the naturalist on the river amazons-第47部分

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to　an　onslaught　of　bloodthirsty　Muras　on　the　outlying　settlements。　The　rest　of　the　men　in　the　procession　carried　bows　and　arrows；　bunches　of　javelins；　clubs；　and　paddles。　The　older　children　brought　with　them　the　household　pets；　some　had　monkeys　or　coatis　on　their　shoulders；　and　others　bore　tortoises　on　their　heads。　The　squaws　carried　their　babies　in　aturas；　or　large　baskets；　slung　on　their　backs；　and　secured　with　a　broad　belt　of　bast　over　their　foreheads。　The　whole　thing　was　accurate　in　its　representation　of　Indian　life；　and　showed　more　ingenuity　than　some　people　give　the　Brazilian　red　man　credit　for。　It　was　got　up　spontaneously　by　the　Indians；　and　simply　to　amuse　the　people　of　the　place。

The　people　seem　to　be　thoroughly　alive　to　the　advantages　of　education　for　their　children。　Besides　the　usual　primary　schools；　one　for　girls；　and　another　for　boys；　there　is　a　third　of　a　higher　class；　where　Latin　and　French；　amongst　other　accomplishments；　are　taught　by　professors；　who；　like　the　common　schoolmasters；　are　paid　by　the　provincial　government。　This　is　used　as　a　preparatory　school　to　the　Lyceum　and　Bishop's　seminary；　well…endowed　institutions　at　Para；　whither　it　is　the　ambition　of　traders　and　planters　to　send　their　sons　to　finish　their　studies。　The　rudiments　of　education　only　are　taught　in　the　primary　schools；　and　it　is　surprising　how　quickly　and　well　the　little　lads；　both　coloured　and　white；　learn　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic。　But　the　simplicity　of　the　Portuguese　language；　which　is　written　as　it　is　pronounced；　or　according　to　unvarying　rules；　and　the　use　of　the　decimal　system　of　accounts；　make　these　acquirements　much　easier　than　they　are　with　us。　Students　in　the　superior　school　have　to　pass　an　examination　before　they　can　be　admitted　at　the　colleges　in　Para；　and　the　managers　once　did　me　the　honour　to　make　me　one　of　the　examiners　for　the　year。　The　performances　of　the　youths；　most　of　whom　were　under　fourteen　years　of　age；　were　very　creditable；　especially　in　grammar；　there　was　a　quickness　of　apprehension　displayed　which　would　have　gladdened　the　heart　of　a　northern　schoolmaster。　The　course　of　study　followed　at　the　colleges　of　Para　must　be　very　deficient；　for　it　is　rare　to　meet　with　an　educated　Paraense　who　has　the　slightest　knowledge　of　the　physical　sciences；　or　even　of　geography；　if　he　has　not　travelled　out　of　the　province。　The　young　men　all　become　smart　rhetoricians　and　lawyers；　any　of　them　is　ready　to　plead　in　a　law　case　at　an　hour's　notice；　they　are　also　great　at　statistics；　for　the　gratification　of　which　taste　there　is　ample　field　in　Brazil；　where　every　public　officer　has　to　furnish　volumes　of　dry　reports　annually　to　the　government；　but　they　are　woefully　ignorant　on　most　other　subjects。

I　do　not　recollect　seeing　a　map　of　any　kind　at　Santarem。　The　quick…witted　people　have　a　suspicion　of　their　deficiencies　in　this　respect；　and　it　is　difficult　to　draw　them　out　on　geography；　but　one　day　a　man　holding　an　important　office　betrayed　himself　by　asking　me；　〃On　what　side　of　the　river　was　Paris　situated？　〃　This　question　did　not　arise；　as　might　be　supposed；　from　a　desire　for　accurate　topographical　knowledge　of　the　Seine；　but　from　the　idea；　that　all　the　world　was　a　great　river；　and　that　the　different　places　he　had　heard　of　must　lie　on　one　shore　or　the　other。　The　fact　of　the　Amazons　being　a　limited　stream；　having　its　origin　in　narrow　rivulets；　its　beginning　and　its　ending；　has　never　entered　the　heads　of　most　of　the　people　who　have　passed　their　whole　lives　on　its　banks。

