the naturalist on the river amazons-第64部分

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we　reckon　from　the　source　of　what　is　usually　considered　the　main　stream　（Lake　Lauricocha；　near　Lima）；　but　2500　miles　by　the　route　of　the　Ucayali；　the　most　considerable　and　practicable　fork　of　the　upper　part　of　the　river。　It　is　navigable　at　all　seasons　by　large　steamers　for　upwards　of　1400　miles　from　the　mouth　of　the　Rio　Negro。

On　the　28th　we　passed　the　mouth　of　Arlauu；　a　narrow　inlet　which　communicates　with　the　Rio　Negro；　emerging　in　front　of　Barra。　Our　vessel　was　nearly　drawn　into　this　by　the　violent　current　which　set　from　the　Solimoens。　The　towing…cable　was　lashed　to　a　strong　tree　about　thirty　yards　ahead；　and　it　took　the　whole　strength　of　crew　and　passengers　to　pull　across。　We　passed　the　Guariba；　a　second　channel　connecting　the　two　rivers；　on　the　30th；　and　on　the　31st　sailed　past　a　straggling　settlement　called　Manacapuru；　situated　on　a　high；　rocky　bank。　Many　citizens　of　Barra　have　sitios；　or　country…houses；　in　this　place；　although　it　is　eighty　miles　distant　from　the　town　by　the　nearest　road。　Beyond　Manacapuru　all　traces　of　high　land　cease；　both　shores　of　the　river；　henceforward　for　many　hundred　miles；　are　flat；　except　in　places　where　the　Tabatinga　formation　appears　in　clayey　elevations　of　from　twenty　to　forty　feet　above　the　line　of　highest　water。　The　country　is　so　completely　destitute　of　rocky　or　gravelly　beds　that　not　a　pebble　is　seen　during　many　weeks'　journey。　Our　voyage　was　now　very　monotonous。　After　leaving　the　last　house　at　Manacapuru；　we　travelled　nineteen　days　without　seeing　a　human　habitation；　the　few　settlers　being　located　on　the　banks　of　inlets　or　lakes　some　distance　from　the　shores　of　the　main　river。　We　met　only　one　vessel　during　the　whole　of　the　time；　and　this　did　not　come　within　hail；　as　it　was　drifting　down　in　the　middle　of　the　current　in　a　broad　part　of　the　river；　two　miles　from　the　bank　along　which　we　were　laboriously　warping　our　course　upwards。

After　the　first　two　or　three　days　we　fell　into　a　regular　way　of　life　on　board。　Our　crew　was　composed　of　ten　Indians　of　the　Cucama　nation；　whose　native　country　is　a　portion　of　the　borders　of　the　upper　river　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Nauta；　in　Peru。　The　Cucamas　speak　the　Tupi　language；　using；　however；　a　harsher　accent　than　is　common　amongst　the　semi…civilised　Indians　from　Ega　downwards。　They　are　a　shrewd；　hard…working　people；　and　are　the　only　Indians　who　willingly；　and　in　a　body；　engage　themselves　to　navigate　the　canoes　of　traders。　The　pilot；　a　steady　and　faithful　fellow　named　Vicente；　told　me　that　he　and　his　companions　had　now　been　fifteen　months　absent　from　their　wives　and　families；　and　that　on　arriving　at　Ega　they　intended　to　take　the　first　chance　of　a　passage　to　Nauta。　There　was　nothing　in　the　appearance　of　these　men　to　distinguish　them　from　canoemen　in　general。　Some　were　tall　and　well　built；　others　had　squat　figures　with　broad　shoulders　and　excessively　thick　arms　and　legs。　No　two　of　them　were　at　all　similar　in　the　shape　of　the　head：　Vicente　had　an　oval　visage；　with　fine　regular　features；　while　a　little　dumpy　fellow；　the　wag　of　the　party；　was　quite　a　Mongolian　in　breadth　and　prominence　of　cheek；　spread　of　nostrils；　and　obliquity　of　eyes；　but　these　two　formed　the　extremes　as　to　face　and　figure。　None　of　them　were　tattooed　or　disfigured　in　any　way　and　they　were　all　quite　destitute　of　beard。

