the naturalist on the river amazons-第40部分

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　of　the　precipice。　After　passing　these　barreiros　we　continued　our　way　along　a　low　uninhabited　coast；　clothed；　wherever　it　was　elevated　above　high…water　mark；　with　the　usual　vividly…coloured　forests　of　the　higher　Ygapo　lands；　to　which　the　broad　and　regular　fronds　of　the　Murumuru　palm；　here　extremely　abundant；　served　as　a　great　decoration。　Wherever　the　land　was　lower　than　the　flood　height　of　the　Amazons；　Cecropia　trees　prevailed；　sometimes　scattered　over　meadows　of　tall　broad…　leaved　grasses；　which　surrounded　shallow　pools　swarming　with　water…fowl。　Alligators　were　common　on　most　parts　of　the　coast；　in　some　places　we　also　saw　small　herds　of　Capybaras　（a　large　Rodent　animal；　like　a　colossal　Guinea…pig）　among　the　rank　herbage　on　muddy　banks；　and　now　and　then　flocks　of　the　graceful　squirrel　monkey　（Chrysothrix　sciureus）；　while　the　vivacious　Caiarara　（Cebus　albifrons）　were　seen　taking　flying　leaps　from　tree　to　tree。　On　the　22nd；　we　passed　the　mouth　of　the　most　easterly　of　the　numerous　channels　which　lead　to　the　large　interior　lake　of　Saraca；　and　on　the　23rd　；threaded　a　series　of　passages　between　islands；　where　we　again　saw　human　habitations；　ninety　miles　distant　from　the　last　house　at　Cararaucu。　On　the　24th　we　arrived　at　Serpa。

Serpa　is　a　small　village；　consisting　of　about　eighty　houses；　built　on　a　bank　elevated　twenty…five　feet　above　the　level　of　the　river。　The　beds　of　Tabatinga　clay；　which　are　here　intermingled　with　scoria…looking　conglomerate；　are　in　some　parts　of　the　declivity　prettily　variegated　in　colour；　the　name　of　the　town　in　the　Tupi　language；　Ita…coatiara；　takes　its　origin　from　this　circumstance；　signifying　striped　or　painted　rock。　It　is　an　old　settlement；　and　was　once　the　seat　of　the　district　government；　which　had　authority　over　the　Barra　of　the　Rio　Negro。　It　was　in　1849　a　wretched…looking　village；　but　it　has　since　revived；　on　account　of　having　been　chosen　by　the　Steamboat　Company　of　the　Amazons　as　a　station　for　steam　saw…mills　and　tile　manufactories。　We　arrived　on　Christmas　Eve；　when　the　village　presented　an　animated　appearance　from　the　number　of　people　congregated　for　the　holidays。　The　port　was　full　of　canoes；　large　and　small；　from　the　montaria；　with　its　arched　awning　of　woven　lianas　and　Maranta　leaves；　to　the　two…masted　cuberta　of　the　peddling　trader；　who　had　resorted　to　the　place　in　the　hope　of　trafficking　with　settlers　coming　from　remote　sitios　to　attend　the　festival。　We　anchored　close　to　an　igarite；　whose　owner　was　an　old　Juri　Indian；　disfigured　by　a　large　black　tatooed　patch　in　the　middle　of　his　face；　and　by　his　hair　being　close　cropped；　except　a　fringe　in　front　of　the　head。

In　the　afternoon　we　went　ashore。　The　population　seemed　to　consist　chiefly　of　semi…civilised　Indians；　living　as　usual　in　half…　finished　mud　hovels。　The　streets　were　irregularly　laid　out；　and　overrun　with　weeds　and　bushes　swarming　with　〃mocuim；〃　a　very　minute　scarlet　acarus；　which　sweeps　off　to　one's　clothes　in　passing；　and　attaching　itself　in　great　numbers　to　the　skin　causes　a　most　disagreeable　itching。　The　few　whites　and　better　class　of　mameluco　residents　live　in　more　substantial　dwellings；　white…　washed　and　tiled。　All；　both　men　and　women；　seemed　to　me　much　more　cordial；　and　at　the　same　time　more　brusque　in　their　manners；　than　any　Brazilians　I　had　yet　met　with。　One　of　them；　Captain　Manoel　Joaquim；　I　knew　for　a　long　time　afterwards；　a　lively；　intelligent；　and　thoroughly　good…hearted　man；　who　had　quite　a　reputation　throughout　the　interior　of　the　country　for　generosity；　and　for　being　a　firm　friend　of　foreign　residents　and　stray　travellers。　Some　of　these　excellent　people　were　men　of　substance；　being　owners　of　trading　vessels；　slaves；　and　extensive　plantations　of　cacao　and　tobacco。

