the naturalist on the river amazons-第68部分

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tioned；　of　exploring　in　detail　the　whole　valley　of　the　Amazons；　which　I　formed　in　Para　in　the　year　1851。

During　so　long　a　residence　I　witnessed；　of　course；　many　changes　in　the　place。　Some　of　the　good　friends　who　made　me　welcome　on　my　first　arrival；　died；　and　I　followed　their　remains　to　their　last　resting…place　in　the　little　rustic　cemetery　on　the　borders　of　the　surrounding　forest。　I　lived　there　long　enough；　from　first　to　last；　to　see　the　young　people　grow　up；　attended　their　weddings；　and　the　christenings　of　their　children；　and；　before　I　left；　saw　them　old　married　folks　with　numerous　families。　In　1850　Ega　was　only　a　village；　dependent　on　Para　1400　miles　distant；　as　the　capital　of　the　then　undivided　province。　In　1852；　with　the　creation　of　the　new　province　of　the　Amazons；　it　became　a　city；　returned　its　members　to　the　provincial　parliament　at　Barra；　had　it　assizes；　its　resident　judges；　and　rose　to　be　the　chief　town　of　the　comarca　or　county。　A　year　after　this；　namely；　in　1853；　steamers　were　introduced　on　the　Solimoens；　and　from　1855；　one　ran　regularly　every　two　months　between　the　Rio　Negro　and　Nauta　in　Peru；　touching　at　all　the　villages；　and　accomplishing　the　distance　in　ascending；　about　1200　miles；　in　eighteen　days。　The　trade　and　population；　however；　did　not　increase　with　these　changes。　The　people　became　more　〃civilised；〃　that　is；　they　began　to　dress　according　to　the　latest　Parisian　fashions；　instead　of　going　about　in　stockingless　feet；　wooden　clogs；　and　shirt　sleeves；　acquired　a　taste　for　money…getting　and　office…holding；　became　divided　into　parties；　and　lost　part　of　their　former　simplicity　of　manners。　But　the　place　remained；　when　I　left　it　in　1859；　pretty　nearly　what　it　was　when　I　first　arrived　in　1850a　semi…Indian　village；　with　much　in　the　ways　and　notions　of　its　people　more　like　those　of　a　small　country　town　in　Northern　Europe　than　a　South　American　settlement。　The　place　is　healthy；　and　almost　free　from　insect　pests　perpetual　verdure　surrounds　it；　the　soil　is　of　marvellous　fertility；　even　for　Brazil；　the　endless　rivers　and　labyrinths　of　channels　teem　with　fish　and　turtle；　a　fleet　of　steamers　might　anchor　at　any　season　of　the　year　in　the　lake；　which　has　uninterrupted　water　communication　straight　to　the　Atlantic。　What　a　future　is　in　store　for　the　sleepy　little　tropical　village！

