the naturalist on the river amazons-第71部分

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supply　with　some　difficulty；　however；　as　they　are　rarely　offered　for　sale。　The　price　of　turtles；　like　that　of　all　other　articles　of　food；　has　risen　greatly　with　the　introduction　of　steam…vessels。　When　I　arrived　in　1850；　a　middle…sized　one　could　be　bought　pretty　readily　for　ninepence；　but　when　I　left　in　1859；　they　were　with　difficulty　obtained　at　eight　and　nine　shillings　each。　The　abundance　of　turtles；　or　rather　the　facility　with　which　they　can　be　found　and　caught；　varies　with　the　amount　of　annual　subsidence　of　the　waters。　When　the　river　sinks　less　than　the　average；　they　are　scarce；　but　when　more；　they　can　be　caught　in　plenty；　the　bays　and　shallow　lagoons　in　the　forest　having　then　only　a　small　depth　of　water。　The　flesh　is　very　tender；　palatable；　and　wholesome；　but　it　is　very　cloying　every　one　ends；　sooner　or　later；　by　becoming　thoroughly　surfeited。　I　became　so　sick　of　turtle　in　the　course　of　two　years　that　I　could　not　bear　the　smell　of　it；　although　at　the　same　time　nothing　else　was　to　be　had；　and　I　was　suffering　actual　hunger。　The　native　women　cook　it　in　various　ways。　The　entrails　are　chopped　up　and　made　into　a　delicious　soup　called　sarapatel；　which　is　generally　boiled　in　the　concave　upper　shell　of　the　animal　used　as　a　kettle。　The　tender　flesh　of　the　breast　is　partially　minced　with　farinha；　and　the　breast　shell　then　roasted　over　the　fire；　making　a　very　pleasant　dish。　Steaks　cut　from　the　breast　and　cooked　with　the　fat　form　another　palatable　dish。　Large　sausages　are　made　of　the　thick…　coated　stomach；　which　is　filled　with　minced　meat　and　boiled。　The　quarters　cooked　in　a　kettle　of　Tucupi　sauce　form　another　variety　of　food。　When　surfeited　with　turtle　in　all　other　shapes；　pieces　of　the　lean　part　roasted　on　a　spit　and　moistened　only　with　vinegar　make　an　agreeable　change。　The　smaller　kind　of　turtle；　the　tracaja；　which　makes　its　appearance　in　the　main　river；　and　lays　its　eggs　a　month　earlier　than　the　large　species；　is　of　less　utility　to　the　inhabitants　although　its　flesh　is　superior；　on　account　of　the　difficulty　of　keeping　it　alive；　it　survives　captivity　but　a　very　few　days；　although　placed　in　the　same　ponds　in　which　the　large　turtle　keeps　well　for　two　or　three　years。

Those　who　cannot　hunt　and　fish　for　themselves；　and　whose　stomachs　refuse　turtle；　are　in　a　poor　way　at　Ega。　Fish；　including　many　kinds　of　large　and　delicious　salmonidae；　is　abundant　in　the　fine　season；　but　each　family　fishes　only　for　itself；　and　has　no　surplus　for　sale。　An　Indian　fisherman　remains　out　just　long　enough　to　draw　what　he　thinks　sufficient　for　a　couple　of　days'　consumption。　Vacca　marina　is　a　great　resource　in　the　wet　season。　It　is　caught　by　harpooning；　which　requires　much　skill；　or　by　strong　nets　made　of　very　thick　hammock　twine；　and　placed　across　narrow　inlets。　Very　few　Europeans　are　able　to　eat　the　meat　of　this　animal。　Although　there　is　a　large　quantity　of　cattle　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　town；　and　pasture　is　abundant　all　the　year　round；　beef　can　be　had　only　when　a　beast　is　killed　by　accident。