The　Cucamas　are　notorious　on　the　river　for　their　provident　habits。　The　desire　of　acquiring　property　is　so　rare　a　trait　in　Indians；　that　the　habits　of　these　people　are　remarked　on　with　surprise　by　the　Brazilians。　The　first　possession　which　they　strive　to　acquire　on　descending　the　river　into　Brazil；　which　all　the　Peruvian　Indians　look　upon　as　a　richer　country　than　their　own；　is　a　wooden　trunk　with　lock　and　key；　in　this　they　stow　away　carefully　all　their　earnings　converted　into　clothing；　hatchets；　knives；　harpoon　heads；　needles　and　thread；　and　so　forth。　Their　wages　are　only　fourpence　or　sixpence　a　day；　which　is　often　paid　in　goods　charged　one　hundred　per　cent　above　Para　prices；　so　that　it　takes　them　a　long　time　to　fill　their　chest。

It　would　be　difficult　to　find　a　better…behaved　set　of　men　in　a　voyage　than　these　poor　Indians。　During　our　thirty…five　days'　journey　they　lived　and　worked　together　in　the　most　perfect　good　fellowship。　I　never　heard　an　angry　word　pass　amongst　them。　Senor　Estulano　let　them　navigate　the　vessel　in　their　own　way；　exerting　his　authority　only　now　and　then　when　they　were　inclined　to　be　lazy。　Vicente　regulated　the　working　hours。　These　depended　on　the　darkness　of　the　nights。　In　the　first　and　second　quarters　of　the　moon　they　kept　it　up　with　espia；　or　oars；　until　almost　midnight；　in　the　third　and　fourth　quarters　they　were　allowed　to　go　to　sleep　soon　after　sunset；　and　were　aroused　at　three　or　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　resume　their　work。　On　cool；　rainy　days　we　all　bore　a　hand　at　the　espia；　trotting　with　bare　feet　on　the　sloppy　deck　in　Indian　file　to　the　tune　of　some　wild　boatman's　chorus。　We　had　a　favorable　wind　for　only　two　days　out　of　the　thirty…five；　by　which　we　made　about　forty　miles；　the　rest　of　our　long　journey　was　accomplished　literally　by　pulling　our　way　from　tree　to　tree。　When　we　encountered　a　remanso　near　the　shore；　we　got　along　very　pleasantly　for　a　few　miles　by　rowing　but　this　was　a　rare　occurrence。　During　leisure　hours　the　Indians　employed　themselves　in　sewing。　Vicente　was　a　good　hand　at　cutting　out　shirts　and　trousers；　and　acted　as　master　tailor　to　the　whole　party；　each　of　whom　had　a　thick　steel　thimble　and　a　stock　of　needles　and　thread　of　his　own。　Vicente　made　for　me　a　set　of　blue…check　cotton　shirts　during　the　passage。

The　goodness　of　these　Indians；　like　that　of　most　others　amongst　whom　I　lived；　consisted　perhaps　more　in　the　absence　of　active　bad　qualities；　than　in　the　possession　of　good　ones；　in　other　words；　it　was　negative　rather　than　positive。　Their　phlegmatic；　apathetic　temperament；　coldness　of　desire　and　deadness　of　feeling；　want　of　curiosity　and　slowness　of　intellect；　make　the　Amazonian　Indians　very　uninteresting　companions　anywhere。　Their　imagination　is　of　a　dull；　gloomy；　quality　and　they　seemed　never　to　be　stirred　by　the　emotionslove；　pity；　admiration；　fear；　wonder；　joy；　orenthusiasm。　These　are　characteristics　of　the　whole　race。　The　good　fellowship　of　our　Cucamas　seemed　to　arise　not　from　warm　sympathy；　but　simply　from　the　absence　of　eager　selfishness　in　small　matters。　On　the　morning　when　the　favourable　wind　sprung　up；　one　of　the　crew；　a　lad　of　about　seventeen　years　of　age；　was　absent　ashore　at　the　time　of　starting；　having　gone　alone　in　one　of　the　montarias　to　gather　wild　fruit。　The　sails　were　spread　and　we　travelled　for　several　hours　at　great　speed；　leaving　the　poor　fellow　to　paddle　after　us　against　the　strong　current。　Vicente；　who　might　have　waited　a　few　minutes　at　starting；　and　the　others；　only　laughed　when　the　hardship　of　their　companion　was　alluded　to。　He　overtook　us　at　night；　having　worked　his　way　with　frightful　labor　the　whole　day　without　a　morsel　of　food。　He　grinned　when　he　came　on　board；　and　not　a　dozen　words　were　said　on　either　side。

