the naturalist on the river amazons-第30部分

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ition　of　the　aboriginal　inhabitants。　The　river；　however；　was　first　discovered　by　the　Spaniards；　the　mouth　having　been　visited　by　Pinzon　in　1500；　and　nearly　the　whole　course　of　the　river　navigated　by　Orellana　in　1541…2。　The　voyage　of　the　latter　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　on　record。　Orellana　was　a　lieutenant　of　Gonzalo　Pizarro；　Governor　of　Quito；　and　accompanied　the　latter　in　an　adventurous　journey　which　he　undertook　across　the　easternmost　chain　of　the　Andes；　down　into　the　sweltering　valley　of　the　Napo；　in　search　of　the　land　of　El　Dorado；　or　the　Gilded　King。　They　started　with　300　soldiers　and　4000　Indian　porters；　but；　arrived　on　the　banks　of　one　of　the　tributaries　of　the　Napo；　their　followers　were　so　greatly　decreased　in　number　by　disease　and　hunger；　and　the　remainder　so　much　weakened；　that　Pizarro　was　obliged　to　despatch　Orellana　with　fifty　men；　in　a　vessel　they　had　built；　to　the　Napo；　in　search　of　provisions。　It　can　be　imagined　by　those　acquainted　with　the　Amazons　country　how　fruitless　this　errand　would　be　in　the　wilderness　of　forest　where　Orellana　and　his　followers　found　themselves　when　they　reached　the　Napo；　and　how　strong　their　disinclination　would　be　to　return　against　the　currents　and　rapids　which　they　had　descended。　The　idea　then　seized　them　to　commit　themselves　to　the　chances　of　the　stream；　although　ignorant　whither　it　would　lead。　So　onward　they　went。　From　the　Napo　they　emerged　into　the　main　Amazons；　and；　after　many　and　various　adventures　with　the　Indians　on　its　banks；　reached　the　Atlantic　eight　months　from　the　date　of　their　entering　the　great　river。　＇It　was　during　this　voyage　that　the　nation　of　female　warriors　was　said　to　have　been　met　with；　a　report　which　gave　rise　to　the　Portuguese　name　of　the　river；　Amazonas。　It　is　now　pretty　well　known　that　this　is　a　mere　fable；　originating　in　the　love　of　the　marvellous　which　distinguished　the　early　Spanish　adventurers；　and　impaired　the　credibility　of　their　narratives。＇

Another　remarkable　voyage　was　accomplished；　in　a　similar　manner；　by　a　Spaniard　named　Lopez　d'Aguirre；　from　Cusco；　in　Peru；　down　the　Ucayali；　a　branch　of　the　Amazons　flowing　from　the　south；　and　therefore；　from　an　opposite　direction　to　that　of　the　Napo。　An　account　of　this　journey　was　sent　by　D'Aguirre；　in　a　letter　to　the　King　of　Spain；　from　which　Humboldt　has　given　an　extract　in　his　narrative。　As　it　is　a　good　specimen　of　the　quaintness　of　style　and　looseness　of　statement　exhibited　by　these　early　narrators　of　adventures　in　South　America；　I　will　give　a　translation　of　it：

〃We　constructed　rafts；　and；　leaving　behind　our　horses　and　baggage；　sailed　down　the　river　（the　Ucayali）　with　great　risk；　until　we　found　ourselves　in　a　gulf　of　fresh　water。　In　this　river　Maranon　we　continued　more　than　ten　months　and　a　half；　down　to　its　mouth；　where　it　falls　into　the　sea。　We　made　one　hundred　days'　journey；　and　travelled　1500　leagues。　It　is　a　great　and　fearful　stream；　has　80　leagues　of　fresh　water　at　its　mouth；　vast　shoals；　and　800　leagues　of　wilderness　without　any　kind　of　inhabitants；　＇This　account　disagrees　with　that　of　Acunna；　the　historiographer　of　Texeira's　expedition；　who　accompanied　him；　in　1639；　on　his　return　voyage　from　Quito。　Acunna　speaks　of　a　very　numerous　population　on　the　banks　of　the　Amazons。＇　as　your　Majesty　will　see　from　the　true　and　correct　narrative　of　the　journey　which　we　have　made。　It　has　more　than　6000　islands。　God　knows　how　we　came　out　of　this　fearful　sea！〃

