the naturalist on the river amazons-第18部分

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h　it　a　great　expanse　of　water。　The　islands　here　seem　to　form　two　pretty　regular　lines；　dividing　the　great　river　into　three　channels。　As　we　progressed　slowly；　we　took　the　montaria；　and　went　ashore；　from　time　to　time；　to　the　houses；　which　were　numerous　on　the　river　banks　as　well　as　on　the　larger　islands。　In　low　situations　they　had　a　very　unfinished　appearance；　being　mere　frameworks　raised　high　on　wooden　piles；　and　thatched　with　the　leaves　of　the　Ubussu　palm。　In　their　construction　another　palm　tree　is　made　much　use　of；　viz。；　the　Assai　（Euterpe　oleracea）。　The　outer　part　of　the　stem　of　this　species　is　hard　and　tough　as　horn　it　is　split　into　narrow　planks；　and　these　form　a　great　portion　of　the　walls　and　flooring。　The　residents　told　us　that　the　western　channel　becomes　nearly　dry　in　the　middle　of　the　fine　season；　but　that　at　high　water；　in　April　and　May；　the　river　rises　to　the　level　of　the　house　floors。　The　river　bottom　is　everywhere　sandy；　and　the　country　perfectly　healthy。　The　people　seemed　to　all　be　contented　and　happy；　but　idleness　and　poverty　were　exhibited　by　many　unmistakeable　signs。　As　to　the　flooding　of　their　island　abodes；　they　did　not　seem　to　care　about　that　at　all。　They　seem　to　be　almost　amphibious；　or　as　much　at　home　on　the　water　as　on　land。　It　was　really　quite　alarming　to　see　men　and　women　and　children；　in　little　leaky　canoes　laden　to　the　water…level　with　bag　and　baggage；　crossing　broad　reaches　of　river。

Most　of　them　have　houses　also　on　the　terra　firma；　and　reside　in　the　cool　palm　swamps　of　the　Ygapo　islands；　as　they　are　called；　only　in　the　hot　and　dry　season。　They　live　chiefly　on　fish；　shellfish　（amongst　which　were　large　Ampullariae；　whose　flesh　I　found；　on　trial；　to　be　a　very　tough　morsel）；　the　never　failing　farinha；　and　the　fruits　of　the　forest。　Among　the　latter；　the　fruits　of　palm　trees　occupied　the　chief　place。　The　Assai　is　the　most　in　use；　but　this　forms　a　universal　article　of　diet　in　all　parts　of　the　country。　The　fruit；　which　is　perfectly　round；　and　about　the　size　of　a　cherry；　contains　but　a　small　portion　of　pulp　lying　between　the　skin　and　the　hard　kernel。　This　is　made；　with　the　addition　of　water；　into　a　thick；　violet…coloured　beverage；　which　stains　the　lips　like　blackberries。　The　fruit　of　the　Miriti　is　also　a　common　article　of　food；　although　the　pulp　is　sour　and　unpalatable；　at　least　to　European　tastes。　It　is　boiled；　and　then　eaten　with　farinha。　The　Tucuma　（Astrocaryum　tucuma）；　and　the　Mucuja　（Acrocomia　lasiospatha）；　grow　only　on　the　mainland。　Their　fruits　yield　a　yellowish；　fibrous　pulp；　which　the　natives　eat　in　the　same　way　as　the　Miriti。　They　contain　so　much　fatty　matter；　that　vultures　and　dogs　devour　them　greedily。

Early　on　the　morning　of　September　3rd　we　reached　the　right　or　eastern　bank；　which　is　forty　to　sixty　feet　high　at　this　point。　The　houses　were　more　substantially　built　than　those　we　had　hitherto　seen。　We　succeeded　in　buying　a　small　turtle；　most　of　the　inhabitants　had　a　few　of　these　animals；　which　they　kept　in　little　enclosures　made　with　stakes。　The　people　were　of　the　same　class　everywhere；　Mamelucos。　They　were　very　civil；　we　were　not　able；　however；　to　purchase　much　fresh　food　from　them。　I　think　this　was　owing　to　their　really　not　having　more　than　was　absolutely　required　to　satisfy　their　own　needs。　In　these　districts；　where　the　people　depend　solely　on　fishing　for　animal　food；　there　is　a　period　of　the　year　when　they　suffer　hunger；　so　that　they　are　disposed　to　highly　prize　a　small　stock　when　they　have　it。　They　generally　answered　in　the　negative　when　we　asked；　money　in　hand；　whether　they　had　fowls；　turtles；　or　eggs　to　sell。　〃Nao　ha；　sinto　que　nao　posso　lhe　ser　bom〃；　or；　〃Nao　ha；　men　coracao　we　have　none；　I　am　sorry　I　cannot　oblige　you〃；　or；　〃There　is　none；　my　heart。〃

