the naturalist on the river amazons-第70部分

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rom　place　to　place。

I　have　already　remarked　on　the　different　way　in　which　the　climate　of　this　equatorial　region　affects　Indians　and　negroes。　No　one　could　live　long　amongst　the　Indians　of　the　Upper　Amazons　without　being　struck　with　their　constitutional　dislike　to　the　heat。　Europeans　certainly　withstand　the　high　temperature　better　than　the　original　inhabitants　of　the　country；　I　always　found　I　could　myself　bear　exposure　to　the　sun　or　unusually　hot　weather　quite　as　well　as　the　Indians；　although　not　well…fitted　by　nature　for　a　hot　climate。　Their　skin　is　always　hot　to　the　touch；　and　they　perspire　little。　No　Indian　resident　of　Ega　can　be　induced　to　stay　in　the　village　（where　the　heat　is　felt　more　than　in　the　forest　or　on　the　river）；　for　many　days　together。　They　bathe　many　times　a　day；　but　do　not　plunge　in　the　water；　taking　merely　a　sitz…bath；　as　dogs　may　be　seen　doing　in　hot　climates；　to　cool　the　lower　parts　of　the　body。　The　women　and　children；　who　often　remain　at　home；　while　the　men　are　out　for　many　days　together　fishing；　generally　find　some　excuse　for　trooping　off　to　the　shades　of　the　forest　in　the　hot　hours　of　the　afternoons。　They　are　restless　and　discontented　in　fine　dry　weather；　but　cheerful　in　cool　days；　when　the　rain　is　pouring　down　on　their　naked　backs。　When　suffering　under　fever；　nothing　but　strict　watching　can　prevent　them　from　going　down　to　bathe　in　the　river；　or　eating　immoderate　quantities　of　juicy　fruits；　although　these　indulgences　are　frequently　the　cause　of　death。　They　are　very　subject　to　disorders　of　the　liver；　dysentery；　and　other　diseases　of　hot　climates；　and　when　any　epidemic　is　about；　they　fall　ill　quicker；　and　suffer　more　than　negroes　or　even　whites。　How　different　all　this　is　with　the　negro；　the　true　child　of　tropical　climes！　The　impression　gradually　forced　itself　on　my　mind　that　the　red　Indian　lives　as　a　stranger；　or　immigrant　in　these　hot　regions；　and　that　his　constitution　was　not　originally　adapted；　and　has　not　since　become　perfectly　adapted；　to　the　climate。

The　Indian　element　is　very　prominent　in　the　amusements　of　the　Ega　people。　All　the　Roman　Catholic　holidays　are　kept　up　with　great　spirit；　rude　Indian　sports　being　mingled　with　the　ceremonies　introduced　by　the　Portuguese。　Besides　these；　the　aborigines　celebrate　their　own　ruder　festivals；　the　people　of　different　tribes　combining　for；　in　most　of　their　features；　the　merry…　makings　were　originally　alike　in　all　the　tribes。　The　Indian　idea　of　a　holiday　is　bonfires；　processions；　masquerading；　especially　the　mimicry　of　different　kinds　of　animals；　plenty　of　confused　drumming　and　fifing；　monotonous　dancing；　kept　up　hour　after　hour　without　intermission；　and；　the　most　important　point　of　all；　getting　gradually　and　completely　drunk。　But　he　attaches　a　kind　of　superstitious　significance　to　these　acts；　and　thinks　that　the　amusements　appended　to　the　Roman　Catholic　holidays　as　celebrated　by　the　descendants　of　the　Portuguese；　are　also　an　essential　part　of　the　religious　ceremonies。　But　in　this　respect；　the　uneducated　whites　and　half…breeds　are　not　a　bit　more　enlightened　than　the　poor；　dull…souled　Indian。　All　look　upon　a　religious　holiday　as　an　amusement；　in　which　the　priest　takes　the　part　of　director　or　chief　actor。

