the naturalist on the river amazons-第12部分

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the　land；　but　instead　of　having　a　constant　current　one　way；　they　have　a　regular　ebb　and　flow　with　the　tide。　The　natives　call　them；　in　the　Tupi　language；　Igarapes；　or　canoe…paths。　The　igarapes　and　furos　or　channels；　which　are　infinite　in　number　in　this　great　river　delta；　are　characteristic　of　the　country。　The　land　is　everywhere　covered　with　impenetrable　forests；　the　houses　and　villages　are　all　on　the　waterside；　and　nearly　all　communication　is　by　water。　This　semi…aquatic　life　of　the　people　is　one　of　the　most　interesting　features　of　the　country。　For　short　excursions；　and　for　fishing　in　still　waters；　a　small　boat；　called　montaria；　is　universally　used。　It　is　made　of　five　planks；　a　broad　one　for　the　bottom；　bent　into　the　proper　shape　by　the　action　of　heat；　two　narrow　ones　for　the　sides；　and　two　small　triangular　pieces　for　stem　and　stern。　It　has　no　rudder；　the　paddle　serves　for　both　steering　and　propelling。　The　montaria　takes　here　the　place　of　the　horse；　mule；　or　camel　of　other　regions。　Besides　one　or　more　montarias；　almost　every　family　has　a　larger　canoe；　called　igarite。　This　is　fitted　with　two　masts；　a　rudder；　and　keel；　and　has　an　arched　awning　or　cabin　near　the　stern；　made　of　a　framework　of　tough　lianas　thatched　with　palm　leaves。　In　the　igarite　they　will　cross　stormy　rivers　fifteen　or　twenty　miles　broad。　The　natives　are　all　boat…builders。　It　is　often　remarked；　by　white　residents；　that　an　Indian　is　a　carpenter　and　shipwright　by　intuition。　It　is　astonishing　to　see　in　what　crazy　vessels　these　people　will　risk　themselves。　I　have　seen　Indians　cross　rivers　in　a　leaky　montaria；　when　it　required　the　nicest　equilibrium　to　keep　the　leak　just　above　water；　a　movement　of　a　hair's　breadth　would　send　all　to　the　bottom；　but　they　managed　to　cross　in　safety。　They　are　especially　careful　when　they　have　strangers　under　their　charge；　and　it　is　the　custom　of　Brazilian　and　Portuguese　travellers　to　leave　the　whole　management　to　them。　When　they　are　alone　they　are　more　reckless；　and　often　have　to　swim　for　their　lives。　If　a　squall　overtakes　them　as　they　are　crossing　in　a　heavily…laden　canoe；　they　all　jump　overboard　and　swim　about　until　the　heavy　sea　subsides；　then　they　re…embark。

A　few　words　on　the　aboriginal　population　of　the　Para　estuary　will　not　be　out　of　place　here。　The　banks　of　the　Para　were　originally　inhabited　by　a　number　of　distinct　tribes；　who；　in　their　habits；　resembled　very　much　the　natives　of　the　sea…coast　from　Maranham　to　Bahia。　It　is　related　that　one　large　tribe；　the　Tupinambas；　migrated　from　Pernambuco　to　the　Amazons。　One　fact　seems　to　be　well…established；　namely；　that　all　the　coast　tribes　were　far　more　advanced　in　civilisation；　and　milder　in　their　manners；　than　the　savages　who　inhabited　the　interior　lands　of　Brazil。　They　were　settled　in　villages；　and　addicted　to　agriculture。　They　navigated　the　rivers　in　large　canoes；　called　ubas；　made　of　immense　hollowed…out　tree　trunks；　in　these　they　used　to　go　on　war　expeditions；　carrying　in　the　prows　their　trophies　and　calabash　rattles；　whose　clatter　was　meant　to　intimidate　their　enemies。　They　were　gentle　in　disposition；　and　received　the　early　Portuguese　settlers　with　great　friendliness。　The　inland　savages；　on　the　other　hand；　led　a　wandering　life；　as　they　do　at　the　present　time；　only　coming　down　occasionally　to　rob　the　plantations　of　the　coast　tribes；　who　always　entertained　the　greatest　enmity　towards　them。