We　stayed　at　Serpa　five　days。　Some　of　the　ceremonies　observed　at　Christmas　were　interesting；　inasmuch　as　they　were　the　same；　with　little　modification；　as　those　taught　by　the　Jesuit　missionaries　more　than　a　century　ago　to　the　aboriginal　tribes　whom　they　had　induced　to　settle　on　this　spot。　In　the　morning；　all　the　women　and　girls；　dressed　in　white　gauze　chemises　and　showy　calico　print　petticoats；　went　in　procession　to　church；　first　going　the　round　of　the　town　to　take　up　the　different　〃mordomos；〃　or　stewards；　whose　office　is　to　assist　the　Juiz　of　the　festa。　These　stewards　carried　each　a　long　white　reed；　decorated　with　coloured　ribbons；　several　children　also　accompanied；　grotesquely　decked　with　finery。　Three　old　squaws　went　in　front；　holding　the　〃saire；〃　a　large　semi…circular　frame；　clothed　with　cotton　and　studded　with　ornaments；　bits　of　looking…glass；　and　so　forth。　This　they　danced　up　and　down；　singing　all　the　time　a　monotonous　whining　hymn　in　the　Tupi　language；　and　at　frequent　intervals　turning　round　to　face　the　followers；　who　then　all　stopped　for　a　few　moments。　I　was　told　that　this　saire　was　a　device　adopted　by　the　Jesuits　to　attract　the　savages　to　church；　for　these　everywhere　followed　the　mirrors；　in　which　they　saw　as　it　were　magically　reflected　their　own　persons。

In　the　evening　good…humoured　revelry　prevailed　on　all　sides。　The　negroes；　who　had　a　saint　of　their　own　colourSt。　Beneditohad　their　holiday　apart　from　the　rest；　and　spent　the　whole　night　singing　and　dancing　to　the　music　of　a　long　drum　（gamba）　and　the　caracasha。　The　drum　was　a　hollow　log；　having　one　end　covered　with　skin；　and　was　played　by　the　performer　sitting　astride　upon　it；　and　drumming　with　his　knuckles。　The　caracasha　is　a　notched　bamboo　tube；　which　produces　a　harsh　rattling　noise　by　passing　a　hard　stick　over　the　notches。　Nothing　could　exceed　in　dreary　monotony　this　music　and　the　singing　and　dancing；　which　were　kept　up　with　unflagging　vigour　all　night　long。　The　Indians　did　not　get　up　a　dancefor　the　whites　and　mamelucos　had　monopolised　all　the　pretty　coloured　girls　for　their　own　ball；　and　the　older　squaws　preferred　looking　on　to　taking　a　part　themselves。　Some　of　their　husbands　joined　the　negroes；　and　got　drunk　very　quickly。　It　was　amusing　to　notice　how　voluble　the　usually　taciturn　redskins　became　under　the　influence　of　liquor。　The　negroes　and　Indians　excused　their　own　intemperance　by　saying　the　whites　were　getting　drunk　at　the　other　end　of　the　town；　which　was　quite　true。

