the naturalist on the river amazons-第29部分

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　half　we　arrived　at　Caripi；　thoroughly　tired　and　wet　through　to　the　skin。

On　the　16th　of　January；　the　dry　season　came　abruptly　to　an　end。　The　sea…breezes；　which　had　been　increasing　in　force　for　some　days；　suddenly　ceased；　and　the　atmosphere　became　misty；　at　length　heavy　clouds　collected　where　a　uniform　blue　sky　had　for　many　weeks　prevailed；　and　down　came　a　succession　of　heavy　showers；　the　first　of　which　lasted　a　whole　day　and　night。　This　seemed　to　give　a　new　stimulus　to　animal　life。　On　the　first　night　there　was　a　tremendous　uproartree…frogs；　crickets；　goat…suckers；　and　owls　all　joining　to　perform　a　deafening　concert。　One　kind　of　goat…　sucker　kept　repeating　at　intervals　throughout　the　night　a　phrase　similar　to　the　Portuguese　words；　〃Joao　corta　pao；〃〃John；　cut　wood〃　a　phrase　which　forms　the　Brazilian　name　of　the　bird。　An　owl　in　one　of　the　Genipapa　trees　muttered　now　and　then　a　succession　of　syllables　resembling　the　word　〃Murucututu。〃　Sometimes　the　croaking　and　hooting　of　frogs　and　toads　were　so　loud　that　we　could　not　hear　one　another's　voices　within　doors。　Swarms　of　dragonflies　appeared　in　the　daytime　about　the　pools　of　water　created　by　the　rain；　and　ants　and　termites　came　forth　in　the　winged　state　in　vast　numbers。　I　noticed　that　the　winged　termites；　or　white　ants；　which　came　by　hundreds　to　the　lamps　at　night；　when　alighting　on　the　table；　often　jerked　off　their　wings　by　a　voluntary　movement。　On　examination　I　found　that　the　wings　were　not　shed　by　the　roots；　for　a　small　portion　of　the　stumps　remained　attached　to　the　thorax。　The　edge　of　the　fracture　was　in　all　cases　straight；　not　ruptured；　there　is；　in　fact；　a　natural　seam　crossing　the　member　towards　its　root；　and　at　this　point　the　long　wing　naturally　drops　or　is　jerked　off　when　the　insect　has　no　further　use　for　it。　The　white　ant　is　endowed　with　wings　simply　for　the　purpose　of　flying　away　from　the　colony　peopled　by　its　wingless　companions；　to　pair　with　individuals　of　the　same　or　other　colonies；　and　thus　propagate　and　disseminate　its　kind。　The　winged　individuals　are　males　and　females；　while　the　great　bulk　of　their　wingless　fraternity　are　of　no　sex；　but　are　of　two　castes；　soldiers　and　workers；　which　are　restricted　to　the　functions　of　building　the　nests；　nursing；　and　defending　the　young　brood。　The　two　sexes　mate　while　on　the　ground；　after　the　wings　are　shed；　and　then　the　married　couples；　if　they　escape　the　numerous　enemies　which　lie　in　wait　for　them；　proceed　to　the　task　of　founding　new　colonies。　Ants　and　white　ants　have　much　that　is　analogous　in　their　modes　of　life　they　belong；　however；　to　two　widely　different　orders　of　insects；　strongly　contrasted　in　their　structure　and　manner　of　growth。