The　original　Indian　tribes　of　the　district　are　now　either　civilised；　or　have　amalgamated　with　the　white　and　negro　immigrants。　Their　distinguishing　tribal　names　have　long　been　forgotten；　and　the　race　bears　now　the　general　appellation　of　Tapuyo；　which　seems　to　have　been　one　of　the　names　of　the　ancient　Tupinambas。　The　Indians　of　the　interior；　still　remaining　in　the　savage　state；　are　called　by　the　Brazilians　Indios；　or　Gentios　（Heathens）。　All　the　semi…civilised　Tapuyos　of　the　villages；　and　in　fact　the　inhabitants　of　retired　places　generally；　speak　the　Lingoa　geral；　a　language　adapted　by　the　Jesuit　missionaries　from　the　original　idiom　of　the　Tupinambas。　The　language　of　the　Guaranis；　a　nation　living　on　the　banks　of　the　Paraguay；　is　a　dialect　of　it；　and　hence　it　is　called　by　philologists　the　Tupi…　Guarani　language；　printed　grammars　of　it　are　always　on　sale　at　the　shops　of　the　Para　booksellers。　The　fact　of　one　language　having　been　spoken　over　so　wide　an　extent　of　country　as　that　from　the　Amazons　to　Paraguay；　is　quite　an　isolated　one　in　this　country；　and　points　to　considerable　migrations　of　the　Indian　tribes　in　former　times。　At　present　the　languages　spoken　by　neighbouring　tribes　on　the　banks　of　the　interior　rivers　are　totally　distinct；　on　the　Jurua；　even　scattered　hordes　belonging　to　the　same　tribe　are　not　able　to　understand　each　other。

The　civilised　Tapuyo　of　Para　differs　in　no　essential　point；　in　physical　or　moral　qualities；　from　the　Indian　of　the　interior。　He　is　more　stoutly　built；　being　better　fed　than　some　of　them；　but　in　this　respect　there　are　great　differences　amongst　the　tribes　themselves。　He　presents　all　the　chief　characteristics　of　the　American　red　man。　The　skin　of　a　coppery　brown　colour；　the　features　of　the　face　broad；　and　the　hair　black；　thick；　and　straight。　He　is　generally　about　the　middle　height；　thick…set；　has　a　broad　muscular　chest；　well…shaped　but　somewhat　thick　legs　and　arms；　and　small　hands　and　feet。　The　cheek　bones　are　not　generally　prominent；　the　eyes　are　black；　and　seldom　oblique　like　those　of　the　Tartar　races　of　Eastern　Asia；　which　are　supposed　to　have　sprung　from　the　same　original　stock　as　the　American　red　man。　The　features　exhibit　scarcely　any　mobility　of　expression；　this　is　connected　with　the　excessively　apathetic　and　undemonstrative　character　of　the　race。　They　never　betray；　in　fact　they　do　not　feel　keenly；　the　emotions　of　joy；　grief；　wonder；　fear；　and　so　forth。　They　can　never　be　excited　to　enthusiasm；　but　they　have　strong　affections；　especially　those　connected　with　family。　It　is　commonly　stated　by　the　whites　and　negroes　that　the　Tapuyo　is　ungrateful。　Brazilian　mistresses　of　households；　who　have　much　experience　of　Indians；　have　always　a　long　list　of　instances　to　relate　to　the　stranger；　showing　their　base　ingratitude。　They　certainly　do　not　appear　to　remember　or　think　of　repaying　benefits；　but　this　is　probably　because　they　did　not　require；　and　do　not　value　such　benefits　as　their　would…be　masters　confer　upon　them。　I　have　known　instances　of　attachment　and　fidelity　on　the　part　of　Indians　towards　their　masters；　but　these　are　exceptional　cases。　All　the　actions　of　the　Indian　show　that　his　ruling　desire　is　to　be　let　alone；　he　is　attached　to　his　home；　his　quiet　monotonous　forest　and　river　life；　he　likes　to　go　to　towns　occasionally；　to　see　the　wonders　introduced　by　the　white　man；　but　he　has　a　great　repugnance　to　living　in　the　midst　of　the　crowd；　he　prefers　handicraft　to　field　labour；　and　especially　dislikes　binding　himself　to　regular　labour　for　hire。　He　is　shy　and　uneasy　before　strangers；　but　if　they　visit　his　abode；　he　treats　them　well；　for　he　has　a　rooted　appreciation　of　the　duty　of　hospitality；　there　is　a　pride　about　him；　and　being　naturally　formal　and　polite；　he　acts　the　host　with　great　dignity。　He　withdraws　from　towns　as　soon　as　the　stir　of　civilisation　begins　to　make　itself　felt。　When　we　first　arrived　at　Para　many　Indian　families　resided　there；　for　the　mode　of　living　at　that　time　was　more　like　that　of　a　large　village　than　a　city；　but　as　soon　as　river　steamers　and　more　business　activity　were　introduced；　they　all　gradually　took　themselves　away。

