the naturalist on the river amazons-第69部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Great　mortality　takes　place　amongst　the　poor　captive　children　on　their　arrival　at　Ega。　It　is　a　singular　circumstance　that　the　Indians　residing　on　the　Japura　and　other　tributaries　always　fall　ill　on　descending　to　the　Solimoens；　while　the　reverse　takes　place　with　the　inhabitants　of　the　banks　of　the　main　river；　who　never　fail　of　taking　intermittent　fever　when　they　first　ascend　these　branch　rivers；　and　of　getting　well　when　they　return。　The　finest　tribes　of　savages　who　inhabit　the　country　near　Ega　are　the　Juris　and　Passes　these　are　now；　however；　nearly　extinct；　a　few　families　only　remaining　on　the　banks　of　the　retired　creeks　connected　with　the　Teffe；　and　on　other　branch　rivers　between　the　Teffe　and　the　Jutahi。　They　are　a　peaceable；　gentle；　and　industrious　people；　devoted　to　agriculture　and　fishing；　and　have　always　been　friendly　to　the　whites。　I　shall　have　occasion　to　speak　again　of　the　Passes；　who　are　a　slenderly…built　and　superior　race　of　Indians；　distinguished　by　a　large；　square　tattooed　patch　in　the　middle　of　their　faces。　The　principal　cause　of　their　decay　in　numbers　seems　to　be　a　disease　which　always　appears　amongst　them　when　a　village　is　visited　by　people　from　the　civilised　settlementsa　slow　fever；　accompanied　by　the　symptoms　of　a　common　cold；　〃defluxo；〃　as　the　Brazilians　term　it；　ending　probably　in　consumption。　The　disorder　has　been　known　to　break　out　when　the　visitors　were　entirely　free　from　it　the　simple　contact　of　civilised　men；　in　some　mysterious　way；　being　sufficient　to　create　it。　It　is　generally　fatal　to　the　Juris　and　Passes；　the　first　question　the　poor；　patient　Indians　now　put　to　an　advancing　canoe　is；　〃Do　you　bring　defluxo？〃

My　assistant；　Jose；　in　the　last　year　of　our　residence　at　Ega；　〃resgatou〃　（ransomed；　the　euphemism　in　use　for　purchased）　two　Indian　children；　a　boy　and　a　girl；　through　a　Japura　trader。　The　boy　was　about　twelve　years　of　age；　and　of　an　unusually　dark　colour　of　skin　he　had；　in　fact；　the　tint　of　a　Cafuzo；　the　offspring　of　Indian　and　negro。　It　was　thought　he　had　belonged　to　some　perfectly　wild　and　houseless　tribe；　similar　to　the　Pararauates　of　the　Tapajos；　of　which　there　are　several　in　different　parts　of　the　interior　of　South　America。　His　face　was　of　regular；　oval　shape；　but　his　glistening　black　eyes　had　a　wary；　distrustful　expression；　like　that　of　a　wild　animal；　his　hands　and　feet　were　small　and　delicately　formed。　Soon　after　his　arrival；　finding　that　none　of　the　Indian　boys　and　girls　in　the　houses　of　our　neighbours　understood　his　language；　he　became　sulky　and　reserved；　not　a　word　could　be　got　from　him　until　many　weeks　afterwards；　when　he　suddenly　broke　out　with　complete　phrases　of　Portuguese。　He　was　ill　of　swollen　liver　and　spleen；　the　result　of　intermittent　fever；　for　a　long　time　after　coming　into　our　hands。　We　found　it　difficult　to　cure　him；　owing　to　his　almost　invincible　habit　of　eating　earth；　baked　clay；　pitch；　wax；　and　other　similar　substances。　Very　many　children　on　the　upper　parts　of　the　Amazons　have　this　strange　habit；　not　only　Indians；　but　negroes　and　whites。　It　is　not；　therefore；　peculiar　to　the　famous　Otomacs　of　the　Orinoco；　described　by　Humboldt；or　to　Indians　at　all；　and　seems　to　originate　in　a　morbid　craving；　the　result　of　a　meagre　diet　of　fish；　wild…fruits；　and　mandioca…meal。　We　gave　our　little　savage　the　name　of　Sebastian。