Sept。　3rd　to　7th。At　half…past　eight　a。m。　we　arrived　at　Baiao；　which　is　built　on　a　very　high　bank；　and　contains　about　400　inhabitants。　We　had　to　climb　to　the　village　up　a　ladder；　which　is　fixed　against　the　bank；　and；　on　arriving　at　the　top；　took　possession　of　a　room；　which　Senhor　Seixas　had　given　orders　to　be　prepared　for　us。　He　himself　was　away　at　his　sitio；　and　would　not　be　here　until　the　next　day。　We　were　now　quite　dependent　upon　him　for　men　to　enable　us　to　continue　our　voyage；　and　so　had　no　remedy　but　to　wait　his　leisure。　The　situation　of　the　place；　and　the　nature　of　the　woods　around　it；　promised　well　for　novelties　in　birds　and　insects；　so　we　had　no　reason　to　be　vexed　at　the　delay；　but　brought　our　apparatus　and　store…boxes　up　from　the　canoe；　and　set　to　work。

The　easy；　lounging　life　of　the　people　amused　us　very　much。　I　afterwards　had　plenty　of　time　to　become　used　to　tropical　village　life。　There　is　a　free；　familiar；　pro…bono　publico　style　of　living　in　these　small　places；　which　requires　some　time　for　a　European　to　fall　into。　No　sooner　were　we　established　in　our　rooms；　than　a　number　of　lazy　young　fellows　came　to　look　on　and　make　remarks；　and　we　had　to　answer　all　sorts　of　questions。　The　houses　have　their　doors　and　windows　open　to　the　street；　and　people　walk　in　and　out　as　they　please；　there　is　always；　however；　a　more　secluded　apartment；　where　the　female　members　of　the　families　reside。　In　their　familiarity　there　is　nothing　intentionally　offensive；　and　it　is　practised　simply　in　the　desire　to　be　civil　and　sociable。　A　young　Mameluco；　named　Soares；　an　Escrivao；　or　public　clerk；　took　me　into　his　house　to　show　me　his　library。　I　was　rather　surprised　to　see　a　number　of　well…thumbed　Latin　classics：　Virgil；　Terence；　Cicero's　Epistles；　and　Livy。　I　was　not　familiar　enough；　at　this　early　period　of　my　residence　in　the　country；　with　Portuguese　to　converse　freely　with　Senhor　Scares；　or　ascertain　what　use　he　made　of　these　books；　it　was　an　unexpected　sight；　a　classical　library　in　a　mud…plastered　and　palm…thatched　hut　on　the　banks　of　the　Tocantins。

The　prospect　from　the　village　was　magnificent；　over　the　green　wooded　islands；　far　away　to　the　grey　line　of　forest　on　the　opposite　shore　of　the　Tocantins。　We　were　now　well　out　of　the　low　alluvial　country　of　the　Amazons　proper；　and　the　climate　was　evidently　much　drier　than　it　is　near　Para。　They　had　had　no　rain　here　for　many　weeks；　and　the　atmosphere　was　hazy　around　the　horizon　so　much　so　that　the　sun；　before　setting；　glared　like　a　blood…red　globe。　At　Para　this　never　happens；　the　stars　and　sun　are　as　clear　and　sharply　defined　when　they　peep　above　the　distant　treetops　as　they　are　at　the　zenith。　This　beautiful　transparency　of　the　air　arises；　doubtless；　from　the　equal　distribution　through　it　of　invisible　vapour。　I　shall　ever　remember；　in　one　of　my　voyages　along　the　Para　river；　the　grand　spectacle　that　was　once　presented　at　sunrise。　Our　vessel　was　a　large　schooner；　and　we　were　bounding　along　before　a　spanking　breeze；　which　tossed　the　waters　into　foam　as　the　day　dawned。　So　clear　was　the　air；　that　the　lower　rim　of　the　full　moon　remained　sharply　defined　until　it　touched　the　western　horizon；　while　at　the　same　time；　the　sun　rose　in　the　east。　The　two　great　orbs　were　visible　at　the　same　time；　and　the　passage　from　the　moonlit　night　to　day　was　so　gentle　that　it　seemed　to　be　only　the　brightening　of　dull　weather。

