the naturalist on the river amazons-第21部分

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the　rubber　has　been　collected　chiefly　in　the　islands　and　swampy　parts　of　the　mainland　within　a　distance　of　fifty　to　a　hundred　miles　to　the　west　of　Para；　but　there　are　plenty　of　untapped　trees　still　growing　in　the　wilds　of　the　Tapajos；　Madeira；　Jurua；　and　Jauari；　as　far　as　1800　miles　from　the　Atlantic　coast。　The　tree　is　not　remarkable　in　appearance；　in　bark　and　foliage　it　is　not　unlike　the　European　ash。　But　the　trunk；　like　that　of　all　forest　trees；　shoots　up　to　an　immense　height　before　throwing　off　branches。　The　trees　seem　to　be　no　man's　property　hereabout。　The　people　we　met　with　told　us　they　came　every　year　to　collect　rubber　on　these　islands　as　soon　as　the　waters　had　subsided；　namely　in　August；　and　remained　until　January　or　February。

The　process　is　very　simple。　Every　morning　each　person；　man　or　woman；　to　whom　is　allotted　a　certain　number　of　trees；　goes　the　round　of　the　whole　and　collects　in　a　large　vessel　the　milky　sap　which　trickles　from　gashes　made　in　the　bark　on　the　preceding　evening；　and　which　is　received　in　little　clay　cups；　or　in　ampullaria　shells　stuck　beneath　the　wounds。　The　sap；　which　at　first　is　of　the　consistence　of　cream；　soon　thickens；　the　collectors　are　provided　with　a　great　number　of　wooden　moulds　of　the　shape　in　which　the　rubber　is　wanted；　and　when　they　return　to　the　camp；　they　dip　them　into　the　liquid；　laying　on；　in　the　course　of　several　days；　one　coat　after　another。　When　this　is　done；　the　substance　is　white　and　hard；　the　proper　colour　and　consistency　are　given　by　passing　it　repeatedly　through　a　thick　black　smoke　obtained　by　burning　the　nuts　of　certain　palm　trees；　after　which　process　the　article　is　ready　for　sale。

India…rubber　is　known　throughout　the　province　only　by　the　name　of　seringa；　the　Portuguese　word　for　syringe；　it　owes　this　appellation　to　the　circumstance　that　it　was　only　in　this　form　that　the　first　Portuguese　settlers　noticed　it　to　be　employed　by　the　aborigines。　It　is　said　that　the　Indians　were　first　taught　to　make　syringes　of　rubber　by　seeing　natural　tubes　formed　by　it　when　the　spontaneously…flowing　sap　gathered　round　projecting　twigs。　Brazilians　of　all　classes　still　use　it　extensively　in　the　form　of　syringes；　for　injections　form　a　great　feature　in　the　popular　system　of　cures；　the　rubber　for　this　purpose　is　made　into　a　pear…　shaped　bottle；　and　a　quill　fixed　in　the　long　neck。

September　24th。Opposite　Cameta；　the　islands　are　all　planted　with　cacao；　the　tree　which　yields　the　chocolate　nut。　The　forest　is　not　cleared　for　the　purpose；　but　the　cacao　plants　are　stuck　in　here　and　there　almost　at　random　amongst　the　trees。　There　are　many　houses　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　all　elevated　above　the　swampy　soil　on　wooden　piles；　and　furnished　with　broad　ladders　by　which　to　mount　to　the　ground　floor。　As　we　passed　by　in　our　canoe；　we　could　see　the　people　at　their　occupations　in　the　open　verandas；　and　in　one　place　saw　a　ball　going　on　in　broad　daylight；　there　were　fiddles　and　guitars　hard　at　work；　and　a　number　of　lads　in　white　shirts　and　trousers　dancing　with　brown　damsels　clad　in　showy　print　dresses。　The　cacao　tree　produces　a　curious　impression　on　account　of　the　flowers　and　fruit　growing　directly　out　of　the　trunk　and　branches。　There　is　a　whole　group　of　wild　fruit　trees　which　have　the　same　habit　in　this　country。　In　the　wildernesses　where　the　cacao　is　planted；　the　collecting　of　the　fruit　is　dangerous　due　to　the　number　of　poisonous　snakes　which　inhabit　the　places。　One　day；　when　we　were　running　our　montaria　to　a　landing…　place；　we　saw　a　large　serpent　on　the　trees　overhead　as　we　were　about　to　brush　past；　the　boat　was　stopped　just　in　the　nick　of　time；　and　Mr。　Leavens　brought　the　reptile　down　with　a　charge　of　shot。

