-yacu may furnish a nearer water route to Cerro de Pasco than any yet known. Whilst the canoes of the Commission were descending the Pachitea, they were attacked by the Cashibos, who assembled on the banks of the river, and, waiting until the leading canoes had passed, let fly flights of arrows at the canoe which brought up the rear. The Cashibos were dispersed by a few rounds from the On the 15th of July, 1873, the steamers Tambo and Mayro, comprising the exploring squadron, reached Iquitos after an absence of three months and ten days. From the 15th of July to the 18th of September the Hydrographical Commission was on shore at Iquitos, employed making charts of the surveys of the late expedition, whilst the steamers were being refitted for further service. On the 18th of September the Commission again embarked and proceeded to the mouth of the Yavari river, which forms the boundary between Peru and Brazil. The greatest pains were taken to properly establish this point. On a small island in the middle of the river, and very near its confluence with the Amazon, many astronomical observations were taken, resulting in giving the latitude 4° 18' 45" south, longitude 69° 53' 10" west of Greenwich, the distance from the Atlantic coast by the courses of the It would take many long years to make a thorough survey of the waters of the Amazon, which is, in fact, more of an inland sea than a river, with hundreds of branches forming a network of communicating channels extending for sixty or seventy miles on each side of the main stream. At the height of the annual floods the whole country, with the exception of the highest land, on which the towns are invariably built, is covered with water, forming a vast swamp and jungle, traversed in every direction by navigable channels, which at the season of low waters become rivers or natural canals. The principal object for which the Commission presided over by Tucker had been instituted was accomplished when the main channels of the river and of its affluents was traced from the Peruvian and Brazilian frontiers to the head of navigation of the main river and of its tributaries, so as to show the After consultation with Tucker, SeÑor Pardo, the President of the Republic, directed that charts of the surveys made by the Hydrographical Commission should be published in New York, and that Tucker and two members of the Commission should be detailed to prepare the work for the press and superintend the engraving of the plates. The other members of the Commission returned to their homes, having completed the duty for which they were engaged. There were some changes from time to time in the Peruvian Hydrographical Commission of the Amazon, but the following list of its members may be taken as correct: President—John Randolph Tucker. Members—James Henry Rochelle, David Porter McCorkle, Walter Raleigh Butt. Secretaries—TimotÉo Smith, Maurice Mesnier. Surgeon—Francis Land Galt. Civil Engineers—Manuel Charron, Manuel Rosas, Thomas Wing Sparrow, Nelson Berkeley Noland. Steam Engineers—John W. Durfey, David W. Bains. On arriving in the United States, Tucker established an office in New York, and, assisted by Captain Rochelle and Mr. Sparrow, soon had the charts and plans, with explanatory notes, ready for the Lima, Marzo 13, 1877. "Sr. J.R. Tucker. "Estimado amigo:—He recibido su apreciable carta de 10 del pasado, que me es grato contestar manifestÁndole que las graves dificultades ecÓnomicas porgue hoi atravissa la RepÚblica, oblejan el Gobierno Á dar por terminada la comiseon de que fuÉ ud encargado para la publicacion de los Mapas y Cartas topogrÁficas de las regiones Amazonicas. "En esta virtud, se sirvirÁ ud. entregar al seÑor Freyre, Ministro del PerÚ en Washington, las reforidas Cartos, Mapas, y todas las demas Útiles pertenecientes al Gobierno del PerÚ, que hoi existen en poder de la Comision que ud. preside; todo bajo de inuentario y con las formalidades necesarias. "En cuanto al pagar de sus suldos y los de los SenÑores que forman parte de esa Comision, he ordinado al Ministro de Hacienda disponga lo conveniente para su pronto abono, y juzgo que asi-luego les servan completamente satisfechos. "Deseandole a ud. la mejor conservacion, me as grato reiterarle las expresiones de mi amistad y particular estima." "Su afrino S.S. "Pardo."