We　left　Serpa　on　the　29th　of　December；　in　company　of　an　old　planter　named　Senor　Joao　（John）　Trinidade；　at　whose　sitio；　situated　opposite　the　mouth　of　the　Madeira；　Penna　intended　to　spend　a　few　days。　Our　course　on　the　29th　and　30th　lay　through　narrow　channels　between　islands。　On　the　31st　we　passed　the　last　of　these；　and　then　beheld　to　the　south　a　sea…like　expanse　of　water；　where　the　Madeira；　the　greatest　tributary　of　the　Amazons；　after　2000　miles　of　course；　blends　its　waters　with　those　of　the　king　of　rivers。　I　was　hardly　prepared　for　a　junction　of　waters　on　so　vast　a　scale　as　this；　now　nearly　900　miles　from　the　sea。　While　travelling　week　after　week　along　the　somewhat　monotonous　stream；　often　hemmed　in　between　islands；　and　becoming　thoroughly　familiar　with　it；　my　sense　of　the　magnitude　of　this　vast　water　system　had　become　gradually　deadened；　but　this　noble　sight　renewed　the　first　feelings　of　wonder。　One　is　inclined；　in　such　places　as　these；　to　think　the　Paraenses　do　not　exaggerate　much　when　they　call　the　Amazons　the　Mediterranean　of　South　America。　Beyond　the　mouth　of　the　Madeira；　the　Amazons　sweeps　down　in　a　majestic　reach；　to　all　appearance　not　a　whit　less　in　breadth　before　than　after　this　enormous　addition　to　its　waters。　The　Madeira　does　not　ebb　and　flow　simultaneously　with　the　Amazons；　it　rises　and　sinks　about　two　months　earlier；　so　that　it　was　now　fuller　than　the　main　river。　Its　current　therefore；　poured　forth　freely　from　its　mouth；　carrying　with　it　a　long　line　of　floating　trees　and　patches　of　grass　which　had　been　torn　from　its　crumbly　banks　in　the　lower　part　of　its　course。　The　current；　however；　did　not　reach　the　middle　of　the　main　stream；　but　swept　along　nearer　to　the　southern　shore。

A　few　items　of　information　which　I　gleaned　relative　to　this　river　may　find　a　place　here。　The　Madeira　is　navigable　for　about　480　miles　from　its　mouth；　a　series　of　cataracts　and　rapids　then　commences；　which　extends；　with　some　intervals　of　quiet　water；　about　16o　miles；　beyond　which　is　another　long　stretch　of　navigable　stream。　Canoes　sometimes　descend　from　Villa　Bella；　in　the　interior　province　of　Matto　Grosso；　but　not　so　frequently　as　formerly；　and　I　could　hear　of　very　few　persons　who　had　attempted　of　late　years　to　ascend　the　river　to　that　point。　It　was　explored　by　the　Portuguese　in　the　early　part　of　the　eighteenth　century；　the　chief　and　now　the　only　town　on　its　banks；　Borba；　150　miles　from　its　mouth；　being　founded　in　1756。　Up　to　the　year　1853；　the　lower　part　of　the　river；　as　far　as　about　a　hundred　miles　beyond　Borba；　was　regularly　visited　by　traders　from　Villa　Nova；　Serpa；　and　Barra；　to　collect　sarsaparilla；　copauba　balsam；　turtle…oil；　and　to　trade　with　the　Indians；　with　whom　their　relations　were　generally　on　a　friendly　footing。　In　that　year　many　India…rubber　collectors　resorted　to　this　region；　stimulated　by　the　high　price　（2s。　6d。　a　pound）　which　the　article　was　at　that　time　fetching　at　Para；　and　then　the　Araras；　a　fierce　and　intractable　tribe　of　Indians；　began　to　be　troublesome。　They　attacked　several　canoes　and　massacred　everyone　on　board；　the　Indian　crews　as　well　as　the　white　traders。　Their　plan　was　to　lurk　in　ambush　near　the　sandy　beaches　where　canoes　stop　for　the　night；　and　then　fall　upon　the　people　while　asleep。　Sometimes　they　came　under　pretence　of　wishing　to　trade；　and　then　as　soon　as　they　could　get　the　trader　at　a　disadvantage；　shot　him　and　his　crew　from　behind　trees。　Their　arms　were　clubs；　bows；　and　Taquara　arrows；　the　latter　a　formidable　weapon　tipped　with　a　piece　of　flinty　bamboo　shaped　like　a　spear…head；　they　could　propel　it　with　such　force　as　to　pierce　a　man　completely　through　the　body。　The　whites　of　Borba　made　reprisals；　inducing　the　warlike　Mundurucus；　who　had　an　old　feud　with　the　Araras；　to　assist　them。　This　state　of　things　lasted　two　or　three　years；　and　made　a　journey　up　the　Madeira　a　risky　undertaking；　as　the　savages　attacked　all　corners。　Besides　the　Araras　and　the　Mundurucus；　the　latter　a　tribe　friendly　to　the　whites；　attached　to　agriculture；　and　inhabiting　the　interior　of　the　country　from　the　Madeira　to　beyond　the　Tapajos；　two　other　tribes　of