the naturalist on the river amazons-第65部分

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wner　of　the　vessel；　under　whose　tuition　I　made　good　progress　in　learning　the　Tupi　language　during　the　voyage。

Our　men　took　it　in　turns；　two　at　a　time；　to　go　out　fishing　for　which　purpose　we　carried　a　spare　montaria。　The　master　had　brought　from　Barra　as　provision；　nothing　but　stale；　salt　pirarucuhalf　rotten　fish；　in　large；　thin；　rusty　slabsfarinha；　coffee；　and　treacle。　In　these　voyages；　passengers　are　expected　to　provide　for　themselves；　as　no　charge　is　made　except　for　freight　of　the　heavy　luggage　or　cargo　they　take　with　them。　The　Portuguese　and　myself　had　brought　a　few　luxuries；　such　as　beans；　sugar；　biscuits；　tea；　and　so　forth；　but　we　found　ourselves　almost　obliged　to　share　them　with　our　two　companions　and　the　pilot；　so　that　before　the　voyage　was　one…third　finished；　the　small　stock　of　most　of　these　articles　was　exhausted。　In　return；　we　shared　in　whatever　the　men　brought。　Sometimes　they　were　quite　unsuccessful；　for　fish　is　extremely　difficult　to　procure　in　the　season　of　high　water；　on　account　of　the　lower　lands　lying　between　the　inlets　and　infinite　chain　of　pools　and　lakes　being　flooded　from　the　main　river；　thus　increasing　tenfold　the　area　over　which　the　finny　population　has　to　range。　On　most　days；　however；　they　brought　two　or　three　fine　fish；　and　once　they　harpooned　a　manatee；　or　Vacca　marina。　On　this　last…mentioned　occasion　we　made　quite　a　holiday；　the　canoe　was　stopped　for　six　or　seven　hours；　and　all　turned　out　into　the　forest　to　help　skin　and　cook　the　animal。　The　meat　was　cut　into　cubical　slabs；　and　each　person　skewered　a　dozen　or　so　of　these　on　a　long　stick。　Fires　were　made；　and　the　spits　stuck　in　the　ground　and　slanted　over　the　flames　to　roast。　A　drizzling　rain　fell　all　the　time；　and　the　ground　around　the　fires　swarmed　with　stinging　ants；　attracted　by　the　entrails　and　slime　which　were　scattered　about。　The　meat　has　somewhat　the　taste　of　very　coarse　pork；　but　the　fat；　which　lies　in　thick　layers　between　the　lean　parts；　is　of　a　greenish　colour；　and　of　a　disagreeable；　fishy　flavour。　The　animal　was　a　large　one；　measuring　nearly　ten　feet　in　length；　and　nine　in　girth　at　the　broadest　part。　The　manatee　is　one　of　the　few　objects　which　excite　the　dull　wonder　and　curiosity　of　the　Indians；　notwithstanding　its　commonness。　The　fact　of　its　suckling　its　young　at　the　breast；　although　an　aquatic　animal　resembling　a　fish；　seems　to　strike　them　as　something　very　strange。　The　animal；　as　it　lay　on　its　back；　with　its　broad　rounded　head　and　muzzle；　tapering　body；　and　smooth；　thick；　lead…coloured　skin　reminded　me　of　those　Egyptian　tombs　which　are　made　of　dark；　smooth　stone；　and　shaped　to　the　human　figure。

Notwithstanding　the　hard　fare；　the　confinement　of　the　canoe；　the　trying　weatherfrequent　and　drenching　rains；　with　gleams　of　fiery　sunshineand　the　woeful　desolation　of　the　river　scenery；　I　enjoyed　the　voyage　on　the　whole。　We　were　not　much　troubled　by　mosquitoes；　and　therefore　passed　the　nights　very　pleasantly；　sleeping　on　deck　wrapped　in　blankets　or　old　sails。　When　the　rains　drove　us　below　we　were　less　comfortable；　as　there　was　only　just　room　in　the　small　cabin　for　three　of　us　to　lie　close　together；　and　the　confined　air　was　stifling。　I　became　inured　to　the　Piums　in　the　course　of　the　first　week；　all　the　exposed　parts　of　my　body；　by　that　time；　being　so　closely　covered　with　black　punctures　that　the　little　bloodsuckers　could　not　very　easily　find　an　unoccupied　place　to　operate　upon。　Poor　Miguel；　the　Portuguese；　suffered　horribly　from　these　pests；　his　ankles　and　wrists　being　so　much　inflamed　that　he　was　confined　to　his　hammock；　slung　in　the　hold；　for　weeks。　At　every　landing　place　I　had　a　ramble　in　the　forest；　while　the　redskins　made　the　fire　and　cooked　the　meal。　The　result　was　a　large　daily　addition　to　my　collection　of　insects；　reptiles；　and　shells。