The　use　of　these　Indian　children　is　to　fill　water…jars　from　the　river；　gather　firewood　in　the　forest；　cook；　assist　in　paddling　the　montaria　in　excursions；　and　so　forth。　Sebastian　was　often　my　companion　in　the　woods；　where　he　was　very　useful　in　finding　the　small　birds　I　shot；　which　sometimes　fell　in　the　thickets　amongst　confused　masses　of　fallen　branches　and　dead　leaves。　He　was　wonderfully　expert　at　catching　lizards　with　his　hands；　and　at　climbing。　The　smoothest　stems　of　palm　trees　offered　little　difficulty　to　him；　he　would　gather　a　few　lengths　of　tough；　flexible　lianas；　tie　them　in　a　short；　endless　band　to　support　his　feet　with；　in　embracing　the　slippery　shaft；　and　then　mount　upwards　by　a　succession　of　slight　jerks。　It　was　very　amusing；　during　the　first　few　weeks；　to　witness　the　glee　and　pride　with　which　he　would　bring　to　me　the　bunches　of　fruit　he　had　gathered　from　almost　inaccessible　trees。　He　avoided　the　company　of　boys　of　his　own　race；　and　was　evidently　proud　of　being　the　servant　of　a　real　white　man。　We　brought　him　down　with　us　to　Para；　but　he　showed　no　emotion　at　any　of　the　strange　sights　of　the　capital　the　steam…vessels；　large　ships　and　houses；　horses　and　carriages；　the　pomp　of　church　ceremonies；　and　so　forth。　In　this　he　exhibited　the　usual　dullness　of　feeling　and　poverty　of　thought　of　the　Indian；　he　had；　nevertheless；　very　keen　perceptions；　and　was　quick　at　learning　any　mechanical　art。　Jose；　who　had　resumed；　some　time　before　I　left　the　country；　his　old　trade　of　goldsmith；　made　him　his　apprentice；　and　he　made　very　rapid　progress；　for　after　about　three　months'　teaching　he　came　to　me　one　day　with　radiant　countenance　and　showed　me　a　gold　ring　of　his　own　making。

The　fate　of　the　little　girl；　who　came　with　a　second　batch　of　children　all　ill　of　intermittent　fever；　a　month　or　two　after　Sebastian；　was　very　different。　She　was　brought　to　our　house；　after　landing；　one　night　in　the　wet　season；　when　the　rain　was　pouring　in　torrents；　thin　and　haggard；　drenched　with　wet　and　shivering　with　ague。　An　old　Indian　who　brought　her　to　the　door　said　briefly；　〃ecui　encommenda〃　（here's　your　little　parcel；　or　order）；　and　went　away。　There　was　very　little　of　the　savage　in　her　appearance；　and　she　was　of　a　much　lighter　colour　than　the　boy。　We　found　she　was　of　the　Miranha　tribe；　all　of　whom　are　distinguished　by　a　slit；　cut　in　the　middle　of　each　wing　of　the　nose；　in　which　they　wear　on　holiday　occasions　a　large　button　made　of　pearly　river…shell。　We　took　the　greatest　care　of　our　little　patient；　had　the　best　nurses　in　the　town；　fomented　her　daily；　gave　her　quinine　and　the　most　nourishing　food；　but　it　was　all　of　no　avail；　she　sank　rapidly；　her　liver　was　enormously　swollen；　and　almost　as　hard　to　the　touch　as　stone。　There　was　something　uncommonly　pleasing　in　her　ways；　and　quite　unlike　anything　I　had　yet　seen　in　Indians。　Instead　of　being　dull　and　taciturn；　she　was　always　smiling　and　full　of　talk。　We　had　an　old　woman　of　the　same　tribe　to　attend　her；　who　explained　what　she　said　to　us。　She　often　begged　to　be　taken　to　the　river　to　bathe；　asked　for　fruit；　or　coveted　articles　she　saw　in　the　room　for　playthings。　Her　native　name　was　Oria。　The　last　week　or　two　she　could　not　rise　from　the　bed　we　had　made　for　her　in　a　dry　corner　of　the　room；　when　she　wanted　lifting；　which；　was　very　often；　she　would　allow　no　one　to　help　her　but　me；　calling　me　by　the　name　of　〃Cariwa　〃　（white　man）；　the　only　word　of　Tupi　she　seemed　to　know。　It　was　inexpressibly　touching　to　hear　her；　as　she　lay；　repeating　by　the　hour　the　verses　which　she　had　been　taught　to　recite　with　her　companions　in　her　native　village：　a　few　sentences　repeated　over　and　over　again　with　a　rhythmic　accent；　and　relating　to　objects　and　incidents　connected　with　the　wild　life　of　her　tribe。　We　had　her　baptised　before　she　died；　and　when　this　latter　event　happened；　in　opposition　to　the　wishes　of　the　big　people　of　Ega；　I　insisted　on　burying　her　with　the　same　honours　as　a　child　of　the　whites；　that　is；　as　an　〃anjinho〃　（little　angel）；　according　to　the　pretty　Roman　Catholic　custom　of　the　country。　We　had　the　corpse　clothed　in　a　robe　of　fine　calico；　crossed　her　hands　on　her　breast　over　a　〃palma〃　of　flowers；　and　made　also　a　crown　of　flowers　for　her　head。　Scores　of　helpless　children　like　our　poor　Oria　die　at　Ega；　or　on　the　road；　but　generally　not　the　slightest　care　is　taken　of　them　during　their　illness。　They　are　the　captives　made　during　the　merciless　raids　of　one　section　of　the　Miranha　tribe　on　the　territories　of　another；　and　sold　to　the　Ega　traders。　The　villages　of　the　attacked　hordes　are　surprised；　and　the　men　and　women　killed　or　driven　into　the　thickets　without　having　time　to　save　their　children。　There　appears　to　be　no　doubt　that　the　Miranhas　are　cannibals；　and；　therefore；　the　purchase　of　these　captives　probably　saves　them　from　a　worse　fate。　The　demand　for　them　at　Ega　operates；　however；　as　a　direct　cause　of　the　supply；　stimulating　the　unscrupulous　chiefs；　who　receive　all　the　profits；　to　undertake　these　murderous　expeditions。

