the naturalist on the river amazons-第31部分

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d　a　similar　boundless　expanse；　but　varied　with　islets　clothed　with　fan…leaved　palms；　which；　however；　were　visible　only　as　isolated　groups　of　columns；　tufted　at　the　top；　rising　here　and　there　amidst　the　waste　of　waters。　In　the　afternoon　we　rounded　the　westernmost　point；　the　land；　which　is　not　terra　firma；　but　simply　a　group　of　large　islands　forming　a　portion　of　the　Tocantins　delta；　was　then　about　three　miles　distant。

On　the　following　day　（25th）　we　sailed　towards　the　west；　along　the　upper　portion　of　the　Para　estuary；　which　extends　seventy　miles　beyond　the　mouth　of　the　Tocantins。　It　varies　in　width　from　three　to　five　miles；　but　broadens　rapidly　near　its　termination；　where　it　is　eight　or　nine　miles　wide。　The　northern　shore　is　formed　by　the　island　of　Marajo；　and　is　slightly　elevated　and　rocky　in　some　parts。　A　series　of　islands　conceals　the　southern　shore　from　view　most　of　the　way。　The　whole　country；　mainland　and　islands；　is　covered　with　forest。　We　had　a　good　wind　all　day；　and　about　7　p。m。　entered　the　narrow　river　of　Breves；　which　commences　abruptly　the　extensive　labyrinth　of　channels　that　connects　the　Para　with　the　Amazons。　The　sudden　termination　of　the　Para　at　a　point　where　it　expands　to　so　great　a　breadth　is　remarkable；　the　water；　however；　is　very　shallow　over　the　greater　portion　of　the　expanse。　I　noticed　both　on　this　and　on　the　three　subsequent　occasions　of　passing　this　place　in　ascending　and　descending　the　river；　that　the　flow　of　the　tide　from　the　east　along　the　estuary；　as　well　as　up　the　Breves；　was　very　strong。　This　seems　sufficient　to　prove　that　no　considerable　volume　of　water　passes　by　this　medium　from　the　Amazons　to　the　Para；　and　that　the　opinion　of　those　geographers　is　an　incorrect　one；　who　believe　the　Para　to　be　one　of　the　mouths　of　the　great　river。　There　is；　however；　another　channel　connecting　the　two　rivers；　which　enters　the　Para　six　miles　to　the　south　of　the　Breves。　The　lower　part　of　its　course　for　eighteen　miles　is　formed　by　the　Uanapu；　a　large　and　independent　river　flowing　from　the　south。　The　tidal　flow　is　said　by　the　natives　to　produce　little　or　no　current　up　this　rivera　fact　which　seems　to　afford　a　little　support　to　the　view　just　stated。

We　passed　the　village　of　Breves　at　3　p。m。　on　the　26th。　It　consists　of　about　forty　houses；　most　of　which　are　occupied　by　Portuguese　shopkeepers。　A　few　Indian　families　reside　here；　who　occupy　themselves　with　the　manufacture　of　ornamental　pottery　and　painted　cuyas；　which　they　sell　to　traders　or　passing　travellers。　The　cuyasdrinking…cups　made　from　gourdsare　sometimes　very　tastefully　painted。　The　rich　black　ground　colour　is　produced　by　a　dye　made　from　the　bark　of　a　tree　called　Comateu；　the　gummy　nature　of　which　imparts　a　fine　polish。　The　yellow　tints　are　made　with　the　Tabatinga　clay；　the　red　with　the　seeds　of　the　Urucu；　or　anatto　plant；　and　the　blue　with　indigo；　which　is　planted　round　the　huts。　The　art　is　indigenous　with　the　Amazonian　Indians；　but　it　is　only　the　settled　agricultural　tribes　belonging　to　the　Tupi　stock　who　practise　it。