Many　expeditions　were　undertaken　in　the　course　of　the　eighteenth　century；　in　fact；　the　crossing　of　the　continent　from　the　Pacific　to　the　Atlantic；　by　way　of　the　Amazons；　seems　to　have　become　by　this　time　a　common　occurrence。　The　only　voyage；　however；　which　yielded　much　scientific　information　to　the　European　public　was　that　of　the　French　astronomer；　La　Condamine；　in　1743…4。　The　most　complete　account　yet　published　of　the　river　is　that　given　by　Von　Martius　in　the　third　volume　of　Spix　and　Martius'　Travels。　These　most　accomplished　travellers　were　eleven　months　in　the　country　namely；　from　July；　1819；　to　June；　1820and　ascended　the　river　to　the　frontiers　of　the　Brazilian　territory。　The　accounts　they　have　given　of　the　geography；　ethnology；　botany；　history；　and　statistics　of　the　Amazons　region　are　the　most　complete　that　have　ever　been　given　to　the　world。　Their　narrative　was　not　published　until　1831；　and　was　unfortunately　inaccessible　to　me　during　the　time　I　travelled　in　the　same　country。

While　preparing　for　my　voyage　it　happened；　fortunately；　that　the　half…brother　of　Dr。　Angelo　Custodio；　a　young　mestizo　named　Joao　da　Cunha　Correia；　was　about　to　start　for　the　Amazons　on　a　trading　expedition　in　his　own　vessel；　a　schooner　of　about　forty　tons'　burthen。　A　passage　for　me　was　soon　arranged　with　him　through　the　intervention　of　Dr。　Angelo；　and　we　started　on　the　5th　of　September；　1849。　I　intended　to　stop　at　some　village　on　the　northern　shore　of　the　Lower　Amazons；　where　it　would　be　interesting　to　make　collections；　in　order　to　show　the　relations　of　the　fauna　to　those　of　Para　and　the　coast　region　of　Guiana。　As　I　should　have　to　hire　a　house　or　hut　wherever　I　stayed；　I　took　all　the　materials　for　housekeepingcooking　utensils；　crockery；　and　so　forth。　To　these　were　added　a　stock　of　such　provisions　as　it　would　be　difficult　to　obtain　in　the　interioralso　ammunition；　chests；　store…boxes；　a　small　library　of　natural　history　books；　and　a　hundredweight　of　copper　money。　I　engaged；　after　some　trouble；　a　Mameluco　youth　to　accompany　me　as　servanta　short；　fat；　yellow…faced　boy　named　Luco；　whom　I　had　already　employed　at　Para　in　collecting。　We　weighed　anchor　at　night；　and　on　the　following　day　found　ourselves　gliding　along　the　dark…brown　waters　of　the　Moju。

Joao　da　Cunha；　like　most　of　his　fellow　countrymen；　took　matters　very　easily。　He　was　going　to　be　absent　in　the　interior　several　years；　and　therefore；　intended　to　diverge　from　his　route　to　visit　his　native　place；　Cameta；　and　spend　a　few　days　with　his　friends。　It　seemed　not　to　matter　to　him　that　he　had　a　cargo　of　merchandise；　vessel；　and　crew　of　twelve　persons；　which　required　an　economical　use　of　time；　〃pleasure　first　and　business　afterwards〃　appeared　to　be　his　maxim。　We　stayed　at　Cameta　twelve　days。　The　chief　motive　for　prolonging　the　stay　to　this　extent　was　a　festival　at　the　Aldeia；　two　miles　below　Cameta；　which　was　to　commence　on　the　21st；　and　which　my　friend　wished　to　take　part　in。　On　the　day　of　the　festival　the　schooner　was　sent　down　to　anchor　off　the　Aldeia；　and　master　and　men　gave　themselves　up　to　revelry。　In　the　evening　a　strong　breeze　sprang　up；　and　orders　were　given　to　embark。　We　scrambled　down　in　the　dark　through　the　thickets　of　cacao；　orange；　and　coffee　trees　which　clothed　the　high　bank；　and；　after　running　great　risk　of　being　swamped　by　the　heavy　sea　in　the　crowded　montaria；　got　all　aboard　by　nine　o'clock。　We　made　all　sail　amidst　the　〃adios〃　shouted　to　us　by　Indian　and　mulatto　sweethearts　from　the　top　of　the　bank；　and；　tide　and　wind　being　favourable；　were　soon　miles　away。