Santarem　is　a　pleasant　place　to　live　in；　irrespective　of　its　society。　There　are　no　insect　pests；　mosquito；　pium；　sand…fly；　or　motuca。　The　climate　is　glorious；　during　six　months　of　the　year；　from　August　to　February；　very　little　rain　falls；　and　the　sky　is　cloudless　for　weeks　together；　the　fresh　breezes　from　the　sea；　nearly　400　miles　distant；　moderating　the　great　heat　of　the　sun。　The　wind　is　sometimes　so　strong　for　days　together；　that　it　is　difficult　to　make　way　against　it　in　walking　along　the　streets；　and　it　enters　the　open　windows　and　doors　of　houses；　scattering　loose　clothing　and　papers　in　all　directions。　The　place　is　considered　healthy；　but　at　the　changes　of　season；　severe　colds　and　ophthalmia　are　prevalent。　I　found　three　Englishmen　living　here；　who　had　resided　many　years　in　the　town　or　its　neighbourhood；　and　who　still　retained　their　florid　complexions；　the　plump　and　fresh　appearance　of　many　of　the　middle…aged　Santarem　ladies　also　bore　testimony　to　the　healthfulness　of　the　climate。　The　streets　are　always　clean　and　dry；　even　in　the　height　of　the　wet　season；　good　order　is　always　kept；　and　the　place　pretty　well　supplied　with　provisions。　None　but　those　who　have　suffered　from　the　difficulty　of　obtaining　the　necessities　of　life　at　any　price　in　most　of　the　interior　settlements　of　South　America；　can　appreciate　the　advantages　of　Santarem　in　this　respect。

Everything；　however；　except　meat；　was　dear；　and　becoming　every　year　more　so。　Sugar；　coffee；　and　rice；　which　ought　to　be　produced　in　surplus　in　the　neighbourhood；　are　imported　from　other　provinces；　and　are　high　in　price；　sugar；　indeed；　is　a　little　dearer　here　than　in　England。　There　were　two　or　three　butchers'　shops；　where　excellent　beef　could　be　had　daily　at　twopence　or　twopence…halfpenny　per　pound。　The　cattle　have　not　to　be　brought　from　a　long　distance　as　at　Para；　being　bred　on　the　campos；　which　border　the　Lago　Grande；　only　one　or　two　days'　journey　from　the　town。　Fresh　fish　could　be　bought　in　the　port　on　most　evenings；　but　as　the　supply　did　not　equal　the　demand；　there　was　always　a　race　amongst　purchasers　to　the　waterside　when　the　canoe　of　a　fisherman　hove　in　sight。　Very　good　bread　was　hawked　round　the　town　every　morning；　with　milk；　and　a　great　variety　of　fruits　and　vegetables。　Amongst　the　fruits；　there　was　a　kind　called　atta；　which　I　did　not　see　in　any　other　part　of　the　country。　It　belongs　to　the　Anonaceous　order；　and　the　tree　which　produces　it　grows　apparently　wild　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Santarem。　It　is　a　little　larger　than　a　good…sized　orange；　and　the　rind；　which　encloses　a　mass　of　rich　custardy　pulp；　is　scaled　like　the　pineapple；　but　green　when　ripe；　and　encrusted　on　the　inside　with　sugar。　To　finish　this　account　of　the　advantages　of　Santarem；　the　delicious　bathing　in　the　clear　waters　of　the　Tapajos　may　be　mentioned。　There　is　here　no　fear　of　alligators；　when　the　cast　wind　blows；　a　long　swell　rolls　in　on　the　clean　sandy　beach；　and　the　bath　is　most　exhilarating。