I　amassed　at　Caripi　a　very　large　collection　of　beautiful　and　curious　insects；　amounting　altogether　to　about　twelve　hundred　species。　The　number　of　Coleoptera　was　remarkable；　seeing　that　this　order　is　so　poorly　represented　near　Para。　I　attributed　their　abundance　to　the　number　of　new　clearings　made　in　the　virgin　forest　by　the　native　settlers。　The　felled　timber　attracts　lignivorous　insects；　and　these　draw　in　their　train　the　predaceous　species　of　various　families。　As　a　general　rule；　the　species　were　smaller　and　much　less　brilliant　in　colours　than　those　of　Mexico　and　South　Brazil。　The　species　too；　although　numerous；　were　not　represented　by　great　numbers　of　individuals；　they　were　also　extremely　nimble；　and　therefore　much　less　easy　of　capture　than　insects　of　the　same　order　in　temperate　climates。　The　carnivorous　beetles　at　Caripi　were；　like　those　of　Para；　chiefly　arboreal。　Most　of　them　exhibited　a　beautiful　contrivance　for　enabling　them　to　cling　to　and　run　over　smooth　or　flexible　surfaces；　such　as　leaves。　Their　tarsi　or　feet　are　broad；　and　furnished　beneath　with　a　brush　of　short　stiff　hairs；　while　their　claws　are　toothed　in　the　form　of　a　comb；　adapting　them　for　clinging　to　the　smooth　edges　of　leaves；　the　joint　of　the　foot　which　precedes　the　claw　being　cleft　so　as　to　allow　free　play　to　the　claw　in　grasping。　The　common　dung…beetles　at　Caripi；　which　flew　about　in　the　evening　like　the　Geotrupes；　the　familiar　〃shard…borne　beetle　with　his　drowsy　hum〃　of　our　English　lanes；　were　of　colossal　size　and　beautiful　colours。　One　kind　had　a　long　spear…shaped　horn　projecting　from　the　crown　of　its　head　（Phanaeus　lancifer）。　A　blow　from　this　fellow；　as　he　came　heavily　flying　along；　was　never　very　pleasant。　All　the　tribes　of　beetles　which　feed　on　vegetable　substances；　fresh　or　decayed；　were　very　numerous。　The　most　beautiful　of　these；　but　not　the　most　common；　were　the　Longicornes；　very　graceful　insects；　having　slender　bodies　and　long　antennae；　often　ornamented　with　fringes　and　tufts　of　hair。　They　were　found　on　flowers；　on　trunks　of　trees；　or　flying　about　the　new　clearings。　One　small　species　（Coremia　hirtipes）　has　a　tuft　of　hairs　on　its　hind　legs；　while　many　of　its　sister　species　have　a　similar　ornament　on　the　antennae。　It　suggests　curious　reflections　when　we　see　an　ornament　like　the　feather　of　a　grenadier's　cap　situated　on　one　part　of　the　body　in　one　species；　and　in　a　totally　different　part　in　nearly　allied　ones。　I　tried　in　vain　to　discover　the　use　of　these　curious　brush…like　decorations。　On　the　trunk　of　a　living　leguminous　tree；　Petzell　found　a　number　of　a　very　rare　and　handsome　species；　the　Platysternus　hebraeus；　which　is　of　a　broad　shape；　coloured　ochreous；　but　spotted　and　striped　with　black；　so　as　to　resemble　a　domino。　On　the　felled　trunks　of　trees；　swarms　of　gilded…green　Longicornes　occurred；　of　small　size　（Chrysoprasis）；　which　looked　like　miniature　musk…　beetles；　and；　indeed；　are　closely　allied　to　those　well…known　European　insects。

At　length；　on　the　12th　of　February；　I　left　Caripi；　my　Negro　and　Indian　neighbours　bidding　me　a　warm　〃adios。〃　I　had　passed　a　delightful　time；　notwithstanding　the　many　privations　undergone　in　the　way　of　food。　The　wet　season　had　now　set　in；　the　lowlands　and　islands　would　soon　become　flooded　daily　at　high　water；　and　the　difficulty　of　obtaining　fresh　provisions　would　increase。　I　intended；　therefore；　to　spend　the　next　three　months　at　Para；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　which　there　was　still　much　to　be　done　in　the　intervals　of　fine　weather；　and　then　start　off　on　another　excursion　into　the　interior。


CHAPTER　VI

THE　LOWER　AMAZONS…PARA　TO　OBYDOS

Modes　of　Travelling　on　the　AmazonsHistorical　Sketch　of　the　Early　Explorations　of　the　RiverPreparations　for　VoyageLife　on　Board　a　Large　Trading　VesselThe　narrow　channels　joining　the　Para　to　the　AmazonsFirst　Sight　of　the　Great　RiverGurupaThe　Great　ShoalFlat…topped　MountainsSantaremObydos