Almost　every　unusual　event；　independent　of　saints'　days；　is　made　the　occasion　of　a　holiday　by　the　sociable；　easy…going　people　of　the　white　and　Mameluco　classes　funerals；　christenings；　weddings；　the　arrival　of　strangers；　and　so　forth。　The　custom　of　〃waking〃　the　dead　is　also　kept　up。　A　few　days　after　I　arrived；　I　was　awoke　in　the　middle　of　a　dark；　moist　night　by　Cardozo；　to　sit　up　with　a　neighbour　whose　wife　had　just　died。　I　found　the　body　laid　out　on　a　table；　with　crucifix　and　lighted　wax…candles　at　the　head；　and　the　room　full　of　women　and　girls　squatted　on　stools　or　on　their　haunches。　The　men　were　seated　round　the　open　door；　smoking；　drinking　coffee；　and　telling　stories；　the　bereaved　husband　exerting　himself　much　to　keep　the　people　merry　during　the　remainder　of　the　night。　The　Ega　people　seem　to　like　an　excuse　for　turning　night　into　day；　it　is　so　cool　and　pleasant；　and　they　can　sit　about　during　these　hours　in　the　open　air；　clad　as　usual　in　simple　shirt　and　trousers；　without　streaming　with　perspiration。

The　patron　saint　is　Santa　Theresa；　the　festival　at　whose　anniversary　lasts；　like　most　of　the　others；　ten　days。　It　begins　very　quietly　with　evening　litanies　sung　in　the　church；　which　are　attended　by　the　greater　part　of　the　population；　all　clean　and　gaily　dressed　in　calicos　and　muslins；　the　girls　wearing　jasmines　and　other　natural　flowers　in　their　hair；　no　other　headdress　being　worn　by　females　of　any　class。　The　evenings　pass　pleasantly；　the　church　is　lighted　up　with　wax　candles；　and　illuminated　on　the　outside　by　a　great　number　of　little　oil　lamps；　rude　clay　cups；　or　halves　of　the　thick　rind　of　the　bitter　orange；　which　are　fixed　all　over　the　front。　The　congregation　seem　very　attentive；　and　the　responses　to　the　litany　of　Our　Lady；　sung　by　a　couple　of　hundred　fresh　female　voices；　ring　agreeably　through　the　still　village。　Towards　the　end　of　the　festival　the　fun　commences。　The　managers　of　the　feast　keep　open　houses；　and　dancing；　drumming；　tinkling　of　wire　guitars；　and　unbridled　drinking　by　both　sexes；　old　and　young；　are　kept　up　for　a　couple　of　days　and　a　night　with　little　intermission。　The　ways　of　the　people　at　these　merry…makings；　of　which　there　are　many　in　the　course　of　the　year；　always　struck　me　as　being　not　greatly　different　from　those　seen　at　an　old…　fashioned　village　wake　in　retired　parts　of　England。　The　old　folks　look　on　and　get　very　talkative　over　their　cups；　the　children　are　allowed　a　little　extra　indulgence　in　sitting　up；　the　dull；　reserved　fellows　become　loquacious；　shake　one　another　by　the　hand　or　slap　each　other　on　the　back；　discovering；　all　at　once；　what　capital　friends　they　are。　The　cantankerous　individual　gets　quarrelsome；　and　the　amorous　unusually　loving。　The　Indian；　ordinarily　so　taciturn；　finds　the　use　of　his　tongue；　and　gives　the　minutest　details　of　some　little　dispute　which　he　had　with　his　master　years　ago；　and　which　everyone　else　had　forgotten　just　as　I　have　known　lumpish　labouring　men　in　England　do；　when　half…　fuddled。　One　cannot　help　reflecting；　when　witnessing　these　traits　of　manners；　on　the　similarity　of　human　nature　everywhere；　when　classes　are　compared　whose　state　of　culture　and　conditions　of　life　are　pretty　nearly　the　same。