The　country　around　Santarem　is　not　clothed　with　dense　and　lofty　forest　like　the　rest　of　the　great　humid　river　plain　of　the　Amazons。　It　is　a　campo　region；　a　slightly　elevated　and　undulating　tract　of　land；　wooded　only　in　patches；　or　with　single　scattered　trees。　A　good　deal　of　the　country　on　the　borders　of　the　Tapajos；　which　flows　from　the　great　campo　area　of　interior　Brazil；　is　of　this　description。　It　is　on　this　account　that　I　consider　the　eastern　side　of　the　river；　towards　its　mouth；；　to　be　a　northern　prolongation　of　the　continental　land；　and　not　a　portion　of　the　alluvial　flats　of　the　Amazons。　The　soil　is　a　coarse　gritty　sand；　the　substratum；　which　is　visible　in　some　places；　consisting　of　sandstone　conglomerate　probably　of　the　same　formation　as　that　which　underlies　the　Tabatinga　clay　in　other　parts　of　the　river　valley。　The　surface　is　carpeted　with　slender　hairy　grasses；　unfit　for　pasture；　growing　to　a　uniform　height　of　about　a　foot。　The　patches　of　wood　look　like　copses　in　the　middle　of　green　meadows；　they　are　called　by　the　natives　〃ilhas　de　mato；〃　or　islands　of　jungle；　the　name　being；　no　doubt；　suggested　by　their　compactness　of　outline；　neatly　demarcated　in　insular　form　from　the　smooth　carpet　of　grass；　around　them。　They　are　composed　of　a　great　variety　of　trees　loaded　with　succulent　parasites；　and　lashed　together　by　woody　climbers　like　the　forest　in　other　parts。　A　narrow　belt　of　dense　wood；　similar　in　character　to　these　ilhas；　and　like　them　sharply　limited　along　its　borders；　runs　everywhere　parallel　and　close　to　the　river。　In　crossing　the　campo；　the　path　from　the　town　ascends　a　little　for　a　mile　or　two；　passing　through　this　marginal　strip　of　wood；　the　grassy　land　then　slopes　gradually　to　a　broad　valley；　watered　by　rivulets；　whose　banks　are　clothed　with　lofty　and　luxuriant　forest。　Beyond　this；　a　range　of　hills　extends　as　far　as　the　eye　can　reach　towards　the　yet　untrodden　interior。　Some　of　these　hills　are　long　ridges；　wooded　or　bare；　others　are　isolated　conical　peaks；　rising　abruptly　from　the　valley。　The　highest　are　probably　not　more　than　a　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　river。　One　remarkable　hill；　the　Serra　de　Muruaru；　about　fifteen　miles　from　Santarem；　which　terminates　the　prospect　to　the　south；　is　of　the　same　truncated　pyramidal　form　as　the　range　of　hills　near　Almeyrim。　Complete　solitude　reigns　over　the　whole　of　this　stretch　of　beautiful　country。　The　inhabitants　of　Santarem　know　nothing　of　the　interior；　and　seem　to　feel　little　curiosity　concerning　it。　A　few　tracks　from　the　town　across　the　campo　lead　to　some　small　clearings　four　or　five　miles　off；　belonging　to　the　poorer　inhabitants　of　the　place；　but；　excepting　these；　there　are　no　roads；　or　signs　of　the　proximity　of　a　civilised　settlement。

The　appearance　of　the　campos　changes　very　much　according　to　the　season。　There　is　not　that　grand　uniformity　of　aspect　throughout　the　year　which　is　observed　in　the　virgin　forest；　and　which　makes　a　deeper　impression　on　the　naturalist　the　longer　he　remains　in　this　country。　The　seasons　in　this　part　of　the　Amazons　region　are　sharply　contrasted；　but　the　difference　is　not　so　great　as　in　some　tropical　countries；　where；　during　the　dry　monsoon；　insects　and　reptiles　go　into　a　summer　sleep；　and　the　trees　simultaneously　shed　their　leaves。　As　the　dry　season　advances　（August；　September）；　the　grass　on　the　campos　withers；　and　the　shrubby　vegetation　near　the　town　becomes　a　mass　of　parched　yellow　stubble。　The　period；　however；　is　not　one　of　general　torpidity　or　repose　for　animal　or　vegetable　life。　Birds　certainly　are　not　so　numerous　as　in　the　wet　season；　but　some　kinds　remain　and　lay　their　eggs　at　this　timefor　instance；　the　ground　doves　（Chamaepelia）。　The　trees　retain　their　verdure　throughout；　and　many　of　them　flower　in　the　dry　months。　Lizards　do　not　become　torpid；　and　insects　are　seen　both　in　the　larva　and　t