After　speaking　of　Ega　as　a　city；　it　will　have　a　ludicrous　effect　to　mention　that　the　total　number　of　its　inhabitants　is　only　about　1200。　It　contains　just　107　houses；　about　half　of　which　are　miserably　built　mud…walled　cottages；　thatched　with　palm　leaves。　A　fourth　of　the　population　are　almost　always　absent；　trading　or　collecting　produce　on　the　rivers。　The　neighbourhood　within　a　radius　of　thirty　miles；　and　including　two　other　small　villages；　contains　probably　2000　more　people。　The　settlement　is　one　of　the　oldest　in　the　country；　having　beenfounded　in　1688　by　Father　Samuel　Fritz；　a　Bohemian　Jesuit；　who　induced　several　of　the　docile　tribes　of　Indians；　then　scattered　over　the　neighbouring　region；　to　settle　on　the　site。　From　100　to　200　acres　of　sloping　ground　around　the　place　were　afterwards　cleared　of　timber；　but　such　is　the　encroaching　vigour　of　vegetation　in　this　country　that　the　site　would　quickly　relapse　into　jungle　if　the　inhabitants　neglected　to　pull　up　the　young　shoots　as　they　arose。　There　is　a　stringent　municipal　law　which　compels　each　resident　to　weed　a　given　space　around　his　dwelling。　Every　month；　whilst　I　resided　here；　an　inspector　came　round　with　his　wand　of　authority；　and　fined　every　one　who　had　not　complied　with　the　regulation。　The　Indians　of　the　surrounding　country　have　never　been　hostile　to　the　European　settlers。　The　rebels　of　Para　and　the　Lower　Amazons；　in　1835…6；　did　not　succeed　in　rousing　the　natives　of　the　Solimoens　against　the　whites。　A　party　of　forty　of　them　ascended　the　river　for　that　purpose；　but　on　arriving　at　Ega；　instead　of　meeting　with　sympathisers　as　in　other　places；　they　were　surrounded　by　a　small　body　of　armed　residents；　and　shot　down　without　mercy。　The　military　commandant　at　the　time；　who　was　the　prime　mover　in　this　orderly　resistance　to　anarchy；　was　a　courageous　and　loyal　negro；　named　Jose　Patricio；　an　officer　known　throughout　the　Upper　Amazons　for　his　unflinching　honesty　and　love　of　order；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　the　pleasure　of　making　at　St。　Paulo　in　1858。　Ega　was　the　headquarters　of　the　great　scientific　commission；　which　met　in　the　years　from　1781　to　1791　to　settle　the　boundaries　between　the　Spanish　and　Portuguese　territories　in　South　America。　The　chief　commissioner　for　Spain；　Don　Francisco　Requena；　lived　some　time　in　the　village　with　his　family。　I　found　only　one　person　at　Ega；　my　old　friend　Romao　de　Oliveira；　who　recollected；　or　had　any　knowledge　of　this　important　time；　when　a　numerous　staff　of　astronomers；　surveyors；　and　draughtsmen；　explored　much　of　the　surrounding　country　with　large　bodies　of　soldiers　and　natives。

More　than　half　the　inhabitants　of　Ega　are　Mamelucos；　there　are　not　more　than　forty　or　fifty　pure　whites；　the　number　of　negroes　and　mulattos　is　probably　a　little　less；　and　the　rest　of　the　population　consists　of　pure　blood　Indians。　Every　householder；　including　Indians　and　free　negroes；　is　entitled　to　a　vote　in　the　elections；　municipal；　provincial；　and　imperial；　and　is　liable　to　be　called　on　juries；　and　to　serve　in　the　national　guard。　These　privileges　and　duties　of　citizenship　do　not　seem　at　present　to　be　appreciated　by　the　more　ignorant　coloured　people。　There　is；　however；　a　gradual　improvement　taking　place　in　this　respect。　Before　I　left　there　was　a　rather　sharp　contest　for　the　Presidency　of　the　Municipal　Chamber；　and　most　of　the　voters　took　a　lively　interest　in　it。　There　was　also　an　election　of　members　to　represent　the　province　in　the　Imperial　Parliament　at　Rio　Janeiro；　in　which　each　party　strove　hard　to　return　its　candidate。　On　this　occasion；　an　unscrupulous　lawyer　was　sent　by　the　government　party　from　the　capital　to　overawe　the　opposition　to　its　nominee；　many　of　the　half…castes；　headed　by　my　old　friend　John　da　Cunha；　who　was　then　settled　at　Ega；　fought　hard；　but　with　perfect　legality　and　good　humour；　against　this　powerful　interest。　They　did　not　succeed　　and　although　the　government　agent　committed　many　tyrannical　and　illegal　acts；　the　losing　party　submitted　quietly　to　their　defeat。　In　a　larger　town；　I　believe；　the　government　would　not　have　dared　to　attempt　thus　to　control　the　elections。　I　think　I　saw　enough　to　warrant　the　conclusion　that　the　machinery　of　constitutional　government　would；　with　a　little　longer　trial；　work　well　amongst　the　mixed　Indian；　white；　and　negro　population；　even　in　this　remote　part　of　the　Brazilian　empire。　I　attended　also；　before　I　left；　several　assize　meetings　at　Ega；　and　witnessed　the　novel　sight　of　negro；　white；　half…caste；　and　Indian；　sitting　gravely　side　by　side　on　the　jury　bench。