|
| Lower Amazon. Miles. | |
| Atlantic ocean to Para | 75 |
| Para to Breves | 146 |
| Breves to Garupa | 123 |
| Garupa to Porto de Moz | 48 |
| Porto de Moz to Prainha | 96 |
| Prainha to Monte Alegre | 44 |
| Monte Alegre to Santarem | 60 |
| Santarem to Obidos | 68 |
| Obidos to Villa Bella | 95 |
| Villa Bella to Serpa | 137 |
| Serpa to Manaos From the Atlantic to Manaos, 1002 miles. | 110 |
| Manaos to Cudajos | 155 |
| Cudajos to Coary | 84 |
| Coary to TefÉ (Ega) | 107 |
| TefÉ (Ega) to Fonte Boa | 133 |
| Fonte Boa to Tonantius | 140 |
| Tonantius to San Paulo | 95 |
| San Paulo, mouth of the Yavari river The mouth of the Yavari marks the boundary line between Peru and Brazil on the south side of the Amazon. | 90 |
| Mouth of the Yavari to Tabatinga Brazilian frontier port on the north side of the Amazon. From the Atlantic to Tabatinga, 1825 miles. | 14 |
| Tabatinga to Letitia Peruvian frontier post. | 3 |
| 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 From the Atlantic to Borja, the head of navigation, 2660 miles. | 48 |
| Borja to Lake Laracocha Source of the Amazon. Length of the Amazon river from its source to its mouth, 3160 miles. | 500 |
HUALLAGA RIVER.
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.
LAGUNA.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2447 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
SANTA LUCIA.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2473 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
SANTA MARIA.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2528 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
YURIMAGUAS.
Latitude, 5° 5' 55" south; longitude, 75° 59' 58" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 47' east;
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.
CAINARACHI.
Distance from the Atlantic, 2592 miles; current, 3-1/4 miles per hour.
RUMICALLARINA.
Latitude, 5° 58' 32" south; longitude, 75° 47' 32" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 8° 8' 10" east; thermometer, 77°; elevation above sea-level, 486 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2600 miles; current, 3-1/2 miles per hour; depth of water, 36 feet; width of river, 200 yards.
Rumicallarina is at the head of navigation for steamers on the Huallaga. Any steamer which can ascend the river to Yurimaguas can continue on to Rumicallarina, beyond which place only five or six feet, at the season of low water, can be carried to Chasuta.
LIST OF DISTANCES ON THE HUALLAGA.
Atlantic ocean to mouth of the Huallaga, 2430 miles By the Amazon river.
| Huallaga River. Miles. | |
| Mouth of the Huallaga to Laguna | 17 |
| Laguna to Santa Lucia | 26 |
| Santa Lucia to Santa Maria | 55 |
| Santa Maria to Yurimaguas | 26 |
| Yurimaguas to Cainarachi | 38 |
| Cainarachi to Rumicallarina | 8 |
| Rumicallarina to Chasuta | 50 |
| Chasuta to Lake Chiquicoba | 300 —— |
| Length of the Huallaga river | 520 |
| Distance from the source of the Huallaga to the mouth of the Amazon | 2950 |
UCAYALI RIVER.
The Ucayali river has its origin in the Andean region, about Lake Titicaca, and flows, under various names, in a direction nearly north until it mingles its waters with those of the Amazon, to which river it bears the same relation that the Missouri does to the Mississippi; that is to say, like the Missouri, its length and volume of water entitles it to be considered a continuation and not a tributary of the main river. During the season of low water 24 feet can be carried from Nauta, at the mouth of the river, to Sarayacu; 18 feet from Sarayacu to the mouth of the Pachitea river; and 12 feet from the mouth of the Pachitea to the confluence of the Tambo and Urubamba. The average current from the mouth of the river to Pucacura is 2 miles per hour, and from Pucacura to the confluence of the Tambo and Urubamba 3 miles per hour. The Tambo is probably navigable for steamers drawing eight or ten feet of water to the confluence of the Ene and Perene, and thence the Perene would afford communication, at least by canoes, to San Ramon, a Peruvian military post; from San Ramon to Tarma, and from Tarma to Lima, would, of course, be the continuation of the route to the Pacific slope. The first step towards the opening of this most desirable of all the routes between the Pacific coast and the Amazon would be the establishment of a battalion post at the confluence of the Ene and Perene, communicating at regular and stated intervals with San Ramon. The distance between the
MOUTH OF THE UCAYALI.
Latitude, 4° 28' 30" south; longitude, 73° 21' 30" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 2' east; thermometer, 80°; elevation above sea-level, 318 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2180 miles; current, 2 miles per hour; the width of the Ucayali at its mouth is half a mile.
PUCACURA.
Latitude, 6° 4' 45" south; longitude, 75° 1' west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 22' 10" east; thermometer, 79°; elevation above sea-level, 377 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2482 miles; current, 3 miles per hour.
SARAYOCU.
Latitude, 6° 35' 15" south; longitude, 74° 58' 30" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 52' 8" east; thermometer, 79°; elevation above sea-level, 410 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2578 miles; current, 3 miles per hour; depth of water, 20 feet.
