the naturalist on the river amazons-第39部分

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ucepans　with　their　beaks　to　rob　them　of　their　contents。　The　boys　of　the　village　lie　in　wait；　and　shoot　them　with　bow　and　arrow；　and　vultures　have　consequently　acquired　such　a　dread　of　these　weapons；　that　they　may　be　often　kept　off　by　hanging　a　bow　from　the　rafters　of　the　kitchen。　As　the　dry　season　advances；　the　hosts　of　Urubus　follow　the　fishermen　to　the　lakes；　where　they　gorge　themselves　with　the　offal　of　the　fisheries。　Towards　February；　they　return　to　the　villages；　and　are　then　not　nearly　so　ravenous　as　before　their　summer　trips。

The　insects　of　Villa　Nova　are；　to　a　great　extent；　the　same　as　those　of　Santarem　and　the　Tapajos。　A　few　species　of　all　orders；　however；　are　found　here；　which　occurred　nowhere　else　on　the　Amazons；　besides　several　others　which　are　properly　considered　local　varieties　or　races　of　others　found　at　Para；　on　the　Northern　shore　of　the　Amazons；　or　in　other　parts　of　Tropical　America。　The　Hymenoptera　were　especially　numerous；　as　they　always　are　in　districts　which　possess　a　sandy　soil；　but　the　many　interesting　facts　which　I　gleaned　relative　to　their　habits　will　be　more　conveniently　introduced　when　I　treat　of　the　same　or　similar　species　found　in　the　localities　above…named。

In　the　broad　alleys　of　the　forest　several　species　of　Morpho　were　common。　One　of　these　is　a　sister　form　to　the　Morpho　Hecuba；　which　I　have　mentioned　as　occurring　at　Obydos。　The　Villa　Nova　kind　differs　from　Hecuba　sufficiently　to　be　considered　a　distinct　species；　and　has　been　described　under　the　name　of　M。　Cisseis；　but　it　is　clearly　only　a　local　variety　of　it；　the　range　of　the　two　being　limited　by　the　barrier　of　the　broad　Amazons。　It　is　a　grand　sight　to　see　these　colossal　butterflies　by　twos　and　threes　floating　at　a　great　height　in　the　still　air　of　a　tropical　morning。　They　flap　their　wings　only　at　long　intervals；　for　I　have　noticed　them　to　sail　a　very　considerable　distance　without　a　stroke。　Their　wing…muscles　and　the　thorax　to　which　they　are　attached　are　very　feeble　in　comparison　with　the　wide　extent　and　weight　of　the　wings；　but　the　large　expanse　of　these　members　doubtless　assists　the　insects　in　maintaining　their　aerial　course。　Morphos　are　among　the　most　conspicuous　of　the　insect　denizens　of　Tropical　American　forests；　and　the　broad　glades　of　the　Villa　Nova　woods　seemed　especially　suited　to　them；　for　I　noticed　here　six　species。　The　largest　specimens　of　Morpho　Cisseis　measure　seven　inches　and　a　half　in　expanse。　Another　smaller　kind；　which　I　could　not　capture；　was　of　a　pale　silvery…blue　colour；　and　the　polished　surface　of　its　wings　flashed　like　a　silver　speculum　as　the　insect　flapped　its　wings　at　a　great　elevation　in　the　sunlight。

To　resume　our　voyage　We　left　Villa　Nova　on　the　4th　of　December。　A　light　wind　on　the　5th　carried　us　across　to　the　opposite　shore　and　past　the　mouth　of　the　Parana…mirim　do　arco；　or　the　little　river　of　the　bow；　so…called　on　account　of　its　being　a　short　arm　of　the　main　river；　of　a　curved　shape；　and　rejoining　the　Amazons　a　little　below　Villa　Nova。　On　the　6th；　after　passing　a　large　island　in　mid…river；　we　arrived　at　a　place　where　a　line　of　perpendicular　clay　cliffs；　called　the　Barreiros　de　Cararaucu；　diverts　slightly　the　course　of　the　main　stream；　as　at　Obydos。　A　little　below　these　cliffs　were　a　few　settlers'　houses；　here　Penna　remained　ten　days　to　trade；　a　delay　which　I　turned　to　good　account　in　augmenting　very　considerably　my　collections。