It　is　remarkable　how　quickly　the　savages　of　the　various　nations；　which　each　have　their　own；　to　all　appearance；　widely　different　language；　learn　Tupi　on　their　arrival　at　Ega；　where　it　is　the　common　idiom。　This　perhaps　may　be　attributed　chiefly　to　the　grammatical　forms　of　all　the　Indian　tongues　being　the　same；　although　the　words　are　different。　As　far　as　I　could　learn；　the　feature　is　common　to　all；　of　placing　the　preposition　after　the　noun；　making　it；　in　fact；　a　post…position；　thus：　〃He　is　come　the　village　from；〃　〃Go　him　with；　the　plantation　to；〃　and　so　forth。　The　ideas　to　be　expressed　in　their　limited　sphere　of　life　and　thought　are　few；　consequently　the　stock　of　words　is　extremely　small；　besides；　all　Indians　have　the　same　way　of　thinking；　and　the　same　objects　to　talk　about；　these　circumstances　also　contribute　to　the　case　with　which　they　learn　each　other's　language。　Hordes　of　the　same　tribe　living　on　the　same　branch　rivers；　speak　mutually　unintelligible　languages；　this　happens　with　the　Miranhas　on　the　Japura；　and　with　the　Collinas　on　the　Jurua；　whilst　Tupi　is　spoken　with　little　corruption　along　the　banks　of　the　main　Amazons　for　a　distance　Of　2500　miles。　The　purity　of　Tupi　is　kept　up　by　frequent　communication　amongst　the　natives；　from　one　end　to　the　other　of　the　main　river；　how　complete　and　long…continued　must　be　the　isolation　in　which　the　small　groups　of　savages　have　lived　in　other　parts；　to　have　caused　so　complete　a　segregation　of　dialects！　It　is　probable　that　the　strange　inflexibility　of　the　Indian　organisation；　both　bodily　and　mental；　is　owing　to　the　isolation　in　which　each　small　tribe　has　lived；　and　to　the　narrow　round　of　life　and　thought；　and　close　intermarriages　for　countless　generations　which　are　the　necessary　results。　Their　fecundity　is　of　a　low　degree；　for　it　is　very　rare　to　find　an　Indian　family　having　so　many　as　four　children；　and　we　have　seen　how　great　is　their　liability　to　sickness　and　death　on　removal　from　place　to　place。

I　have　already　remarked　on　t