The town of Sarayacu is situated on a small creek, about three miles from the place on the river which is called the Puerto del Sarayacu. Between Pucacura and Sarayacu is Esquina, a small settlement built on high land, which extends along the river for a mile or more. This place (Esquina) and Pucacura are
PACAMASHI.
Latitude, 7° 53' 15" south; longitude, 74° 40' 45" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 51' 38" east; thermometer, 77°; elevation above sea-level, 435 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2733 miles; current, 3 miles per hour; width of the river, 600 yards.
YARINACOCHA.
Latitude, 8° 15' south; longitude, 74° 31' 30" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 38' 30" east; thermometer, 79°; elevation above sea-level, 447 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2800 miles; current, 3 miles per hour; width of river, 1200 yards.
MOUTH OF THE PACHITEA RIVER.
Latitude, 8° 43' 30" south; longitude, 74° 32' 30" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 8° 45' 40" east; thermometer, 75°; elevation above sea-level, 508 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2891 miles; current, 3 miles per hour; width of the river, 600 yards.
VUELTA DEL DIABLO.
Distance from the Atlantic, 3091 miles. This strait is the first serious difficulty encountered in ascending the Ucayali; the current dashes with much violence against the trunks of large trees which lodge in, and almost block up, the passage.
CONFLUENCE OF THE TAMBO AND URABAMBA RIVERS.
Latitude, 10° 41' south; longitude, 73° 41' west of Greenwich; elevation above sea-level, 661 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 3142 miles; depth of water, 12 feet.
ESPERANZA.
Esperanza is situated on the Perene river about 11 miles above the junction of the Ene and Perene, which form the Tambo. The navigation for steamers drawing 10 feet of water terminates at the junction of the Perene and Ene. From thence to Fort San Ramon, a distance of sixty miles, canoes could navigate, but with some difficulty, owing to the swiftness of the current, which at San Ramon runs at the rate of 6 miles per hour. Small stern-wheel, flat-bottomed steamers, such as are in use on the swift, narrow and shallow rivers west of the Mississippi, could probably
LIST OF DISTANCES ON THE UCAYALI RIVER.
PACHITEA RIVER.
The banks of the Ucayali and Pachitea, at their confluence, are low, subject to overflow and unsuitable for settlement. About nine miles above its mouth we come to the first Indian village on the Pachitea, a male Conebo hamlet, with nothing to recommend it except that it is situated on ground a little higher than the flats which surround it. On the left bank of the
MOUTH OF THE PACHITEA.
Latitude, 8° 43' 30" south; longitude, 74° 32' 30" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 8° 45' 40" east; thermometer, 75°; elevation above sea-level, 508 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2891 miles; current, 3 miles per hour; width of the Pachitea at its mouth, 400 yards.
CUÑUYACU.
Latitude, 9° 5' 52" south; longitude, 74° 48' 15" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 8° 59' 26" east; elevation above sea-level, 557 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 2951 miles; current, 2-1/2 miles per hour; width of the river, 400 yards.
CuÑuyacu means hot water, and is descriptive of the place, for there are here several thermal springs welling up from the sand beach. At Chunta Isla, between the mouth of the Pachitea and CuÑuyacu, the Cashibo Indians frequently attack from ambush strangers who are ascending the river.
INCA ROCA.
Latitude, 9° 9' 4" south; longitude, 74° 55' 45" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 8° 6' 26" east; distance
Inca Roca is a rocky beach overhung by sandstone cliffs sixty-five feet high; on the face of the cliffs are carved numerous figures, amongst them the figure of the sun and of the Llama are conspicuous, hence the place was named Inca Roca.
CONFLUENCE OF THE PALCAZU AND PICHIS RIVERS.
Latitude, 9° 54' 9" south; longitude, 74° 58' 45" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 34' 4" east; elevation above sea-level, 518 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 3082 miles; current, 2-3/4 miles per hour.
At the junction of the Palcazu and Pichis, the two rivers forming the Pachitea, there is high land suitable for a town or post.
LIST OF DISTANCES ON THE PACHITEA RIVER.
| Miles. | |
| Mouth of the Pachitea to CuÑuyacu | 60 |
| CuÑuyacu to Inca Roca | 12 |
| Inca Roca to confluence of the Pichis and Palacazu | 119 |
| From the confluence of the Pichis and Palacazu, forming the Pachitea river, to the Atlantic | 3082 |
PALACAZU RIVER.
The Palacazu is a somewhat narrow stream, with a current of 3-1/4 miles per hour and a depth which at low water will permit a steamer drawing seven feet of water to ascend to Puerto del Mairo.
PUERTO DEL MAIRO.