At　the　first　house　a　festival　was　going　forward。　We　anchored　at　some　distance　from　the　shore；　on　account　of　the　water　being　shoaly；　and　early　in　the　morning　three　canoes　put　off；　laden　with　salt　fish；　oil　of　manatee；　fowls　and　bananas　wares　which　the　owners　wished　to　exchange　for　different　articles　required　for　the　festa。　Soon　after　I　went　ashore。　The　head　man　was　a　tall；　well…　made；　civilised　Tapuyo；　named　Marcellino；　who；　with　his　wife；　a　thin；　active；　wiry　old　squaw；　did　the　honours　of　their　house；　I　thought；　admirably。　The　company　consisted　of　fifty　or　sixty　Indians　and　Mamelucos；　some　of　them　knew　Portuguese；　but　the　Tupi　language　was　the　only　one　used　amongst　themselves。　The　festival　was　in　honour　of　our　Lady　of　Conception；　and；　when　the　people　learnt　that　Penna　had　on　board　an　image　of　the　saint　handsomer　than　their　own；　they　put　off　in　their　canoes　to　borrow　it；　Marcellino　taking　charge　of　the　doll；　covering　it　carefully　with　a　neatly…bordered　white　towel。　On　landing　with　the　image；　a　procession　was　formed　from　the　port　to　the　house；　and　salutes　fired　from　a　couple　of　lazarino　guns；　the　saint　being　afterwards　carefully　deposited　in　the　family　oratorio。　After　a　litany　and　hymn　were　sung　in　the　evening；　all　assembled　to　supper　around　a　large　mat　spread　on　a　smooth　terrace…like　space　in　front　of　the　house。　The　meal　consisted　of　a　large　boiled　Pirarucu；　which　had　been　harpooned　for　the　purpose　in　the　morning；　stewed　and　roasted　turtle；　piles　of　mandioca…meal　and　bananas。　The　old　lady；　with　two　young　girls；　showed　the　greatest　activity　in　waiting　on　the　guests；　Marcellino　standing　gravely　by；　observing　what　was　wanted　and　giving　the　necessary　orders　to　his　wife。　When　all　was　done；　hard　drinking　began；　and　soon　after　there　was　a　dance；　to　which　Penna　and　I　were　invited。　The　liquor　served　was　chiefly　a　spirit　distilled　by　the　people　themselves　from　mandioca　cakes。　The　dances　were　all　of　the　same　class；　namely；　different　varieties　of　the　〃Landum；〃　an　erotic　dance　similar　to　the　fandango；　originally　learned　from　the　Portuguese。　The　music　was　supplied　by　a　couple　of　wire…stringed　guitars；　played　alternately　by　the　young　men。　All　passed　off　very　quietly　considering　the　amount　of　strong　liquor　drunk；　and　the　ball　was　kept　up　until　sunrise　the　next　morning。

We　visited　all　the　houses　one　after　the　other。　One　of　them　was　situated　in　a　charming　spot；　with　a　broad　sandy　beach　before　it；　at　the　entrance　to　the　Parana…mirim　do　Mucambo；　a　channel　leading　to　an　interior　lake；　peopled　by　savages　of　the　Mura　tribe。　This　seemed　to　be　the　abode　of　an　industrious　family；　but　all　the　men　were　absent；　salting　Pirarucu　on　the　lakes。　The　house；　like　its　neighbours；　was　simply　a　framework　of　poles　thatched　with　palm…　leaves；　the　walls　roughly　latticed　and　plastered　with　mud；　but　it　was　larger；　and　much　cleaner　inside　than　the　others。　It　was　full　of　women　and　children；　who　were　busy　all　day　with　their　various　employments；　some　weaving　hammocks　in　a　large　clumsy　frame；　which　held　the　warp　while　the　shuttle　was　passed　by　the　hand　slowly　across　the　six　foot　breadth　of　web；　others　were　spinning　cotton；　and　others　again　scraping；　pressing；　and　roasting　mandioca。　The　family　had　cleared　and　cultivated　a　large　piece　of　ground；　the　soil　was　of　extraordinary　richness；　the　perpendicular　banks　of　the　river；　near　the　house；　revealing　a　depth　of　many　feet　of　crumbling　vegetable　mould。　There　was　a　large　plantation　of　tobacco；　besides　the　usual　patches　of　Indian…corn；　sugar…cane；　and　mandioca；　and　a　grove　of　cotton；　cacao；　coffee；　and　fruit…　trees　surrounded　the　house。　We　passed　two　nights　at　anchor　in　shoaly　water　off　the　beach。　The　weather　was　most　beautiful；　and　scores　of　Dolphins　rolled　and　snorted　about　the　canoe　all　night。