The　most　frequent　cause　of　death　is　poisoning　by　drinking　raw　Tucupi；　the　juice　of　the　mandioca　root。　Bowls　of　this　are　placed　on　the　ground　in　the　sheds　where　the　women　prepare　farinha；　it　is　generally　done　carelessly；　but　sometimes　intentionally　through　spite　when　stray　oxen　devastate　the　plantations　of　the　poorer　people。　The　juice；　is　almost　certain　to　be　drunk　if　cattle　stray　near　the　place；　and　death　is　the　certain　result。　The　owners　kill　a　beast　which　shows　symptoms　of　having　been　poisoned；　and　retail　the　beef　in　the　town。　Although　every　one　knows　it　cannot　be　wholesome；　such　is　the　scarcity　of　meat　and　the　uncontrollable　desire　to　eat　beef；　that　it　is　eagerly　bought；　at　least　by　those　residents　who　come　from　other　provinces　where　beef　is　the　staple　article　of　food。　Game　of　all　kinds　is　scarce　in　the　forest　near　the　town；　except　in　the　months　of　June　and　July；　when　immense　numbers　of　a　large　and　handsome　bird；　Cuvier's　toucan　（Ramphastos　Cuvieri）　make　their　appearance。　They　come　in　well…fed　condition；　and　are　shot　in　such　quantities　that　every　family　has　the　strange　treat　of　stewed　and　roasted　toucans　daily　for　many　weeks。　Curassow　birds　are　plentiful　on　the　banks　of　the　Solimoens；　but　to　get　a　brace　or　two　requires　the　sacrifice　of　several　days　for　the　trip。　A　tapir；　of　which　the　meat　is　most　delicious　and　nourishing；　is　sometimes　killed　by　a　fortunate　hunter。　I　have　still　a　lively　recollection　of　the　pleasant　effects　which　I　once　experienced　from　a　diet　of　fresh　tapir　meat　for　a　few　days；　after　having　been　brought　to　a　painful　state　of　bodily　and　mental　depression　by　a　month's　scanty　rations　of　fish　and　farinha。

We　sometimes　had　fresh　bread　at　Ega　made　from　American　flour　brought　from　Para；　but　it　was　sold　at　ninepence　a　pound。　I　was　once　two　years　without　tasting　wheaten　bread；　and　attribute　partly　to　this　the　gradual　deterioration　of　health　which　I　suffered　on　the　Upper　Amazons。　Mandioca　meal　is　a　poor；　weak　substitute　for　bread；　it　is　deficient　in　gluten；　and　consequently　cannot　be　formed　into　a　leavened　mass　or　loaf；　but　is　obliged　to　be　roasted　in　hard　grains　in　order　to　keep　any　length　of　time。　Cakes　are　made　of　the　half…roasted　meal；　but　they　become　sour　in　a　very　few　hours。　A　superior　kind　of　meal　is　manufactured　at　Ega　of　the　sweet　mandioca　（Manihot　Aypi）；　it　is　generally　made　with　a　mixture　of　the　starch　of　the　root　and　is　therefore　a　much　more　wholesome　article　of　food　than　the　ordinary　sort　which；　on　the　Amazons；　is　made　of　the　pulp　after　the　starch　has　been　extracted　by　soaking　in　water。　When　we　could　get　neither　bread　nor　biscuit；　I　found　tapioca　soaked　in　coffee　the　best　native　substitute。　We　were　seldom　without　butter；　as　every　canoe　brought　one　or　two　casks　on　each　return　voyage　from　Para；　where　it　is　imported　in　considerable　quantity　from　Liverpool。　We　obtained　tea　in　the　same　way；　it　being　served　as　a　fashionable　luxury　at　wedding　and　christening　parties；　the　people　were　at　first　strangers　to　this　article；　for　they　used　to　stew　it　in　a　saucepan；　mixing　it　up　with　coarse　raw　sugar；　and　stirring　it　with　a　spoon。　Sometimes　we　had　milk；　but　this　was　only　when　a　cow　calved；　the　yield　from　each　cow　was　very　small；　and　lasted　only　for　a　few　weeks　in　each　case；　although　the　pasture　is　good；　and　the　animals　are　sleek　and　fat。　Fruit　of　the　ordinary　tropical　sorts　could　generally　be　had。　I　was　quite　surprised　at　the　variety　of　the　wild　kinds；　and　of　the　delicious　flavour　of　some　of　them。　Many　of　these　are　utterly　unknown　in　the　regions　nearer　the　Atlantic；　being　the　peculiar　productions　of　this　highly　favoured；　and　little　known；　interior　country。　Some　have　been　planted　by　the　natives　in　their　clearings。　The　best　was　the　Jabuti…puhe；　or　tortoise…foot；　a　scaled　fruit　probably　of　the　Anonaceous　order。　It　is　about　the　size　of　an　ordinary　apple；　when　ripe　the　rind　is　moderately　thin；　and　encloses；　with　the　seeds；　a　quantity　of　custardy　pulp　of　a　very　rich　flavour。　Next　to　this　stands　the　Cuma　（Collophora　sp。）　of　which　there　are　two　species；　not　unlike　in　appearance；　small　round　Dears　but　the　rind　is　rather　hard；　and　contains　a　gummy　milk；　and　the　pulpy　part　is　almost　as　delicious　as　that　of　the　Jabuti…puhe。　The　Cuma　tree　is　of　moderate　height；　and　grows　rather　plentifully　in　the　more　elevated　and　drier　situations。　A　third　kind　is　the　Pama；　which　is　a　stone　fruit；　similar　in　colour　and　appearance　to　the　cherry　but　of　oblong　shape。　The　tree　is　one　of　the　loftiest　in　the　forest；　and　has　never；　I　believe；　been　selected　for　cultivation。　To　get　at　the　fruit　the　natives　are　obliged　to　climb　to　the　height　of　about　a　hundred　feet；　and　cut　off　the　heavily　laden　branches。　I　have　already　mentioned　the　Umari　and　the　Wishi：　both　these　are　now　cultivated。　The　fatty；　bitter　pulp　which　surrounds　the　large　stony　seeds　of　these　fruits　is　eaten　mixed　with　farinha；　and　is　very　nourishing。　Another　cultivated　fruit　is　the　Puruma　（Puruma　cecropiaefolia；　Martius）；　a　round　juicy　berry；　growing　in　large　bunches　and　resembling　grapes　in　taste。　Another　smaller　kind；　called　Puruma…i；　grows　wild　in　the　forest　close　to　Ega；　and　has　not　yet　been　planted。　The　most　singular　of　all　these　fruits　is　the　Uiki；　which　is　of　oblong　shape；　and　grows　apparently　crosswise　on　the　end　of　its　stalk。　When　ripe；　the　thick　green　rind　opens　by　a　natural　cleft　across　the　middle；　and　discloses　an　oval　seed　the　size　of　a　damascene　plum；　but　of　a　vivid　crimson　colour。　This　bright　hue　belongs　to　a　thin　coating　of　pulp　which；　when　the　seeds　are　mixed　in　a　plate　of　stewed　bananas；　gives　to　the　mess　a　pleasant　rosy　tint；　and　a　rich　creamy　taste　and　consistence。　Mingua　（porridge）　of　bananas　flavoured　and　coloured　with　Uiki　is　a　favourite　dish　at　Ega。　The　fruit；　like　most　of　the　others　here　mentioned；　ripens　in　January。　Many　smaller　fruits　such　as　Wajuru　（probably　a　species　of　Achras）；　the　size　of　a　gooseberry；　which　grows　singly　and　contains　a　sweet　gelatinous　pulp；　enclosing　two　large；　shining　black　seeds；　Cashipari…arapaa；　an　oblong　scarlet　berry；　two　kinds　of　Bacuri；　the　Bacuri…siuma　and　the　B。　curua；　sour　fruits　of　a　bright　lemon　colour　when　ripe；　and　a　great　number　of　others；　are　of　less　importance　as　articles　of　food。

