the naturalist on the river amazons-第55部分

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red。　A　semi…military　organisation　is　given　to　the　bodiessome　of　the　steadiest　amongst　the　Indians　themselves　being　nominated　as　sergeants；　and　all　the　members　mustered　at　the　principal　village　of　their　district　twice　each　year。　The　captains；　however；　universally　abuse　their　authority；　monopolising　the　service　of　the　men　for　their　own　purposes；　so　that　it　is　only　by　favour　that　the　loan　of　a　canoe…hand　can　be　wrung　from　them。　I　was　treated　by　Captain　Antonio　with　great　consideration；　and　promised　two　good　Indians　when　I　should　be　ready　to　continue　my　voyage。

Little　happened　worth　narrating　during　my　forty　days'　stay　at　Aveyros。　The　time　was　spent　in　the　quiet；　regular　pursuit　of　Natural　History：　every　morning　I　had　my　long　ramble　in　the　forest；　which　extended　to　the　back…doors　of　the　houses；　and　the　afternoons　were　occupied　in　preserving　and　studying　the　objects　collected。　The　priest　was　a　lively　old　man；　but　rather　a　bore　from　being　able　to　talk　of　scarcely　anything　except　homoeopathy；　having　been　smitten　with　the　mania　during　a　recent　visit　to　Santarem。　He　had　a　Portuguese　Homoeopathic　Dictionary；　and　a　little　leather　case　containing　glass　tubes　filled　with　globules；　with　which　he　was　doctoring　the　whole　village。

A　bitter　enmity　seemed　to　exist　between　the　female　members　of　the　priest's　family；　and　those　of　the　captain's　the　only　white　women　in　the　settlement。　It　was　amusing　to　notice　how　they　flaunted　past　each　other；　when　going　to　church　on　Sundays；　in　their　starched　muslin　dresses。　I　found　an　intelligent　young　man　living　here；　a　native　of　the　province　of　Goyaz；　who　was　exploring　the　neighbourhood　for　gold　and　diamonds。　He　had　made　one　journey　up　a　branch　river；　and　declared　to　me　that　he　had　found　one　diamond；　but　was　unable　to　continue　his　researches；　because　the　Indians　who　accompanied　him　refused　to　remain　any　longer；　he　was　now　waiting　for　Captain　Antonio　to　assist　him　with　fresh　men；　having　offered　him　in　return　a　share　in　the　results　of　the　enterprise。　There　appeared　to　be　no　doubt　that　gold　is　occasionally　found　within　two　or　three　days'　journey　of　Aveyros；　but　all　lengthened　search　is　made　impossible　by　the　scarcity　of　food　and　the　impatience　of　the　Indians；　who　see　no　value　in　the　precious　metal；　and　abhor　the　tediousness　of　the　gold…searcher's　occupation。　It　is　impossible　to　do　without　them；　as　they　are　required　to　paddle　the　canoes。

The　weather；　during　the　month　of　July；　was　uninterruptedly　fine；　not　a　drop　of　rain　fell；　and　the　river　sank　rapidly。　The　mornings；　for　two　hours　after　sunrise；　were　very　cold；　we　were　glad　to　wrap　ourselves　in　blankets　on　turning　out　of　our　hammocks；　and　walk　about　at　a　quick　pace　in　the　early　sunshine。　But　in　the　afternoons；　the　heat　was　sickening；　for　the　glowing　sun　then　shone　full　on　the　front　of　the　row　of　whitewashed　houses；　and　there　was　seldom　any　wind　to　moderate　its　effects。　I　began　now　to　understand　why　the　branch　rivers　of　the　Amazons　were　so　unhealthy；　while　the　main　stream　was　pretty　nearly　free　from　diseases　arising　from　malaria。　The　cause　lies；　without　doubt；　in　the　slack　currents　of　the　tributaries　in　the　dry　season；　and　the　absence　of　the　cooling　Amazonian　trade　wind；　which　purifies　the　air　along　the　banks　of　the　main　river。　The　trade　wind　does　not　deviate　from　its　nearly　straight　westerly　course；　so　that　the　branch　streams；　which　run　generally　at　right　angles　to　the　Amazons；　and；　have　a　slack　current　for　a　long　distance　from　their　mouths；　are　left　to　the　horrors　of　nearly　stagnant　air　and　water。