These　characteristics　of　the　Para　Indians　are　applicable；　of　course；　to　some　extent；　to　the　Mamelucos；　who　now　constitute　a　great　proportion　of　the　population。　The　inflexibility　of　character　of　the　Indian；　and　his　total　inability　to　accommodate　himself　to　new　arrangements；　will　infallibly　lead　to　his　extinction；　as　immigrants；　endowed　with　more　supple　organisations；　increase；　and　civilisation　advances　in　the　Amazon　region。　But；　as　the　different　races　amalgamate　readily；　and　the　offspring　of　white　and　Indian　often　become　distinguished　Brazilian　citizens；　there　is　little　reason　to　regret　the　fate　of　the　race。　Formerly　the　Indian　was　harshly　treated；　and　even　now　he　is　so；　in　many　parts　of　the　interior。　But；　according　to　the　laws　of　Brazil；　he　is　a　free　citizen；　having　equal　privileges　with　the　whites；　and　there　are　very　strong　enactments　providing　against　the　enslaving　and　ill…treatment　of　the　Indians。　The　residents　of　the　interior；　who　have　no　higher　principles　to　counteract　instinctive　selfishness　or　antipathy　of　race；　cannot　comprehend　why　they　are　not　allowed　to　compel　Indians　to　work　for　them；　seeing　that　they　will　not　do　it　of　their　own　accord。　The　inevitable　result　of　the　conflict　of　interests　between　a　European　and　a　weaker　indigenous　race；　when　the　two　come　in　contact；　is　the　sacrifice　of　the　latter。　In　the　Para　district；　the　Indians　are　no　longer　enslaved；　but　they　are　deprived　of　their　lands；　and　this　they　feel　bitterly；　as　one　of　them；　an　industrious　and　worthy　man；　related　to　me。　Is　not　a　similar　state　of　things　now　exhibited　in　New　Zealand；　between　the　Maoris　and　the　English　colonists？

It　is　very　interesting　to　read　of　the　bitter　contests　that　were　carried　on　from　the　year　1570　to　1759；　between　the　Portuguese　immigrants　in　Brazil；　and　the　Jesuit　and　other　missionaries。　They　were　similar　to　those　which　have　recently　taken　place　in　South　Africa；　between　the　Beers　and　the　English　missionaries；　but　they　were　on　a　much　larger　scale。　The　Jesuits；　as　far　as　I　could　glean　from　tradition　and　history；　were　actuated　by　the　same　motives　as　our　missionaries；　and　they　seemed　like　them　to　have　been；　in　great　measure；　successful；　in　teaching　the　pure　and　elevated　Christian　morality　to　the　simple　natives。　But　the　attempt　was　vain　to　protect　the　weaker　race　from　the　inevitable　ruin　which　awaited　it　in　the　natural　struggle　with　the　stronger　one；　in　1759；　the　white　colonists　finally　prevailed；　the　Jesuits　were　forced　to　leave　the　country；　and　the　fifty…one　happy　mission　villages　went　to　ruin。　Since　then；　the　aboriginal　race　has　gone　on　decreasing　in　numbers　under　the　treatment　which　it　has　received；　it　is　now；　as　I　have　already　stated；　protected　by　the　laws　of　the　central　government。

On　our　second　visit　to　the　mills；　we　stayed　ten　days。　There　is　a　large　reser