the naturalist on the river amazons-第10部分

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h　other；　the　pairs　being　separated　by　regular　intervals；　their　bright　colours；　however；　were　not　apparent　at　that　height。　After　breakfast　we　devoted　the　hours　from　10　a。m。　to　2　or　3　p。m。　to　entomology；　the　best　time　for　insects　in　the　forest　being　a　little　before　the　greatest　heat　of　the　day。

The　heat　increased　rapidly　towards　two　o'clock　（92　and　93　Fahr。）；　by　which　time　every　voice　of　bird　or　mammal　was　hushed；　only　in　the　trees　was　heard　at　intervals　the　harsh　whirr　of　a　cicada。　The　leaves；　which　were　so　moist　and　fresh　in　early　morning；　now　become　lax　and　drooping；　the　flowers　shed　their　petals。　Our　neighbours；　the　Indian　and　Mulatto　inhabitants　of　the　open　palm…　thatched　huts；　as　we　returned　home　fatigued　with　our　ramble；　were　either　asleep　in　their　hammocks　or　seated　on　mats　in　the　shade；　too　languid　even　to　talk。　On　most　days　in　June　and　July　a　heavy　shower　would　fall　some　time　in　the　afternoon；　producing　a　most　welcome　coolness。　The　approach　of　the　rain…clouds　was　after　a　uniform　fashion　very　interesting　to　observe。　First；　the　cool　sea…　breeze；　which　commenced　to　blow　about　ten　o'clock；　and　which　had　increased　in　force　with　the　increasing　power　of　the　sun；　would　flag　and　finally　die　away。　The　heat　and　electric　tension　of　the　atmosphere　would　then　become　almost　insupportable。　Languor　and　uneasiness　would　seize　on　every　one；　even　the　denizens　of　the　forest；　betraying　it　by　their　motions。　White　clouds　would　appear　in　the　cast　and　gather　into　cumuli；　with　an　increasing　blackness　along　their　lower　portions。　The　whole　eastern　horizon　would　become　almost　suddenly　black；　and　this　would　spread　upwards；　the　sun　at　length　becoming　obscured。　Then　the　rush　of　a　mighty　wind　is　heard　through　the　forest；　swaying　the　tree…tops；　a　vivid　flash　of　lightning　bursts　forth；　then　a　crash　of　thunder；　and　down　streams　the　deluging　rain。　Such　storms　soon　cease；　leaving　bluish…black；　motionless　clouds　in　the　sky　until　night。　Meantime　all　nature　is　refreshed；　but　heaps　of　flower…petals　and　fallen　leaves　are　seen　under　the　trees。　Towards　evening　life　revives　again；　and　the　ringing　uproar　is　resumed　from　bush　and　tree。　The　following　morning　the　sun　again　rises　in　a　cloudless　sky；　and　so　the　cycle　is　completed；　spring；　summer；　and　autumn；　as　it　were；　in　one　tropical　day。

The　days　are　more　or　less　like　this　throughout　the　year　in　this　country。　A　little　difference　exists　between　the　dry　and　wet　seasons；　but　generally；　the　dry　season；　which　lasts　from　July　to　December；　is　varied　with　showers；　and　the　wet；　from　January　to　June；　with　sunny　days。　It　results　from　this；　that　the　periodical　phenomena　of　plants　and　animals　do　not　take　place　at　about　the　same　time　in　all　species；　or　in　the　individuals　of　any　given　species；　as　they　do　in　temperate　countries。　Of　course　there　is　no　hybernation；　nor；　as　the　dry　season　is　not　excessive；　is　there　any　summer　torpidity　as　in　some　tropical　countries。　Plants　do　not　flower　or　shed　their　leaves；　nor　do　birds　moult；　pair；　or　breed　simultaneously。　In　Europe；　a　woodland　scene　has　its　spring；　its　summer；　its　autumn；　and　its　winter　aspects。　In　the　equatorial　forests　the　aspect　is　the　same　or　nearly　so　every　day　in　the　year：　budding；　flowering；　fruiting；　and　leaf　shedding　are　always　going　on　in　one　species　or　other。　The　activity　of　birds　and　insects　proceeds　without　interruption；　each　species　having　its　own　separate　times；　the　colonies　of　wasps；　for　instance；　do　not　die　off　annually；　leaving　only　the　queens；　as　in　cold　climates；　but　the　succession　of　generations　and　colonies　goes　on　incessantly。　It　is　never　either　spring；　summer；　or　autumn；　but　each　day　is　a　combination　of　all　three。　With　the　day　and　night　always　of　equal　length；　the　atmospheric　disturbances　of　each　day　neutralising　themselves　before　each　succeeding　morn；　with　the　sun　in　its　course　proceeding　midway　across　the　sky；　and　the　daily　temperature　the　same　within　two　or　three　degrees　throughout　the　yearhow　grand　in　its　perfect　equilibrium　and　simplicity　is　the　march　of　Nature　under　the　equator！