Aveyros　may　be　called　the　headquarters　of　the　fire…ant；　which　might　be　fittingly　termed　the　scourge　of　this　fine　river。　The　Tapajos　is　nearly　free　from　the　insect　pests　of　other　parts；　mosquitoes；　sand…flies；　Motucas　and　piums；　but　the　formiga　de　fogo　is　perhaps　a　greater　plague　than　all　the　others　put　together。　It　is　found　only　on　sandy　soils　in　open　places；　and　seems　to　thrive　most　in　the　neighbourhood　of　houses　and　weedy　villages；　such　as　Aveyros；　it　does　not　occur　at　all　in　the　shades　of　the　forest。　I　noticed　it　in　most　places　on　the　banks　of　the　Amazons　but　the　species　is　not　very　common　on　the　main　river；　and　its　presence　is　there　scarcely　noticed；　because　it　does　not　attack　man；　and　the　sting　is　not　so　virulent　as　it　is　in　the　same　species　on　the　banks　of　the　Tapajos。　Aveyros　was　deserted　a　few　years　before　my　visit　on　account　of　this　little　tormentor；　and　the　inhabitants　had　only　recently　returned　to　their　houses；　thinking　its　numbers　had　decreased。　It　is　a　small　species；　of　a　shining　reddish　colour　not　greatly　differing　from　the　common　red　stinging　ant　of　our　own　country　（Myrmica　rubra）；　except　that　the　pain　and　irritation　caused　by　its　sting　are　much　greater。　The　soil　of　the　whole　village　is　undermined　by　it；　the　ground　is　perforated　with　the　entrances　to　their　subterranean　galleries；　and　a　little　sandy　dome　occurs　here　and　there；　where　the　insects　bring　their　young　to　receive　warmth　near　the　surface。　The　houses　are　overrun　with　them；　they　dispute　every　fragment　of　food　with　the　inhabitants；　and　destroy　clothing　for　the　sake　of　the　starch。　All　eatables　are　obliged　to　be　suspended　in　baskets　from　the　rafters；　and　the　cords　well　soaked　with　copauba　balsam；　which　is　the　only　means　known　of　preventing　them　from　climbing。　They　seem　to　attack　persons　out　of　sheer　malice；　if　we　stood　for　a　few　moments　in　the　street；　even　at　a　distance　from　their　nests；　we　were　sure　to　be　overrun　and　severely　punished；　for　the　moment　an　ant　touched　the　flesh；　he　secured　himself　with　his　jaws；　doubled　in　his　tail；　and　stung　with　all　his　might。　When　we　were　seated　on　chairs　in　the　evenings　in　front　of　the　house　to　enjoy　a　chat　with　our　neighbours；　we　had　stools　to　support　our　feet；　the　legs　of　which；　as　well　as　those　of　the　chairs；　were　well　anointed　with　the　balsam。　The　cords　of　hammocks　are　obliged　to　be　smeared　in　the　same　way　to　prevent　the　ants　from　paying　sleepers　a　visit。

The　inhabitants　declare　that　the　fire…ant　was　unknown　on　the　Tapajos　before　the　disorders　of　1835…6；　and　believe　that　the　hosts　sprang　up　from　the　blood　of　the　slaughtered　Cabanas　or　rebels。　They　have　doubtless　increased　since　that　time；　but　the　cause　lies　in　the　depopulation　of　the　villages　and　the　rank　growth　of　weeds　in　the　previously　cleared；　well…kept　spaces。　I　have　already　described　the　line　of　sediment　formed　on　the　sandy　shores　lower　down　the　river　by　the　dead　bodies　of　the　winged　individuals　of　this　species。　The　exodus　from　their　nests　of　the　males　and　females　takes　place　at　the　end　of　the　rainy　season　（June）；　when　the　swarms　are　blown　into　the　river　by　squalls　of　wind；　and　subsequently　cast　ashore　by　the　waves；　I　was　told　that　this　wholesale　destruction　of　ant…life　takes　place　annually；　and　that　the　same　compact　heap　of　dead　bodies　which　I　saw　only　in　part；　extends　along　the　banks　of　the　river　for　twelve　or　fifteen　miles。