The　celebrated　〃Peach　palm；〃　Pupunha　of　the　Tupi　nations　（Guilielma　speciosa）；　is　a　common　tree　at　Ega。　The　name；　I　suppose；　is　in　allusion　to　the　colour　of　the　fruit；　and　not　to　its　flavour；　for　it　is　dry　and　mealy；　and　in　taste　may　be　compared　to　a　mixture　of　chestnuts　and　cheese。　Vultures　devour　it　eagerly；　and　come　in　quarrelsome　flocks　to　the　trees　when　it　is　ripe。　Dogs　will　also　eat　it：　I　do　not　recollect　seeing　cats　do　the　same；　although　they　go　voluntarily　to　the　woods　to　eat　Tucuma；　another　kind　of　palm　fruit。　The　tree；　as　it　grows　in　clusters　beside　the　palm…thatched　huts；　is　a　noble　ornament；　being；　when　full　grown；　from　fifty　to　sixty　feet　in　height　and　often　as　straight　as　a　scaffold…pole。　A　bunch　of　fruit　when　ripe　is　a　load　for　a　strong　man；　and　each　tree　bears　several　of　them。　The　Pupunha　grows　wild　nowhere　on　the　Amazons。　It　is　one　of　those　few　vegetable　productions　（including　three　kinds　of　mandioca　and　the　American　species　of　banana）　which　the　Indians　have　cultivated　from　time　immemorial；　and　brought　with　them　in　their　original　migration　to　Brazil。　It　is　only；　however；　the　more　advan