Our　evenings　were　generally　fully　employed　preserving　our　collections；　and　making　notes。　We　dined　at　four；　and　took　tea　about　seven　o'clock。　Sometimes　we　walked　to　the　city　to　see　Brazilian　life　or　enjoy　the　pleasures　of　European　and　American　society。　And　so　the　time　passed　away　from　June　15th　to　August　26th。　During　this　period　we　made　two　excursions　of　greater　length　to　the　rice　and　saw…mills　of　Magoary；　an　establishment　owned　by　an　American　gentleman；　Mr。　Upton；　situated　on　the　banks　of　a　creek　in　the　heart　of　the　forest；　about　twelve　miles　from　Para。　I　will　narrate　some　of　the　incidents　of　these　excursions；　and　give　an　account　of　the　more　interesting　observations　made　on　the　Natural　History　and　inhabitants　of　these　interior　creeks　and　forests。

Our　first　trip　to　the　mills　was　by　land。　The　creek　on　whose　banks　they　stand；　the　Iritiri；　communicates　with　the　river　Pars；　through　another　larger　creek；　the　Magoary；　so　that　there　is　a　passage　by　water；　but　this　is　about　twenty　miles　round。　We　started　at　sunrise；　taking　Isidoro　with　us。　The　road　plunged　at　once　into　the　forest　after　leaving　Nazareth；　so　that　in　a　few　minutes　we　were　enveloped　in　shade。　For　some　distance　the　woods　were　of　second　growth；　the　original　forest　near　the　town　having　been　formerly　cleared　or　thinned。　They　were　dense　and　impenetrable　on　account　of　the　close　growth　of　the　young　trees　and　the　mass　of　thorny　shrubs　and　creepers。　These　thickets　swarmed　with　ants　and　ant…thrushes；　they　were　also　frequented　by　a　species　of　puff…throated　manikin；　a　little　bird　which　flies　occasionally　across　the　road；　emitting　a　strange　noise；　made；　I　believe；　with　its　wings；　and　resembling　the　clatter　of　a　small　wooden　rattle。

A　mile　or　a　mile　and　a　half　further　on；　the　character　of　the　woods　began　to　change；　and　we　then　found　ourselves　in　the　primaeval　forest。　The　appearance　was　greatly　different　from　that　of　the　swampy　tract　I　have　already　described。　The　land　was　rather　more　elevated　and　undulating；　the　many　swamp　plants　with　their　long　and　broad　leaves　were　wanting；　and　there　was　less　underwood；　although　the　trees　were　wider　apart。　Through　this　wilderness　the　road　continued　for　seven　or　eight　miles。　The　same　unbroken　forest　extends　all　the　way　to　Maranham　and　in　other　directions；　as　we　were　told；　a　distance　of　about　300　miles　southward　and　eastward　of　Para。　In　almost　every　hollow　part　the　road　was　crossed　by　a　brook；　whose　cold；　dark；　leaf…stained　waters　were　bridged　over　by　tree　trunks。　The　ground　was　carpeted；　as　usual；　by　Lycopodiums；　but　it　was　also　encumbered　with　masses　of　vegetable　debris　and　a　thick　coating　of　dead　leaves。　Fruits　of　many　kinds　were　scattered　about；　amongst　which　were　many　sorts　of　beans；　some　of　the　pods　a　foot　long；　flat　and　leathery　in　texture；　others　hard　as　stone。　In　one　place　there　was　a　quantity　of　large　empty　wooden　vessels；　which　Isidoro　told　us　fell　from　the　Sapucaya　tree。　They　are　called　Monkey's　drinking…cups　（Cuyas　de　Macaco）；　and　are　the　capsules　which　contain　the　nuts　sold　under　the　name　just　mentioned；　in　Covent　Garden　Market。　At　the　top　of　the　vessel　is　a　circular　hole；　in　which　a　natural　lid　fits　neatly。　When　the　nuts　are　ripe　this　lid　becomes　loosened　and　the　heavy　cup　falls　with　a　crash；　scattering　the　nuts　over　the　ground。　The　tree　which　yields　the　nut　（Lecythis　ollaria）；　is　of　immense　height。　It　is　closely　allied　to　the　Brazil…nut　tree　（Bertholletia　excelsa）；　whose　seeds　are　also　enclosed　in　large　woody　vessels；　but　these　have　no　lid；　and　fall　to　the　ground　intact。　This　is　the　reason　why　the　one　kind　of　nut　is　so　much　dearer　than　the　other。　The　Sapucaya　is　not　less　abundant；　probably；　than　the　Bertholletia；　but　its　nuts　in　falling　are　scattered　about　and　eaten　by　wild　animals；　whilst　the　full；　whole　capsules　of　Brazil…nuts　are　collected　by　the　natives。