The　woods　around　Baiao　were　of　second　growth；　the　ground　having　been　formerly　cultivated。　A　great　number　of　coffee　and　cotton　trees　grew　amongst　the　thickets。　A　fine　woodland　pathway　extends　for　miles　over　the　high；　undulating　bank；　leading　from　one　house　to　another　along　the　edge　of　the　cliff。　I　went　into　several　of　them；　and　talked　to　their　inmates。　They　were　all　poor　people。　The　men　were　out　fishing；　some　far　away；　a　distance　of　many　days　journey；　the　women　plant　mandioca；　make　the　farinha；　spin　and　weave　cotton；　manufacture　soap　of　burnt　cacao　shells　and　andiroba　oil；　and　follow　various　other　domestic　employments。　I　asked　why　they　allowed　their　plantations　to　run　to　waste。　They　said　that　it　was　useless　trying　to　plant　anything　hereabout；　the　Sauba　ant　devoured　the　young　coffee　trees；　and　everyone　who　attempted　to　contend　against　this　universal　ravager　was　sure　to　be　defeated。　The　country；　for　many　miles　along　the　banks　of　the　river；　seemed　to　be　well　peopled。　The　inhabitants　were　nearly　all　of　the　tawny…　white　Mameluco　class。　I　saw　a　good　many　mulattos；　but　very　few　negroes　and　Indians；　and　none　that　could　be　called　pure　whites。

When　Senor　Seixas　arrived；　he　acted　very　kindly。　He　provided　us　at　once　with　two　men；　killed　an　ox　in　our　honour；　and　treated　us　altogether　with　great　consideration。　We　were　not；　however；　introduced　to　his　family。　I　caught　a　glimpse　once　of　his　wife；　a　pretty　little　Mameluco　woman；　as　she　was　tripping　with　a　young　girl；　whom　I　supposed　to　be　her　daughter；　across　the　backyard。　Both　wore　long　dressing…gowns　made　of　bright…coloured　calico　print；　and　had　long　wooden　tobacco…pipes　in　their　mouths。　The　room　in　which　we　slept　and　worked　had　formerly　served　as　a　storeroom　for　cacao；　and　at　night　I　was　kept　awake　for　hours　by　rats　and　cockroaches；　which　swarm　in　all　such　places。　The　latter　were　running　about　all　over　the　walls；　now　and　then　one　would　come　suddenly　with　a　whirr　full　at　my　face；　and　get　under　my　shirt　if　I　attempted　to　jerk　it　off。　As　to　the　rats；　they　were　chasing　one　another　by　the　dozens　all　night　long　over　the　floor；　up　and　down　the　edges　of　the　doors；　and　along　the　rafters　of　the　open　roof。

September　7th。We　started　from　Baiao　at　an　early　hour。　One　of　our　new　men　was　a　good…humoured；　willing　young　mulatto　named　Jose；　the　other　was　a　sulky　Indian　called　Manoel；　who　seemed　to　have　been　pressed　into　our　service　against　his　will。　Senor　Seixas；　on　parting；　sent　a　quantity　of　fresh　provisions　on　board。　A　few　miles　above　Baiao　the　channel　became　very　shallow；　we　ran　aground　several　times；　and　the　men　had　to　disembark　and　shove　the　vessel　off。　Alexandro　shot　several　fine　fish　here；　with　bow　and　arrow。　It　was　the　first　time　I　had　seen　fish　captured　in　this　way。　The　arrow　is　a　reed；　with　a　steel　barbed　point；　which　is　fixed　in　a　hole　at　the　end；　and　secured　by　fine　twine　made　from　the　fibres　of　pineapple　leaves。　It　is　only　in　the　clearest　water　that　fish　can　be　thus　shotand　the　only　skill　required　is　to　make；　in　taking　aim；　the　proper　allowance　for　refraction。

The　next　day　before　sunrise　a　fine　breeze　sprang　up；　and　the　men　awoke　and　set　the　sails。　We　glided　all　day　through　channels　between