the naturalist on the river amazons-第46部分

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after　week　on　the　main　river；　the　aspect　of　Santarem　with　its　broad　white　sandy　beach；　limpid　dark…green　waters；　and　line　of　picturesque　hills　rising　behind　over　the　fringe　of　green　forest；　affords　an　agreeable　surprise。　On　the　main　Amazons；　the　prospect　is　monotonous　unless　the　vessel　runs　near　the　shore；　when　the　wonderful　diversity　and　beauty　of　the　vegetation　afford　constant　entertainment。　Otherwise；　the　unvaried；　broad　yellow　stream；　and　the　long　low　line　of　forest；　which　dwindles　away　in　a　broken　line　of　trees　on　the　sea…like　horizon　and　is　renewed；　reach　after　reach；　as　the　voyages　advances；　weary　by　their　uniformity。

I　arrived　at　Santarem　on　my　second　journey　into　the　interior；　in　November；　1851；　and　made　it　my　headquarters　for　a　period；　as　it　turned　out；　of　three　years　and　a　half。　During　this　time　I　made；　in　pursuance　of　the　plan　I　had　framed；　many　excursions　up　the　Tapajos；　and　to　other　places　of　interest　in　the　surrounding　region。　On　landing；　I　found　no　difficulty　in　hiring　a　suitable　house　on　the　outskirts　of　the　place。　It　was　pleasantly　situated　near　the　beach；　going　towards　the　aldeia　or　Indian　part　of　the　town。　The　ground　sloped　from　the　back　premises　down　to　the　waterside　and　my　little　raised　veranda　overlooked　a　beautiful　flower　garden；　a　great　rarity　in　this　country；　which　belonged　to　the　neighbours。　The　house　contained　only　three　rooms；　one　with　brick　and　two　with　boarded　floors。　　It　was　substantially　built；　like　all　the　better　sort　of　houses　in　Santarem；　and　had　a　stuccoed　front。　The　kitchen；　as　is　usual；　formed　an　outhouse　placed　a　few　yards　distant　from　the　other　rooms。　The　rent　was　12；000　reis；　or　about　twenty…seven　shillings　a　month。　In　this　country；　a　tenant　has　no　extra　payments　to　make；　the　owners　of　house　property　pay　a　dizimo　or　tithe；　to　the　〃collectoria　general；〃　or　general　treasury；　but　with　this　the　occupier　of　course　has　nothing　to　do。　In　engaging　servants；　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　meet　with　a　free　mulatto；　an　industrious　and　trustworthy　young　fellow；　named　Jose；　willing　to　arrange　with　me；　the　people　of　his　family　cooked　for　us；　while　he　assisted　me　in　collecting；　he　proved　of　the　greatest　service　in　the　different　excursions　we　subsequently　made。　Servants　of　any　kind　were　almost　impossible　to　be　obtained　at　Santarem；　free　people　being　too　proud　to　hire　themselves；　and　slaves　too　few　and　valuable　to　their　masters　to　be　let　out　to　others。　These　matters　arranged；　the　house　put　in　order；　and　a　rude　table；　with　a　few　chairs；　bought　or　borrowed　to　furnish　the　house　with；　I　was　ready　in　three　or　four　days　to　commence　my　Natural　History　explorations　in　the　neighbourhood。