Their　want　of　curiosity　is　extreme。　One　day　we　had　an　unusually　sharp　thunder　shower。　The　crew　were　lying　about　the　deck；　and　after　each　explosion　all　set　up　a　loud　laugh；　the　wag　of　the　party　exclaiming：　〃There's　my　old　uncle　hunting　again！〃　an　expression　showing　the　utter　emptiness　of　mind　of　the　spokesman。　I　asked　Vicente　what　he　thought　was　the　cause　of　lightning　and　thunder。。。　He　said；　〃Timaa　ichoqua；〃I　don't　know。　He　had　never　given　the　subject　a　moment's　thought！　It　was　the　same　with　other　things。　I　asked　him　who　made　the　sun；　the　stars；　the　trees。。。　He　didn't　know；　and　had　never　heard　the　subject　mentioned　amongst　his　tribe。　The　Tupi　language；　at　least　as　taught　by　the　old　Jesuits；　has　a　wordTupanasignifying　God。　Vicente　sometimes　used　this　word；　but　he　showed　by　his　expressions　that　he　did　not　attach　the　idea　of　a　Creator　to　it。　He　seemed　to　think　it　meant　some　deity　or　visible　image　which　the　whites　worshipped　in　the　churches　he　had　seen　in　the　villages。　None　of　the　Indian　tribes　on　the　Upper　Amazons　have　an　idea　of　a　Supreme　Being；　and　consequently　have　no　word　to　express　it　in　their　own　language。　Vicente　thought　the　river　on　which　we　were　travelling　encircled　the　whole　earth；　and　that　the　land　was　an　island　like　those　seen　in　the　stream；　but　larger。　Here　a　gleam　of　curiosity　and　imagination　in　the　Indian　mind　is　revealed：　the　necessity　of　a　theory　of　the　earth　and　water　has　been　felt；　and　a　theory　has　been　suggested。　In　all　other　matters　not　concerning　the　common　wants　of　life；　the　mind　of　Vicente　was　a　blank　and　such　I　always　found　to　be　the　case　with　the　Indian　in　his　natural　state。　Would　a　community　of　any　race　of　men　be　otherwise；　were　they　isolated　for　centuries　in　a　wilderness　like　the　Amazonian　Indians；　associated　in　small　numbers　wholly　occupied　in　procuring　a　mere　subsistence；　and　without　a　written　language；　or　a　leisured　class　to　hand　down　acquired　knowledge　from　generation　to　generation？One　day　a　smart　squall　gave　us　a　good　lift　onward；　it　came　with　a　cold；　fine；　driving　rain；　which　enveloped　the　desolate　landscape　as　with　a　mist；　the　forest　swayed　and　roared　with　the　force　of　the　gale；　and　flocks　of　birds　were　driven　about　in　alarm　over　the　tree　tops。　On　another　occasion　a　similar　squall　came　from　an　unfavourable　quarter；　it　fell　upon　us　quite　unawares；　when　we　had　all　our　sails　out　to　dry；　and　blew　us　broadside　foremost　on　the　shore。　The　vessel　was　fairly　lifted　on　to　the　tall　bushes　which　lined　the　banks；　but　we　sustained　no　injury　beyond　the　entanglement　of　our　rigging　in　the　branches。　The　days　and　nights　usually　passed　in　a　dead　calm；　or　with　light　intermittent　winds　from　up　river；　and　consequently　full　against　us。　We　landed　twice　a　day　to　give　ourselves　and　the　Indians　a　little　rest　and　change；　and　to　cook　our　two　mealsbreakfast　and　dinner。　There　was　another　passenger　besides　myselfa　cautious；　middle…aged　Portuguese；　who　was　going　to　settle　at　Ega；　where　he　had　a　brother　long　since　established。　He　was　accommodated　in　the　fore…　cabin；　or　arched　covering　over　the　hold。　I　shared　the　cabin…　proper　with　Senores　Estulano　and　Manoel；　the　latter　a　young　half…　caste；　son…in…law　to　the　owner　of　the　vessel；　under　whose　tuition　I　made　good　progress　in　learning　the　Tupi　language　during　th