September　26th。At　length　we　got　clear　of　the　islands；　and　saw　once　more　before　us　the　sea…like　expanse　of　waters　which　forms　the　mouth　of　the　Tocantins。　The　river　had　now　sunk　to　its　lowest　point；　and　numbers　of　fresh…water　dolphins　were　rolling　about　in　shoaly　places。　There　are　here　two　species；　one　of　which　was　new　to　science　when　I　sent　specimens　to　England；　it　is　called　the　Tucuxi　（Steno　tucuxi　of　Gray）。　When　it　comes　to　the　surface　to　breathe；　it　rises　horizontally；　showing　first　its　back　fin；　then　draws　an　inspiration；　and　dives　gently　down；　head　foremost。　This　mode　of　proceeding　distinguishes　the　Tucuxi　at　once　from　the　other　species；　which　is　called　Bouto　or　porpoise　by　the　natives　（Inia　Geoffroyi　of　Desmarest）。　When　this　rises　the　top　of　the　head　is　the　part　first　seen；　it　then　blows；　and　immediately　afterwards　dips　head　downwards；　its　back　curving　over；　exposing　successively　the　whole　dorsal　ridge　with　its　fin。　It　seems　thus　to　pitch　heels　over　head；　but　does　not　show　the　tail　fin。　Besides　this　peculiar　motion；　it　is　distinguished　from　the　Tucuxi　by　its　habit　of　generally　going　in　pairs。　Both　species　are　exceedingly　numerous　throughout　the　Amazons　and　its　larger　tributaries；　but　they　are　nowhere　more　plentiful　than　in　the　shoaly　water　at　the　mouth　of　the　Tocantins；　especially　in　the　dry　season。　In　the　Upper　Amazons　a　third　pale　flesh…coloured　species　is　also　abundant　（the　Delphinus　pallidus　of　Gervais）。　With　the　exception　of　a　species　found　in　the　Ganges；　all　other　varieties　of　dolphin　inhabit　the　sea　exclusively。　In　the　broader　parts　of　the　Amazons；　from　its　mouth　to　a　distance　of　fifteen　hundred　miles　in　the　interior；　one　or　other　of　the　three　kinds　here　mentioned　are　always　heard　rolling；　blowing；　and　snorting；　especially　at　night；　and　these　noises　contribute　much　to　the　impression　of　sea…wide　vastness　and　desolation　which　haunts　the　traveller。　Besides　dolphins　in　the　water；　frigate　birds　in　the　air　are　characteristic　of　this　lower　part　of　the　Tocantins。　Flocks　of　them　were　seen　the　last　two　or　three　days　of　our　journey；　hovering　above　at　an　immense　height。　Towards　night；　we　were　obliged　to　cast　anchor　over　a　shoal　in　the　middle　of　the　river　to　await　the　ebb　tide。　The　wind　blew　very　strongly；　and　this；　together　with　the　incoming　flow；　caused　such　a　heavy　sea　that　it　was　impossible　to　sleep。　The　vessel　rolled　and　pitched　until　every　bone　in　our　bodies　ached　with　the　bumps　we　received；　and　we　were　all　more　or　less　seasick。　On　the　following　day　we　entered　the　Anapu；　and　on　the　30th　September；　after　threading　again　the　labyrinth　of　channels　communicating　between　the　Tocantins　and　the　Moju；　arrived　at　Para。