I　found　Santarem　quite　a　different　sort　of　place　from　the　other　settlements　on　the　Amazons。　At　Cameta；　the　lively；　good…humoured；　and　plain…living　Mamelucos　formed　the　bulk　of　the　population；　the　white　immigrants　there；　as　on　the　RioNegro　and　Upper　Amazons；　seeming　to　have　fraternised　well　with　the　aborigines。　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Santarem　the　Indians；　I　believe；　were　originally　hostile　to　the　Portuguese；　at　any　rate；　the　blending　of　the　two　races　has　not　been　here　on　a　large　scale。　I　did　not　find　the　inhabitants　the　pleasant；　easygoing；　and　blunt…spoken　country　folk　that　are　met　with　in　other　small　towns　of　the　interior。　The　whites；　Portuguese　and　Brazilians；　are　a　relatively　more　numerous　class　here　than　in　other　settlements；　and　make　great　pretensions　to　civilisation；　they　are　the　merchants　and　shopkeepers　of　the　place；　owners　of　slaves；　cattle　estates；　and　cacao　plantations。　Amongst　the　principal　residents　must　also　be　mentioned　the　civil　and　military　authorities；　who　are　generally　well…bred　and　intelligent　people　from　other　provinces。　Few　Indians　live　in　the　place；　it　is　too　civilised　for　them；　and　the　lower　class　is　made　up　（besides　the　few　slaves）　of　half…breeds；　in　whose　composition　negro　blood　predominates。　Coloured　people　also　exercise　the　different　handicrafts；　the　town　supports　two　goldsmiths；　who　are　mulattoes；　and　have　each　several　apprentices；　the　blacksmiths　are　chiefly　Indians；　as　is　the　case　generally　throughout　the　province。　The　manners　of　the　upper　class　（copied　from　those　of　Para）　are　very　stiff　and　formal；　and　the　absence　of　the　hearty　hospitality　met　with　in　other　places；　produces　a　disagreeable　impression　at　first。　Much　ceremony　is　observed　in　the　intercourse　of　the　principal　people　with　each　other；　and　with　strangers。　The　best　room　in　each　house　is　set　apart　for　receptions；　and　visitors　are　expected　to　present　themselves　in　black　dress　coats；　regardless　of　the　furious　heat　which　rages　in　the　sandy　streets　of　Santarem　towards　midday；　the　hour　when　visits　are　generally　made。　In　the　room　a　cane…bottomed　sofa　and　chairs；　all　lacquered　and　gilded；　are　arranged　in　quadrangular　form；　and　here　the　visitors　are　invited　to　seat　themselves；　while　the　compliments　are　passed；　or　the　business　arranged。　In　taking　leave；　the　host　backs　out　his　guests　with　repeated　bows；　finishing　at　the　front　door。　Smoking　is　not　in　vogue　amongst　this　class；　but　snuff…　taking　is　largely　indulged　in；　and　great　luxury　is　displayed　in　gold　and　silver　snuff…boxes。　All　the　gentlemen；　and　indeed　most　of　the　ladies　also；　wear　gold　watches　and　guard　chains。　Social　parties　are　not　very　frequent；　the　principal　men　being　fully　occupied　with　their　business　and　families；　and　the　rest　spending　their　leisure　in　billiard　and　gambling　rooms；　leaving　wives　and　daughters　shut　up　at　home。　Occasionally；　however；　one　of　the　principal　citizens　gives　a　ball。　In　the　first　that　I　attended；　the　gentlemen　were　seated　all　the　evening　on　one　side　of　the　room；　and　the　ladies　on　the　other；　and　partners　were　allotted　by　means　of　numbered　cards；　distributed　by　a　master　of　the　ceremonies。　But　the　customs　changed　rapidly　in　these　matters　after　steamers　began　to　run　on　the　Amazons　（in　1853）；　bringing　a　flood　of　new　ideas　and　fashions　into　the　country。　The　old；　bigoted；　Portuguese　system　of　treating　women；　which　stifled　social　intercourse　and　wrought　endless　evils　in　the　private　life　of　the　Brazilians；　is　now　being　gradually；　although　slowly；　abandoned。

The　religious　festivals　were　not　so　numerous　here　as　in　other　towns；　and　when　they　did　take　place；　were　very　poor　and　ill　attended。　There　is　a　handsome　church；　but　the　vicar　showed　remarkably　little　zeal　for　religion；　except　for　a　few　days　now　and　then　when　the　Bishop　came　from　Para　on　his　rounds　through　the　diocese。　The　people　are　as　fond　of　holiday…making　here　as　in　other　parts　of　the　province；　but　it　seemed　to　be　a　growing　fashion　to　substitute　rational　amusements　for　the　processions　and　mummeries　of　the　saints'　days。　The　young　folks　are　very　musical；　the　principal　instruments　in　use　being　the　flute；　violin；　Spanish　guitar；　and　a　small　four…stringed　viola；　called　cavaquinho。　During　the　early　part　of　my　stay　at　Santarem；　a　little　party　of　instrumentalists；　led　by　a　tall；　thin；　ragged　mulatto；　who　was　quite　an　enthusiast　in　his　art；　used　frequently　to　serenade　their　friends　in　the　cool　and　brilliant　moonlit　evenings　of　the　dry　season；　playing　French　and　Italian　marches　and　dance　music　with　very　good　effect。　The　guitar　was　the　favourite　instrument　with　both　sexes；　as　at　Para；　the　piano；　however；　is　now　fast　superseding　it。　The　ballads　sung　to　the　accompaniment　of　the　guitar　were　not　learned　from　written　or　printed　music；　but　communicated　orally　from　one　friend　to　another。　They　were　never　spoken　of　as　songs；　but　modinas；　or　〃little　fashions；〃　each　of　which　had　its　day；　giving　way　to　the　next　favourite　brought　by　some　young　fellow　from　the　capital。