September　27th…30th。After　passing　Breves；　we　continued　our　way　slowly　along　a　channel；　or　series　of　channels；　of　variable　width。　On　the　morning　of　the　27th　we　had　a　fair　wind；　the　breadth　of　the　stream　varying　from　about　150　to　400　yards。　About　midday　we　passed；　on　the　western　side；　the　mouth　of　the　Aturiazal；　through　which；　on　account　of　its　swifter　current；　vessels　pass　in　descending　from　the　Amazons　to　Para。　Shortly　afterwards　we　entered　the　narrow　channel　of　the　Jaburu；　which　lies　twenty　miles　above　the　mouth　of　the　Breves。　Here　commences　the　peculiar　scenery　of　this　remarkable　region。　We　found　ourselves　in　a　narrow　and　nearly　straight　canal；　not　more　than　eighty　to　a　hundred　yards　in　width；　and　hemmed　in　by　two　walls　of　forest；　which　rose　quite　perpendicularly　from　the　water　to　a　height　of　seventy　or　eighty　feet。　The　water　was　of　great　and　uniform　depth；　even　close　to　the　banks。　We　seemed　to　be　in　a　deep　gorge；　and　the　strange　impression　the　place　produced　was　augmented　by　the　dull　echoes　wakened　by　the　voices　of　our　Indians　and　the　splash　of　their　paddles。　The　forest　was　excessively　varied。　Some　of　the　trees；　the　dome…topped　giants　of　the　Leguminous　and　Bombaceous　orders；　reared　their　heads　far　above　the　average　height　of　the　green　walls。　The　fan…leaved　Miriti　palm　was　scattered　in　some　numbers　amidst　the　rest；　a　few　solitary　specimens　shooting　up　their　smooth　columns　above　the　other　trees。　The　graceful　Assai　palm　grew　in　little　groups；　forming　feathery　pictures　set　in　the　rounder　foliage　of　the　mass。　The　Ubussu；　lower　in　height；　showed　only　its　shuttlecock　shaped　crowns　of　huge　undivided　fronds；　which；　being　of　a　vivid　pale…green；　contrasted　forcibly　against　the　sombre　hues　of　the　surrounding　foliage。　The　Ubussu　grew　here　in　great　numbers；　the　equally　remarkable　Jupati　palm　（Rhaphia　taedigera）；　which；　like　the　Ubussu；　is　peculiar　to　this　district；　occurred　more　sparsely；　throwing　its　long　shaggy　leaves；　forty　to　fifty　feet　in　length；　in　broad　arches　over　the　canal。　An　infinite　diversity　of　smaller…sized　palms　decorated　the　water's　edge；　such　as　the　Maraja…i　（Bactris；　many　species）；　the　Ubim　（Geonoma）；　and　a　few　stately　Bacabas　（Oenocarpus　Bacaba）。　The　shape　of　this　last　is　exceedingly　elegant；　the　size　of　the　crown　being　in　proper　proportion　to　the　straight　smooth　stem。　The　leaves；　down　even　to　the　bases　of　the　glossy　petioles；　are　of　a　rich　dark…green　colour；　and　free　from　spines。

〃The　forest　wall〃I　am　extracting　from　my　journal…〃under　which　we　are　now　moving；　consists；　besides　palms；　of　a　great　variety　of　ordinary　forest　trees。　From　the　highest　branches　of　these　down　to　the　water　sweep　ribbons　of　climbing　plants　of　the　most　diverse　and　ornamental　foliage　possible。　Creeping　convolvuli　and　others　have　made　use　of　the　slender　lianas　and　hanging　air　roots　as　ladders　to　climb　by。　Now　and　then　appears　a　Mimosa　or　other　tree　having　similar　fine　pinnate　foliage；　and　thick　masses　of　Inga　border　the　water；　from　whose　branches　hang　long　bean…pods；　of　different　shape　and　size　according　to　the　species；　some　of　them　a　yard　in　length。　Flowers　there　are　very　few。　I　see；　now　and　then；　a　gorgeous　crimson　blossom　on　long　spikes　ornamenting　the　sombre　foliage　towards　the　summits　of　the　forest。　I　suppose　it　to　belong　to　a　climber　of　the　Combretaceous　order。　There　are　also　a　few　yellow　and　violet　Trumpet…flowers　（Bignoniae）。　The　blossoms　of　the　Ingas；　although　not　conspicuous；　are　delicately　beautiful。　The　forest　all　along　offers　so　dense　a　front　that　one　never　obtains　a　glimpse　into　the　interior　of　the　wilderness。〃