The　way　in　which　the　coloured　races　act　under　the　conditions　of　free　citizenship　is　a　very　interesting　subject。　Brazilian　statesmen　seem　to　have　abandoned　the　idea；　if　they　ever　entertained　it；　of　making　this　tropical　empire　a　nation　of　whites　with　a　slave　labouring　class。　The　greatest　difficulty　on　the　Amazons　is　with　the　Indians。　The　general　inflexibility　of　character　of　the　race；　and　their　abhorrence　of　the　restraints　of　civilised　life；　make　them　very　intractable　subjects。　Some　of　them；　however；　who　have　learned　to　read　and　write；　and　whose　dislike　to　live　in　towns　has　been　overcome　by　some　cause　acting　early　in　life；　make　very　good　citizens。　I　have　already　mentioned　the　priest；　who　is　a　good　example　of　what　early　training　can　do。　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　if　the　docile　Amazonian　Indians　were　kindly　treated　by　their　white　fellow…citizens；　and　educated；　they　would　not　be　so　quick　as　they　have　hitherto　shown　themselves　to　be　to　leave　the　towns　and　return　into　their　half　wild　condition　on　the　advancing　civilisation　of　the　places。　The　inflexibility　of　character；　although　probably　organic；　is　seen　to　be　sometimes　overcome。

The　principal　blacksmith　of　Ega；　Senor　Macedo；　was　also　an　Indian；　and　a　very　sensible　fellow。　He　sometimes　filled　minor　offices　in　the　government　of　the　place。　He　used　to　come　very　frequently　to　my　house　to　chat；　and　was　always　striving　to　acquire　solid　information　about　things。　When　Donati's　comet　appeared；　he　took　a　great　interest　in　it。　We　saw　it　at　its　best　from　the　3rd　to　the　10th　of　October　（1858）；　between　which　dates　it　was　visible　near　the　western　horizon　just　after　sunset；　the　tail　extending　in　a　broad　curve　towards　the　north；　and　forming　a　sublime　object。　Macedo　consulted　all　the　old　almanacs　in　the　place　to　ascertain　whether　it　was　the　same　comet　as　that　of　1811；　which　he　said　he　well　remembered。

Before　the　Indians　can　be　reclaimed　in　large　numbers；　it　is　most　likely　they　will　become　extinct　as　a　race；　but　there　is　less　difficulty　with　regard　to　the　Mamelucos；　who；　even　when　the　proportion　of　white　blood　is　small；　sometimes　become　enterprising　and　versatile　people。Many　of　the　Ega　Indians；　including　all　the　domestic　servants；　are　savages　who　have　been　brought　from　the　neighbouring　rivers　the　Japura；　the　Issa；　and　the　Solimoens。　I　saw　here　individuals　of　at　least　sixteen　different　tribes；　most　of　whom　had　been　bought；　when　children；　of　the　native　chiefs。　This　species　of　slave…dealing；　although　forbidden　by　the　laws　of　Brazil；　is　winked　at　by　the　authorities；　because　without　it；　there　would　be　no　means　of　obtaining　servants。　They　all　become　their　own　masters　when　they　grow　up；　and　never　show　the　slightest　inclination　to　return　to　utter　savage　life。　But　the　boys　generally　run　away　and　embark　on　the　canoes　of　traders；　and　the　girls　are　often　badly　treated　by　their　mistresses　the　jealous；　passionate；　and　ill…educated　Brazilian　women。　Nearly　all　the　enmities　which　arise　amongst　residents　at　Ega　and　other　place；　are　caused　by　disputes　about　Indian　servants。　No　one　who　has　lived　only　in　old　settled　countries；　where　service　can　be　readily　bought；　can　imagine　the　difficulties　and　annoyances　of　a　land　where　the　servant　class　are　ignorant　of　the　value　of　money；　and　hands　cannot　be　obtained　except　by　coaxing　them　from　the　employ　of　other　masters。

Great　mortality　takes　place　amongst　the　poor　captive　children　on　their　arrival　at　Ega。　It　is　a　singular　circumstance　that　the　Indians　residing　on　t