At　the　time　of　my　first　voyage　up　the　Amazonsnamely；　in　1849　nearly　all　communication　with　the　interior　was　by　means　of　small　sailing…vessels；　owned　by　traders　residing　in　the　remote　towns　and　villages；　who　seldom　came　to　Para　themselves；　but　entrusted　vessels　and　cargoes　to　the　care　of　half…breeds　or　Portuguese　cabos。　Sometimes；　indeed；　they　risked　all　in　the　hands　of　the　Indian　crew；　making　the　pilot；　who　was　also　steersman；　do　duty　as　supercargo。　Now　and　then；　Portuguese　and　Brazilian　merchants　at　Para　furnished　young　Portuguese　with　merchandise；　and　dispatched　them　to　the　interior　to　exchange　the　goods　for　produce　among　the　scattered　population。　The　means　of　communication；　in　fact；　with　the　upper　parts　of　the　Amazons　had　been　on　the　decline　for　some　time；　on　account　of　the　augmented　difficulty　of　obtaining　hands　to　navigate　vessels。　Formerly；　when　the　Government　wished　to　send　any　important　functionary；　such　as　a　judge　or　a　military　commandant；　into　the　interior；　they　equipped　a　swift…sailing　galliota　manned　with　ten　or　a　dozen　Indians。　These　could　travel；　on　the　average；　in　one　day　farther　than　the　ordinary　sailing　craft　could　in　three。　Indian　paddlers　were　now；　however；　almost　impossible　to　be　obtained；　and　Government　officers　were　obliged　to　travel　as　passengers　in　trading…vessels。　The　voyage　made　in　this　way　was　tedious　in　the　extreme。　When　the　regular　east…wind　blewthe　〃vento　geral；〃　or　trade…wind　of　the　Amazonssailing…　vessels　could　get　along　very　well；　but　when　this　failed；　they　were　obliged　to　remain；　sometimes　many　days　together；　anchored　near　the　shore；　or　progress　laboriously　by　means　of　the　〃espia。〃

The　latter　mode　of　travelling　was　as　follows。　The　montaria；　with　twenty　or　thirty　fathoms　of　cable；　one　end　of　which　was　attached　to　the　foremast；　was　sent　ahead　with　a　couple　of　hands；　who　secured　the　other　end　of　the　rope　to　some　strong　bough　or　tree…　trunk；　the　crew　then　hauled　the　vessel　up　to　the　point；　after　which　the　men　in　the　boat　re…embarked　the　cable；　and　paddled　forwards　to　repeat　the　process。　In　the　dry　season；　from　August　to　December；　when　the　trade…wind　is　strong　and　the　currents　slack；　a　schooner　could　reach　the　mouth　of　the　Rio　Negro；　a　thousand　miles　from　Para；　in　about　forty　days；　but　in　the　wet　season；　from　January　to　July；　when　the　east…wind　no　longer　blows　and　the　Amazons　pours　forth　its　full　volume　of　water；　flooding　the　banks　and　producing　a　tearing　current；　it　took　three　months　to　travel　the　same　distance。　It　was　a　great　blessing　to　the　inhabitants　when；　in　1853；　a　line　of　steamers　was　established；　and　this　same　journey　could　be　accomplished　with　ease　and　comfort；　at　all　seasons；　in　eight　days！

It　is；　perhaps；　not　generally　known　that　the　Portuguese；　as　early　as　1710；　had　a　fair　knowledge　of　the　Amazons；　but　the　information　gathered　by　their　Government；　from　various　expeditions　undertaken　on　a　grand　scale；　was　long　withheld　from　the　rest　of　the　world；　through　the　jealous　policy　which　ruled　in　their　colonial　affairs。　From　the　foundation　of　Para　by　Caldeira；　in　1615；　to　the　settlement　of　the　boundary　line　between　the　Spanish　and　Portuguese　possessions；　Peru　and　Brazil；　in　1781…91；　numbers　of　these　expeditions　were　undertaken　in　succession　。　The　largest　was　the　one　commanded　by　Pedro　Texeira　in　1637…9；　who　ascended　the　river　to　Quito　by　way　of　the　Napo；　a　distance　of　about　2800　miles；　with　45　canoes　and　900　men；　and　returned　to　Para　without　any　great　misadventure　by　the　same　route。　The　success　of　this　remarkable　undertaking　amply　proved；　at　that　early　date；　the　facility　of　the　river　navigation；　the　practicability　of　the　country；　and　the　good　disposition　of　the　aboriginal　inhabitants。　The　river；　however；　was　first　discovered　by　the　Spaniards；　the