What　attracted　us　chiefly　were　the　colossal　trees。　The　general　run　of　trees　had　not　remarkably　thick　stems；　the　great　and　uniform　height　to　which　they　grow　without　emitting　a　branch；　was　a　much　more　noticeable　feature　than　their　thickness；　but　at　intervals　of　a　furlong　or　so　a　veritable　giant　towered　up。　Only　one　of　these　monstrous　trees　can　grow　within　a　given　space；　it　monopolises　the　domain；　and　none　but　individuals　of　much　inferior　size　can　find　a　footing　near　it。　The　cylindrical　trunks　of　these　larger　trees　were　generally　about　twenty　to　twenty…five　feet　in　circumference。　Von　Martius　mentions　having　measured　trees　in　the　Para　district　belonging　to　various　species　（Symphonia　coccinea；　Lecythis　sp。　and　Crataeva　Tapia）；　which　were　fifty　to　sixty　feet　in　girth　at　the　point　where　they　become　cylindrical。　The　height　of　the　vast　column…like　stems　could　not　be　less　than　100　feet　from　the　ground　to　their　lowest　branch。　Mr。　Leavens；　at　the　sawmills；　told　me　they　frequently　squared　logs　for　sawing　a　hundred　feet　long；　of　the　Pao　d'Arco　and　the　Massaranduba。　The　total　height　of　these　trees；　stem　and　crown　together；　may　be　estimated　at　from　180　to　200　feet；　where　one　of　them　stands；　the　vast　dome　of　foliage　rises　above　the　other　forest　trees　as　a　domed　cathedral　does　above　the　other　buildings　in　a　city。

A　very　remarkable　feature　in　these　trees　is　the　growth　of　buttress…shaped　projections　around　the　lower　part　of　their　stems。　The　spaces　between　these　buttresses；　which　are　generally　thin　walls　of　wood；　form　spacious　chambers；　and　may　be　compared　to　stalls　in　a　stable；　some　of　them　are　large　enough　to　hold　a　half…　dozen　persons。　The　purpose　of　these　structures　is　as　obvious；　at　the　first　glance；　as　that　of　the　similar　props　of　brickwork　which　support　a　high　wall。　They　are　not　peculiar　to　one　species；　but　are　common　to　most　of　the　larger　forest　trees。　Their　nature　and　manner　of　growth　are　explained　when　a　series　of　young　trees　of　different　ages　is　examined。　It　is　then　seen　that　they　are　the　roots　which　have　raised　themselves　ridge…like　out　of　the　earth；　growing　gradually　upwards　as　the　increasing　height　of　the　tree　required　augmented　support。　Thus；　they　are　plainly　intended　to　sustain　the　massive　crown　and　trunk　in　these　crowded　forests；　where　lateral　growth　of　the　roots　in　the　earth　is　rendered　difficult　by　the　multitude　of　competitors。

The　other　grand　forest　trees　whose　native　names　we　learned；　were　the　Moiratinga　（the　White　or　King　tree）；