The　forest　behind　Aveyros　yielded　me　little　except　insects；　but　in　these　it　was　very　rich。　It　is　not　too　dense；　and　broad　sunny　paths　skirted　by　luxuriant　beds　of　Lycopodiums；　which　form　attractive　sporting　places　for　insects；　extend　from　the　village　to　a　swampy　hollow　or　ygapo；　which　lies　about　a　mile　inland。　Of　butterflies　alone　I　enumerated　fully　300　species；　captured　or　seen　in　the　course　of　forty　days　within　a　half…hour's　walk　of　the　village。　This　is　a　greater　number　than　is　found　in　the　whole　of　Europe。　The　only　monkey　I　observed　was　the　Callithrix　molochone　of　the　kinds　called　by　the　Indians　〃Whaiapu…sai〃。　It　is　a　moderate…sized　species；　clothed　with　long　brown　hair；　and　having　hands　of　a　whitish　hue。　Although　nearly　allied　to　the　Cebi；　it　has　none　of　their　restless　vivacity；　but　is　a　dull　listless　animal。　It　goes　in　small　flocks　of　five　or　six　individuals；　running　along　the　main　boughs　of　the　trees。　One　of　the　specimens　which　I　obtained　here　was　caught　on　a　low　fruit…tree　at　the　back　of　our　house　at　sunrise　one　morning。　This　was　the　only　instance　of　a　monkey　being　captured　in　such　a　position　that　I　ever　heard　of。　As　the　tree　was　isolated；　it　must　have　descended　to　the　ground　from　the　neighbouring　forest　and　walked　some　distance　to　get　at　it。　The　species　is　sometimes　kept　in　a　tame　state　by　the　natives　it　does　not　make　a　very　amusing　pet；　and　survives　captivity　only　a　short　time。

I　heard　that　the　white　Cebus；　the　Caiarara　branca；　a　kind　of　monkey　I　had　not　yet　seen；　and　wished　very　much　to　obtain；　inhabited　the　forests　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river；　so　one　day；　on　an　opportunity　being　afforded　by　our　host　going　over　in　a　large　boat；　I　crossed　to　go　in　search　of　it。　We　were　about　twenty　persons　in　all；　and　the　boat　was　an　old　rickety　affair　with　the　gaping　seams　rudely　stuffed　with　tow　and　pitch。　In　addition　to　the　human　freight　we　took　three　sheep　with　us；　which　Captain　Antonio　had　just　received　from　Santarem　and　was　going　to　add　to　his　new　cattle　farm　on　the　other　side。　Ten　Indian　paddlers　carried　us　quickly　across。　The　breadth　of　the　river　could　not　be　less　than　three　miles；　and　the　current　was　scarcely　perceptible。　When　a　boat　has　to　cross　the　main　Amazons；　it　is　obliged　to　ascend　along　the　banks　for　half　a　mile　or　more　to　allow　for　drifting　by　the　current；　in　this　lower　part　of　the　Tapajos　this　is　not　necessary。　When　about　halfway；　the　sheep；　in　moving　about；　kicked　a　hole　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　The　passengers　took　the　matter　very　coolly；　although　the　water　spouted　up　alarmingly；　and　I　thought　we　should　inevitably　be　swamped。　Captain　Antonio　took　off　his　socks　to　stop　the　leak；　inviting　me　and　the　Juiz　de　Paz；　who　was　one　of　the　party；　to　do　the　same；　while　two　Indians　baled　out　the　water　with　large　cuyas。　We　thus　managed　to　keep　afloat　until　we　reached　our　destination；　when　the　men　patched　up　the　leak　for　our　return　journey。

The　landing…place　lay　a　short　distance　within　the　mouth　of　a　shady　inlet；up　on　whose　banks；　hidden　amongst　the　dense　woods；　were　the　houses　of　a　few　Indian　and　mameluco　settlers。　The　path　to　the　cattle　farm　led　first　through　a　tract　of　swampy　forest；　it　then　ascended　a　slope　and　emerged　on　a　fine　sweep　of　prairie；　varied　with　patches　of　timber。　The　wooded　portion　occupied　the　hollows　where　the　soil　was　of　a　rich　chocolate…brown　colour；　and　of　a　peaty　nature。　The　higher　grassy；　undulating　parts　of　the　campo　had　a　lighter　and　more　sandy　soil