Our　crew　consisted；　as　already　mentioned；　of　twelve　persons。　One　was　a　young　Portuguese　from　the　province　of　Traz　os　Montes；　a　pretty　sample　of　the　kind　of　emigrants　which　Portugal　sends　to　Brazil。　He　was　two　or　three　and　twenty　years　of　age；　and　had　been　about　two　years　in　the　country；　dressing　and　living　like　the　Indians；　to　whom　he　was　certainly　inferior　in　manners。　He　could　not　read　or　write；　whereas　one　at　least　of　our　Tapuyos　had　both　accomplishments。　He　had　a　little　wooden　image　of　Nossa　Senora　in　his　rough　wooden　clothes…chest；　and　to　this　he　always　had　recourse　when　any　squall　arose；　or　when　we　ran　aground　on　a　shoal。　Another　of　our　sailors　was　a　tawny　white　of　Cameta；　the　rest　were　Indians；　except　the　cook；　who　was　a　Cafuzo；　or　half…　breed　between　the　Indian　and　negro。　It　is　often　said　that　this　class　of　mestizos　is　the　most　evilly…disposed　of　all　the　numerous　crosses　between　the　races　inhabiting　Brazil；　but　Luiz　was　a　simple；　good…hearted　fellow；　always　ready　to　do　one　a　service。　The　pilot　was　an　old　Tapuyo　of　Para；　with　regular　oval　face　and　well…shaped　features。　I　was　astonished　at　his　endurance。　He　never　quitted　the　helm　night　or　day；　except　for　two　or　three　hours　in　the　morning。　The　other　Indians　used　to　bring　him　his　coffee　and　meals；　and　after　breakfast　one　of　them　relieved　him　for　a　time；　when　he　used　to　lie　down　on　the　quarterdeck　and　get　his　two　hours　nap。　The　Indians　forward　had　things　pretty　much　their　own　way。　No　system　of　watches　was　followed；　when　any　one　was　so　disposed；　he　lay　down　on　the　deck　and　went　to　sleep；　but　a　feeling　of　good　fellowship　seemed　always　to　exist　amongst　them。　One　of　them　was　a　fine　specimen　of　the　Indian　race　a　man　just　short　of　six　feet　high；　with　remarkable　breadth　of　shoulder　and　full　muscular　chest。　His　comrades　called　him　the　commandant；　on　account　of　his　having　been　one　of　the　rebel　leaders　when　the　Indians　and　others　took　Santarem　in　1835。　They　related　of　him　that；　when　the　legal　authorities　arrived　with　an　armed　flotilla　to　recapture　the　town；　he　was　one　of　the　last　to　quit；　remaining　in　the　little　fortress　which　commands　the　place　to　make　a　show　of　loading　the　guns；　although　the　ammunition　had　given　out　long　ago。　Such　were　our　travelling　companions。　We　lived　almost　the　same　as　on　board　ship。　Our　meals　were　cooked　in　the　galley；　but；　where　practicable；　and　during　our　numerous　stoppages；　the　men　went　in　the　montaria　to　fish　near　the　shore；　so　that　our　breakfasts　and　dinners　of　salt　pirarucu　were　sometimes　varied　with　fresh　food。

September　24thWe　passed　Entre…as…Ilhas　with　the　morning　tide　yesterday；　and　then　made　across　to　the　eastern　shorethe　starting…point　for　all　canoes　which　have　to　traverse　the　broad　mouth　of　the　Tocantins　going　west。　Early　this　morning　we　commenced　the　passage。　The　navigation　is　attended　with　danger　on　account　of　the　extensive　shoals　in　the　middle　of　the　river；　which　are　covered　only　by　a　small　depth　of　water　at　this　season　of　the　year。　The　wind　was　fresh；　and　the　schooner　rolled　and　pitched　like　a　ship　at　sea。　The　distance　was　about　fifteen　miles。　In　the　middle；　the　river…view　was　very　imposing。　Towards　the　northeast　there　was　a　long　sweep　of　horizon　clear　of　land；　and　on　the　southwest　stretched　a　similar　boundless　expanse；　but　varied　with　islets　clothed　with　fan…leaved　palms；　which；　however；