Sometimes　the　neighbourhood　of　our　gipsy…like　encampment　was　a　tract　of　dry　and　spacious　forest；　pleasant　to　ramble　in；　but　more　frequently　it　was　a　rank　wilderness；　into　which　it　was　impossible　to　penetrate　many　yards；　on　account　of　uprooted　trees；　entangled　webs　of　monstrous　woody　climbers；　thickets　of　spiny　bamboos；　swamps；　or　obstacles　of　one　kind　or　other。　The　drier　lands　were　sometimes　beautified　to　the　highest　degree　by　groves　of　the　Urucuri　palm　（Attalea　excelsa）；　which　grew　by　the　thousands　under　the　crowns　of　the　lofty；　ordinary　forest　trees；　their　smooth　columnar　stems　being　all　of　nearly　equal　height　（forty　or　fifty　feet）；　and　their　broad；　finely…pinnated　leaves　interlocking　above　to　form　arches　and　woven　canopies　of　elegant　and　diversified　shapes。　The　fruit　of　this　palm　ripens　on　the　upper　river　in　April；　and　during　our　voyage　I　saw　immense　quantities　of　it　strewn　about　under　the　trees　in　places　where　we　encamped。　It　is　similar　in　size　and　shape　to　the　date；　and　has　a　pleasantly…　flavoured　juicy　pulp。　The　Indians　would　not　eat　it；　I　was　surprised　at　this；　as　they　greedily　devoured　many　other　kinds　of　palm　fruit　whose　sour　and　fibrous　pulp　was　much　less　palatable。　Vicente　shook　his　head　when　he　saw　me　one　day　eating　a　quantity　of　the　Urucuri　plums。　I　am　not　sure　they　were　not　the　cause　of　a　severe　indigestion　under　which　I　suffered　for　many　days　afterwards。

In　passing　slowly　along　the　interminable　wooded　banks　week　after　week；　I　observed　that　there　were　three　tolerably　distinct　kinds　of　coast　and　corresponding　forest　constantly　recurring　on　this　upper　river。　First；　there　were　the　low　and　most　recent　alluvial　depositsa　mixture　of　sand　and　mud；　covered　with　tall；　broad…　leaved　grasses；　or　with　the　arrow…grass　before　described；　whose　feathery…topped　flower…stem　rises　to　a　height　of　fourteen　or　fifteen　feet。　The　only　large　trees　which　grow　in　these　places　are　the　Cecropiae。　Many　of　the　smaller　and　newer　islands　were　of　this　description。　Secondly；　there　were　the　moderately　high　banks；　which　are　only　partially　overflowed　when　the　flood　season　is　at　its　height；　these　are　wooded　with　a　magnificent；　varied　forest；　in　which　a　great　variety　of　palms　and　broad…leaved　Marantaceae　form　a　very　large　proportion　of　the　vegetation。　The　general　foliage　is　of　a　vivid　light…green　hue；　the　water　frontage　is　sometimes　covered　with　a　diversified　mass　of　greenery；　but　where　the　current　sets　strongly　against　the　friable；　earthy　banks；　which　at　low　water　are　twenty…five　to　thirty　feet　high；　these　are　cut　away；　and　expose　a　section　of　forest　where　the　trunks　of　trees　loaded　with　epiphytes　appear　in　massy　colonnades。　One　might　safely　say　that　three…fourths　of　the　land　bordering　the　Upper　Amazons；　for　a　thousand　miles；　belong　to　this　second　class。　The　third　description　of　coast　is　the　higher；　undulating；　clayey　land；　which　appears　only　at　long　intervals；　but　extends　sometimes　for　many　miles　along　the　borders　of　the　river。　The　coast　at　these　places　is　sloping；　and　composed　of　red　or　variegated　clay。　The　forest　is　of　a　different　character　from　that　of　the　lower　tracts：　it　is　rounder　in　outline；　more　uniform　in　its　general　aspect　palms　are　much　less　numerous　and　of　peculiar　speciesthe　strange　bulging…stemmed　species；　Iriartea　ventricosa；　and　the　slender；　glossy…leaved　Bacaba…i　（Oenocarpus　minor）；　being　especially　characteristic；　and；　in　short；　animal　life；　which　imparts　some　cheerfulness　to　the　other　parts　of　the　river；　is　seldom　apparent。　This　〃terra　firme；〃　as　it　is　called；　and　a　large　portion　of　the　fertile　lower　land；　seemed　well　adapted　for　settlement；　some　parts　were　originally　peopled　by　the　aborigines；　but　these　have　long　since　become　extinct　or　amalgamated　with　the　white　immigrants。　I　afterwards　learned　that　there　were　not　more　than　eighteen　or　twenty　families　settled　throughout　the　whole　country　from　Manacapuru　to　Quary；　a　distance　of　240　miles；　and　these；　as　before　observed；　do　not　live　on　the　banks　of　the　main　stream；　but　on　the　shores　of　inlets　and　lakes。