At　festival　times　there　was　a　great　deal　of　masquerading；　in　which　all　the　people；　old　and　young；　white；　negro；　and　Indian；　took　great　delight。　The　best　things　of　this　kind　used　to　come　off　during　the　Carnival；　in　Easter　week；　and　on　St。　John's　Eve；　the　negroes　having　a　grand　semi…dramatic　display　in　the　streets　at　Christmas　time。　The　more　select　affairs　were　got　up　by　the　young　whites；　and　coloured　men　associating　with　whites。　A　party　of　thirty　or　forty　of　these　used　to　dress　themselves　in　uniform　style；　and　in　very　good　taste；　as　cavaliers　and　dames；　each　disguised　with　a　peculiar　kind　of　light　gauze　mask。　The　troop；　with　a　party　of　musicians；　went　the　round　of　their　friends'　houses　in　the　evening；　and　treated　the　large　and　gaily…dressed　companies　which　were　there　assembled　to　a　variety　of　dances。　The　principal　citizens；　in　the　large　rooms　of　whose　houses　these　entertainments　were　given；　seemed　quite　to　enjoy　them；　great　preparations　were　made　at　each　place；　and；　after　the　dance；　guests　and　masqueraders　were　regaled　with　pale　ale　and　sweetmeats。　Once　a　year　the　Indians；　with　whom　masked　dances　and　acting　are　indigenous；　had　their　turn；　and　on　one　occasion　they　gave　us　a　great　treat。　They　assembled　from　different　parts　of　the　neighbourhood　at　night；　on　the　outskirts　of　the　town；　and　then　marched　through　the　streets　by　torchlight　towards　the　quarter　inhabited　by　the　whites；　to　perform　their　hunting　and　devil　dances　before　the　doors　of　the　principal　inhabitants。　There　were　about　a　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　in　the　procession。　Many　of　the　men　were　dressed　in　the　magnificent　feather　crowns；　tunics；　and　belts；　manufactured　by　the　Mundurucus；　and　worn　by　them　on　festive　occasions；　but　the　women　were　naked　to　the　waist；　and　the　children　quite　naked；　and　all　were　painted　and　smeared　red　with　anatto。　The　ringleader　enacted　the　part　of　the　Tushaua；　or　chief；　and　carried　a　sceptre；　richly　decorated　with　the　orange；　red；　and　green　feathers　of　toucans　and　parrots。　The　paje　or　medicine…man　came　along；　puffing　at　a　long　tauari　cigar；　the　instrument　by　which　he　professes　to　make　his　wonderful　cures。　Others　blew　harsh；　jarring　blasts　with　the　ture；　a　horn　made　of　long　and　thick　bamboo；　with　a　split　reed　in　the　mouthpiece。　This　is　the　war　trumpet　of　many　tribes　of　Indians；　with　which　the　sentinels　of　predatory　hordes；　mounted　on　a　lofty　tree；　gave　the　signal　for　attack　to　their　comrades。　Those　Brazilians　who　are　old　enough　to　remember　the　times　of　warfare　between　Indians　and　settlers；　retain　a　great　horror　of　the　ture；　its　loud；　harsh　note　heard　in　the　dead　of　the　night　having　been　often　the　prelude　to　an　onslaught　of　bloodthirsty　Muras　on　the　outlying　settlements。　The　rest　of　the　men　in　the　proces