The　Indians　play　a　conspicuous　part　in　the　amusements　at　St。　John's　eve；　and　at　one　or　two　other　holidays　which　happen　about　that　time　of　the　yearthe　end　of　June。　In　some　of　the　sports　the　Portuguese　element　is　visible；　in　others　the　Indian；　but　it　must　be　recollected　that　masquerading；　recitative　singing；　and　so　forth；　are　common　originally　to　both　peoples。　A　large　number　of　men　and　boys　disguise　themselves　to　represent　different　grotesque　figures；　animals；　or　persons。　Two　or　three　dress　themselves　up　as　giants；　with　the　help　of　a　tall　framework。　One　enacts　the　part　of　the　Caypor；　a　kind　of　sylvan　deity　similar　to　the　Curupira　which　I　have　before　mentioned。　The　belief　in　this　being　seems　to　be　common　to　all　the　tribes　of　the　Tupi　stock。　According　to　the　figure　they　dressed　up　at　Ega；　he　is　a　bulky；　misshapen　monster；　with　red　skin　and　long　shaggy　red　hair　hanging　half　way　down　his　back。　They　believe　that　he　has　subterranean　campos　and　hunting　grounds　in　the　forest；　well　stocked　with　pacas　and　deer。　He　is　not　at　all　an　object　of　worship　nor　of　fear；　except　to　children；　being　considered　merely　as　a　kind　of　hobgoblin。　Most　of　the　masquers　make　themselves　up　as　animalsbulls；　deer；　magoary　storks；　jaguars；　and　so　forth；　with　the　aid　of　light　frameworks；　covered　with　old　cloth　dyed　or　painted　and　shaped　according　to　the　object　represented。　Some　of　the　imitations　which　I　saw　were　capital。　One　ingenious　fellow　arranged　an　old　piece　of　canvas　in　the　form　of　a　tapir；　placed　himself　under　it；　and　crawled　about　on　all　fours。　He　constructed　an　elastic　nose　to　resemble　that　of　the　tapir；　and　made；　before　the　doors　of　the　principal　residents；　such　a　good　imitation　of　the　beast　grazing；　that　peals　of　laughter　greeted　him　wherever　he　went。　Another　man　walked　about　solitarily；　masked　as　a　jabiru　crane　（a　large　animal　standing　about　four　feet　high）；　and　mimicked　the　gait　and　habits　of　the　bird　uncommonly　well。　One　year　an　Indian　lad　imitated　me；　to　the　infinite　amusement　of　the　townsfolk。　He　came　the　previous　day　to　borrow　of　me　an　old　blouse　and　straw　hat。　I　felt　rather　taken　in　when　I　saw　him；　on　the　night　of　the　performance；　rigged　out　as　an　entomologist；　with　an　insect　net；　hunting　bag；　and　pincushion。　To　make　the　imitation　complete；　he　had　borrowed　the　frame　of　an　old　pair　of　spectacles；　and　went　about　with　it　straddled　over　his　nose。　The　jaguar　now　and　then　made　a　raid　amongst　the　crowd　of　boys　who　were　dressed　as　deer；　goats；　and　so　forth。　The　masquers　kept　generally　together；　moving　from　house　to　house；　and　the　performances　were　directed　by　an　old　musician；　who　sang　the　orders　and　explained　to　the　spectators　what　was　going　forward　in　a　kind　of　recitative；　accompanying　himself　on　a　wire　guitar。　The　mixture　of　Portuguese　and　Indian　customs　is　partly　owing　to　the　European　immigrants　in　these　parts　having　been　uneducated　men；　who；　instead　of　introducing　European　civilisation；　have　descended　almost　to　the　level　of　the　Indians；　and　adopted　some　of　their　practices。　The　performances　take　place　in　the　evening；　and　occupy　five　or　six　hours；　bonfires　are　lighted　along　the　grassy　streets；　and　the　families　of　the　better　class　are　seated　at　their　doors；　enjoying　the　wild　but　good…humoured　fun。

We　lived　at　Ega；　during　most　part　of　the　year；　on　turtle。　The　great　freshwater　turtle　of　the　Amazons　grows　on　the　upper　river　to　an　immense　size；　a　full…grown　one　measuring　nearly　three　feet　in　length　by　two　in　breadth；　and　is　a　load　for　the　strongest　Indian。　Every　house　has　a　little　pond；　called　a　curral　（pen）；　in　the　backyard　to　hold　a　stock　of　the　animals　through　the　season　of　dearththe　wet　months；　those　who　have　a　number　of　Indians　in　their　employ　send　them　out　for　a　month　when　the　waters　are　low；　to　collect　a　stock；　and　those　who　have　not；　purchasing　their　supply　with　some　difficulty；　however；　as　they　are　rarely　offered　for　sale。　The　price　of　turtles；　lik