Latitude, 9° 55' 22" south; longitude, 75° 17' 45" west of Greenwich; thermometer, 75°; elevation above sea-level, 795 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 3119 miles; current, 3-1/2 miles per hour.
Puerto del Mairo is 45 miles distant from the large city of Huanaco, which has constant communication and trade with Lima. At present the route between Huanaco and Puerto del Mairo is only a footpath through the forest, but it is probable that a good road for pack-mules could be constructed at little expense, and that a railway is not impracticable.
PICHIS RIVER.
The Pichis is a branch of the Pachitea river. The Cashibos and Campas Indians inhabiting its banks are warlike tribes and fiercely oppose all attempts to examine their country. Nothing was known of the river, above its mouth, until it was explored and surveyed, in 1873, by the Peruvian Hydrographical Commission of the Amazon, accompanied by a military escort. It was necessary for the Commission to bestow names on notable places as they proceeded to discover them, and these names were afterwards used in making the chart of the river.
MOUTH OF THE PICHIS.
Latitude, 9° 54' 9" south; longitude, 74° 58' 45" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 34' 4" east; elevation above sea-level, 618 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 3082 miles; current, 2-1/2 miles per hour.
ROCHELLE ISLA.
Latitude, 9° 57' 11" south; longitude, 75° 2' west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 8° 35' 36" east; elevation above the sea-level, 630 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 3100 miles; current, 2-1/2 miles per hour.
Up to Rochelle Isla, named after the senior member of the Peruvian Hydrographical Commission, navigation is clear and unobstructed for any steamer that can ascend the Pachitea; that is, for any steamer not drawing more than nine feet of water. Beyond this island the navigation of the river becomes much more difficult, though not altogether impracticable. The River Trinidad, so named on account of its having been discovered on Trinity Sunday, empties itself into the Pichis ten miles above Rochelle Isla; it is a fine, large river, flowing from the eastward, with deep water and a current of 3 miles per hour at its mouth.
TEMPESTAD PLAYA.
Latitude, 10° 5' 6" south; longitude, 74° 55' 45" west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 46' east; distance from the Atlantic, 3123 miles. Tempestad Playa received its name in consequence of a violent tempest which was there encountered by the namers.
MOUTH OF THE HERRERAYACU RIVER.
Latitude, 10° 20' 3" south; longitude, 74° 54' west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 7° 59' 26" east; distance from the Atlantic, 3156 miles.
The Herrerayacu river was named after the major who commanded the escort of soldiers accompanying
PUERTO TUCKER.
Latitude, 10° 22' 55" south; longitude, 74° 49' west of Greenwich; magnetic variation, 9° 7' 30" east; elevation above sea-level, 700 feet; distance from the Atlantic, 3167 miles; current, 3-1/2 miles per hour.
Puerto Tucker was named after the President of the Hydrographical Commission. It is at the head of canoe navigation, not far from the source, of the Pichis river; from it a range of lofty mountains, distant some twenty or thirty miles, bears from S. to S.W. This range must be the eastern Cordillera of Peru.
LIST OF DISTANCES ON THE PICHIS RIVER.
| Miles. | |
| Mouth of the Pichis to the Atlantic ocean | 3082 |
| Mouth of the Pichis to Rochelle Isla | 18 |
| Rochelle Isla to mouth of Trinidad river | 10 |
| Mouth of Trinidad river to Tempestad Playa | 13 |
| Tempestad Playa to mouth of the Herrerayacu | 33 |
| Mouth of the Herrerayacu to Puerto Tucker | 11 |
| Puerto Tucker to Atlantic ocean | 3167 |
FOOTNOTES
CONCLUSION.ToC
The Upper Amazon river is destined to become much better known than it is at present; it cannot be long before commerce takes possession of such an inviting field. Ocean steamers run regularly to MaÑaos, a thousand miles from the mouth of the river, and they might extend their voyage, certainly during nine months in the year, to Nauta at the mouth of the Ucayali; from Nauta smaller steamers could ascend the Amazon to Borja, the Huallaga to Yurimaguas, and the Ucayali to the confluence of the Tambo and Urubamba. A road is projected from Limon, near Borja, to Chachapoyas, where it would connect with the route to Lima. From Yurimaguas to Mayubamba, and thence on to Lima, there is already established a much traveled route. From Esperanza, near the confluence of the Tambo and Urubamba; it is probable that flat-bottomed, stern-wheel steamers, such as are used on the Nicaragua route across Central America, could ascend the Tambo to Fort San Ramon, a place which it is to be hoped will be connected by railway with Tarma and Lima. When this latter route is opened, as it is destined to be sooner or later, it will become the great artery of communication between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America.
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