The　length　of　the　Jaburu　channel　is　about　thirty…five　miles；　allowing　for　the　numerous　abrupt　bends　which　occur　between　the　middle　and　the　northern　end　of　its　course。　We　were　three　days　and　a　half　accomplishing　the　passage。　The　banks　on　each　side　seemed　to　be　composed　of　hard　river…mud　with　a　thick　covering　of　vegetable　mold；　so　that　I　should　imagine　this　whole　district　originated　in　a　gradual　accumulation　of　alluvium；　through　which　the　endless　labyrinths　of　channels　have　worked　their　deep　and　narrow　beds。　The　flood…tide　as　we　travelled　northward　became　gradually　of　less　assistance　to　us；　as　it　caused　only　a　feeble　current　upwards。　The　pressure　of　the　waters　from　the　Amazons　here　makes　itself　felt；　as　this　is　not　the　case　lower　down；　I　suppose　the　currents　are　diverted　through　some　of　the　numerous　channels　which　we　passed　on　our　right；　and　which　traverse；　in　their　course　towards　the　sea；　the　northwestern　part　of　Marajo。　In　the　evening　of　the　29th　we　arrived　at　a　point　where　another　channel　joins　the　Jaburu　from　the　northeast。　Up　this　the　tide　was　flowing；　we　turned　westward；　and　thus　met　the　flood　coming　from　the　Amazons。　This　point　is　the　object　of　a　strange　superstitious　observance　on　the　part　of　the　canoemen。　It　is　said　to　be　haunted　by　a　Paje；　or　Indian　wizard；　whom　it　is　necessary　to　propitiate　by　depositing　some　article　on　the　spot；　if　the　voyager　wishes　to　secure　a　safe　return　from　the　〃sertao；〃　as　the　interior　of　the　country　is　called。　The　trees　were　all　hung　with　rags；　shirts；　straw　hats；　bunches　of　fruit；　and　so　forth。　Although　the　superstition　doubtless　originated　with　the　aborigines；　I　observed　in　both　my　voyages；　that　it　was　only　the　Portuguese　and　uneducated　Brazilians　who　deposited　anything。　The　pure　Indians　gave　nothing；　and　treated　the　whole　affair　as　a　humbug；　but　they　were　all　civilised　Tapuyos。

On　the　30th；　at　9　p。m。；　we　reached　a　broad　channel　called　Macaco；　and　now　left　the　dark；　echoing　Jaburu。　The　Macaco　sends　off　branches　towards　the　northwest　coast　of　Marajo。　It　is　merely　a　passage　amongst　a　cluster　of　islands；　between　which　a　glimpse　is　occasionally　obtained　of　the　broad　waters　of　the　main　Amazons。　A　brisk　wind　carried　us　rapidly　past　its　monotonous　scenery；　and　early　in　the　morning　of　the　1st　of　October　we　reached　the　entrance　of　the　Uituquara；　or　the　Wind…hole；　which　is　fifteen　miles　distant　from　the　end　of　the　Jaburu。　This　is　also　a　winding　channel；　thirty…five　miles　in　length；　threading　a　group　of　islands；　but　it　is　much　narrower　than　the　Macaco。

On　emerging　from　the　Uituquara　on　the　2nd；　we　all　went　ashore　the　men　to　fish　in　a　small　creek；　Joao　da　Cunha　and　I　to　shoot　birds。　We　saw　a　flock　of　scarlet　and　blue　macaws　（Macrocercus　Macao）　feeding　on　the　fruits　of　a　Bacaba　palm；　and　looking　like　a　cluster　of　flaunting　banners　beneath　its　dark…green　crown。　We　landed　about　fifty　yards　from　the　place；　and　crept　cautiously　through　the　forest；　but　before　we　reached　them　they　flew　off　with　loud　harsh　screams。　At　a　wild　fruit　tree　we　were　more　successful；　as　my　companion　shot　an　anaca　（Derotypus　coronatus）；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　of　the　parrot　family。　It　is　of　a　green　colour；　and　has　a　hood　of　feathers；　red　bordered　with　blue；　at　the　back　of　its　head；　which　it　can　elevate　or　depress　at　pleasure。　The　anaca　is　the　only　new…world　parrot　which　nearly　resembles　the　cockatoo　of　Australia。　It　is　found　in　all　the　lowlands　throughout　the　Amazons　region；　but　is　not　a　common　bird　anywhere。　Few　persons　succeed　in　taming　it；　and　I　never　saw　one　that　had　been　taught　to　speak。　The　natives　are　very　fond　of　the　bird　nevertheless；　and　keep　it　in　their　houses　for　the　sake　of　seeing　the　irascible　creature　expand　its　beautiful　frill　of　feathers；　whi