We　crossed　the　river　at　this　point；　and　entered　a　narrow　channel　which　penetrates　the　interior　of　the　island　of　Tupinambarana；　and　leads　to　a　chain　of　lakes　called　the　Lagos　de　Cararaucu。　A　furious　current　swept　along　the　coast；　eating　into　the　crumbling　earthy　banks；　and　strewing　the　river　with　debris　of　the　forest。　The　mouth　of　the　channel　lies　about　twenty…five　miles　from　Villa　Nova；　the　entrance　is　only　about　forty　yards　broad；　but　it　expands；　a　short　distance　inland；　into　a　large　sheet　of　water。　We　suffered　terribly　from　insect　pests　during　the　twenty…four　hours　we　remained　here。　At　night　it　was　quite　impossible　to　sleep　for　mosquitoes；　they　fell　upon　us　by　myriads；　and　without　much　piping　came　straight　at　our　faces　as　thick　as　raindrops　in　a　shower。　The　men　crowded　into　the　cabins；　and　then　tried　to　expel　the　pests　by　the　smoke　from　burnt　rags；　but　it　was　of　little　avail；　although　we　were　half　suffocated　during　the　operation。　In　the　daytime；　the　Motuca；　a　much　larger　and　more　formidable　fly　than　the　mosquito；　insisted　upon　levying　his　tax　of　blood。　We　had　been　tormented　by　it　for　many　days　past；　but　this　place　seemed　to　be　its　metropolis。　The　species　has　been　described　by　Perty；　the　author　of　the　Entomological　portion　of　Spix；　and　Martius'　travels；　under　the　name　of　Hadrus　lepidotus。　It　is　a　member　of　the　Tabanidae　family；　and　indeed　is　closely　related　to　the　Haematopota　pluvialis；　a　brown　fly　which　haunts　the　borders　of　woods　in　summer　time　in　England。　The　Motuca　is　of　a　bronzed…black　colour；　its　proboscis　is　formed　of　a　bundle　of　horny　lancets；　which　are　shorter　and　broader　than　is　usually　the　case　in　the　family　to　which　it　belongs。　Its　puncture　does　not　produce　much　pain；　but　it　makes　such　a　large　gash　in　the　flesh　that　the　blood　trickles　forth　in　little　streams。　Many　scores　of　them　were　flying　about　the　canoe　all　day；　and　sometimes　eight　or　ten　would　settle　on　one's　ankles　at　the　same　time。　It　is　sluggish　in　its　motions；　and　may　be　easily　killed　with　the　fingers　when　it　settles。　Penna　went　forward　in　the　montaria　to　the　Pirarucu　fishing　stations；　on　a　lake　lying　further　inland；　but　he　did　not　succeed　in　reaching　them　on　account　of　the　length　and　intricacy　of　the　channels；　so　after　wasting　a　day；　during　which；　however；　I　had　a　profitable　ramble　in　the　forest；　we　again　crossed　the　river；　and　on　the　16th　continued　our　voyage　along　the　northern　shore。

The　clay　cliffs　of　Cararaucu　are　several　miles　in　length。　The　hard　pink　and　red　coloured　beds　are　here　extremely　thick；　and　in　some　places　present　a　compact；　stony　texture。　The　total　height　of　the　cliff　is　from　thirty　to　sixty　feet　above　the　mean　level　of　the　river；　and　the　clay　rests　on　strata　of　the　same　coarse　iron…　cemented　conglomerate　which　has　already　been　so　often　mentioned。　Large　blocks　of　this　latter　have　been　detached　and　rolled　by　the　force　of　currents　up　parts　of　the　cliff　where　they　are　seen　resting　on　terraces　of　the　clay。　On　the　top　of　all　lies　a　bed　of　sand　and　vegetable　mold；　which　supports　a　lofty　forest；　growing　up　to　the　very　brink　of　the　precipice。　After　passing　these　barreiros　we　continued　our　way　along　a　low　uninhabited　coast；