The　fishermen　twice　brought　me　small　rounded　pieces　of　very　porous　pumice…stone；　which　they　had　picked　up　floating　on　the　surface　of　the　main　current　of　the　river。　They　were　to　me　objects　of　great　curiosity　as　being　messengers　from　the　distant　volcanoes　of　the　Andes　Cotopaxi；　Llanganete；　or　Sangay　which　rear　their　peaks　amongst　the　rivulets　that　feed　some　of　the　early　tributaries　of　the　Amazons；　such　as　the　Macas；　the　Pastaza；　and　the　Napo。　The　stones　must　have　already　travelled　a　distance　of　1200　miles。　I　afterwards　found　them　rather　common；　the　Brazilians　use　them　for　cleaning　rust　from　their　guns；　and　firmly　believe　them　to　be　solidified　river　foam。　A　friend　once　brought　me；　when　I　lived　at　Santarem；　a　large　piece　which　had　been　found　in　the　middle　of　the　stream　below　Monte　Alegre；　about　900　miles　further　down　the　river；　having　reached　this　distance；　pumice…stones　would　be　pretty　sure　of　being　carried　out　to　sea；　and　floated　thence　with　the　northwesterly　Atlantic　current　to　shores　many　thousand　miles　distant　from　the　volcanoes　which　ejected　them。　They　are　sometimes　stranded　on　the　banks　in　different　parts　of　the　river。　Reflecting　on　this　circumstance　since　I　arrived　in　England；　the　probability　of　these　porous　fragments　serving　as　vehicles　for　the　transportation　of　seeds　of　plants；　eggs　of　insects；　spawn　of　fresh…water　fish；　and　so　forth；　has　suggested　itself　to　me。　Their　rounded；　water…worn　appearance　showed　that　they　must　have　been　rolled　about　for　a　long　time　in　the　shallow　streams　near　the　sources　of　the　rivers　at　the　feet　of　the　volcanoes；　before　they　leapt　the　waterfalls　and　embarked　on　the　currents　which　lead　direct　for　the　Amazons。　They　may　have　been　originally　cast　on　the　land　and　afterwards　carried　to　the　rivers　by　freshets；　in　which　case　the　eggs　and　seeds　of　land　insects　and　plants　might　be　accidentally　introduced　and　safely　enclosed　with　particles　of　earth　in　their　cavities。　As　the　speed　of　the　current　in　the　rainy　season　has　been　observed　to　be　from　three　to　five　miles　an　hour；　they　might　travel　an　immense　distance　before　the　eggs　or　seeds　were　destroyed。　I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　I　neglected　the　opportunity；　while　on　the　spot；　of　ascertaining　whether　this　was　actually　the　case。　The　attention　of　Naturalists　has　only　lately　been　turned　to　the　important　subject　of　occasional　means　of　wide　dissemination　of　species　of　animals　and　plants。　Unless　such　be　shown　to　exist；　it　is　impossible　to　solve　some　of　the　most　difficult　problems　connected　with　the　distribut