I　will　now　give　a　short　account　of　Cameta；　the　principal　town　on　the　banks　of　the　Tocantins；　which　I　visited　for　the　second　time；　in　June；1849。　Mr。　Wallace；　in　the　same　month；　departed　from　Para　to　explore　the　rivers　Guama　and　Capim。　I　embarked　as　passenger　in　a　Cameta　trading　vessel；　the　St。　John；　a　small　schooner　of　thirty　tons　burthen。　I　had　learnt　by　this　time　that　the　only　way　to　attain　the　objects　for　which　I　had　come　to　this　country　was　to　accustom　myself　to　the　ways　of　life　of　the　humbler　classes　of　the　inhabitants。　A　traveller　on　the　Amazons　gains　little　by　being　furnished　with　letters　of　recommendation　to　persons　of　note；　for　in　the　great　interior　wildernesses　of　forest　and　river　the　canoemen　have　pretty　much　their　own　way；　the　authorities　cannot　force　them　to　grant　passages　or　to　hire　themselves　to　travellers；　and　therefore；　a　stranger　is　obliged　to　ingratiate　himself　with　them　in　order　to　get　conveyed　from　place　to　place。　I　thoroughly　enjoyed　the　journey　to　Cameta；　the　weather　was　again　beautiful　in　the　extreme。　We　started　from　Para　at　sunrise　on　the　8th　of　June；　and　on　the　10th　emerged　from　the　narrow　channels　of　the　Anapu　into　the　broad　Tocantins。　The　vessel　was　so　full　of　cargo　that　there　was　no　room　to　sleep　in　the　cabin；　so　we　passed　the　nights　on　deck。　The　captain　or　supercargo；　called　in　Portuguese　cabo；　was　a　mameluco；　named　Manoel；　a　quiet；　good…humoured　person；　who　treated　me　with　the　most　unaffected　civility　during　the　three　days'　journey。　The　pilot　was　also　a　mameluco；　named　John　Mendez；　a　handsome　young　fellow；　full　of　life　and　spirit。　He　had　on　board　a　wire　guitar　or　viola；　as　it　is　here　called；　and　in　the　bright　moonlight　nights；　as　we　lay　at　anchor　hour　after　hour　waiting　for　the　tide；　he　enlivened　us　all　with　songs　and　music。　He　was　on　the　best　of　terms　with　the　cabo；　both　sleeping　in　the　same　hammock　slung　between　the　masts。　I　passed　the　nights　wrapped　in　an　old　sail　outside　the　roof　of　the　cabin。　The　crew；　five　in　number；　were　Indians　and　half…breeds；　all　of　whom　treated　their　two　superiors　with　the　most　amusing　familiarity；　yet　I　never　sailed　in　a　better　managed　vessel　than　the　St。　John。

In　crossing　to　Cameta　we　had　to　await　the　flood…tide　in　a　channel　called　Entre…as…Ilhas；　which　lies　between　two　islands　in　mid…　river；　and　John　Mendez；　being　in　good　tune；　gave　us　an　extempore　song；　consisting　of　a　great　number　of　verses。　The　crew　lay　about　the　deck　listening；　and　all　joined　in　the　chorus。　Some　stanzas　related　to　me；　telling　how　I　had　come　all　the　way　from　〃Inglaterra；〃　to　skin　monkeys　and　birds　and　catch　insects；　the　last…mentioned　employment　of　course　giving　ample　scope　for　fun。　He　passed　from　this　to　the　subject　of　political　parties　in　Cameta；　and　then；　as　all　the　hearers　were　Cametaenses　and　understood　the　hits；　there　were　roars　of　laughter；　some　of　them　rolling　over　and　over　on　the　deck；　so　much　were　they　tickled。　Party　spirit　runs　high　at　Cameta；　not　merely　in　connection　with　local　politics；　but　in　relation　to　affairs　of　general　concern；　such　as　the　election　of　members　to　the　Imperial　Parliament；　and　so　forth。　This　political　strife　is　partly　attributable　to　the　circumstance　that　a　native　of　Cameta；　Dr。　Angelo　Custodio　Correia；　had　been　in　almost　every　election；　one　of　the　candidates　for　the　representation　of　the　province。　I　fancied　these　shrewd　but　unsophisticated　canoe…men　saw　through　the　absurdities　attending　these　local　contests；　and　hence　their　inclination　to　satirise　them；　they　were；　however；　evidently　partisans　of　Dr。　Angelo。　The　brother　of　Dr。　Angelo；　Joao　Augusto　Correia；　a　distinguished　merchant；　was　an　active　canvasser。　The　party　of　the　Correias　was　the　Liberal；　or；　as　it　is　called　throughout　Brazil；　the　Santa　Luzia　faction；　the　opposite　side；　at　the　head　of　which　was　one　Pedro　Moraes；　was　the　Conservative；　or　Saquarema　party。　I　preserved　one　of　the　stanzas　of　the　song；　which；　however；　does　not　contain　much　point；　it　ran　thus：

Ora　pana；　tana　pana！；　pana