the naturalist on the river amazons-第73部分

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ts　barrenness　in　sarsaparilla　and　other　wares。　To　Europeans　it　would　seem　a　most　surprising　thing　that　the　people　of　a　civilised　settlement；　a　hundred　and　seventy　years　old；　should　still　be　ignorant　of　the　course　of　the　river　on　whose　banks　their　native　place；　for　which　they　proudly　claim　the　title　of　city；　is　situated。　It　would　be　very　difficult　for　a　private　individual　to　explore　it；　as　the　necessary　number　of　Indian　paddlers　could　not　be　obtained。　I　knew　only　one　person　who　had　ascended　the　Teffe　to　any　considerable　distance；　and　he　was　not　able　to　give　me　a　distinct　account　of　the　river。　The　only　tribe　known　to　live　on　its　banks　are　the　Catauishis；　a　people　who　perforate　their　lips　all　round；　and　wear　rows　of　slender　sticks　in　the　holes：　their　territory　lies　between　the　Purus　and　the　Jurua；　embracing　both　shores　of　the　Teffe。　A　large；　navigable　stream；　the　Bararua；　enters　the　lake　from　the　west；　about　thirty　miles　above　Ega；　the　breadth　of　the　lake　is　much　contracted　a　little　below　the　mouth　of　this　tributary；　but　it　again　expands　further　south；　and　terminates　abruptly　where　the　Teffe　proper；　a　narrow　river　with　a　strong　current；　forms　its　head　water。

The　whole　of　the　country　for　hundreds　of　miles　is　covered　with　picturesque　but　pathless　forests；　and　there　are　only　two　roads　along　which　excursions　can　be　made　by　land　from　Ega。　One　is　a　narrow　hunter's　track；　about　two　miles　in　length；　which　traverses　the　forest　in　the　rear　of　the　settlement。　The　other　is　an　extremely　pleasant　path　along　the　beach　to　the　west　of　the　town。　This　is　practicable　only　in　the　dry　season；　when　a　flat　strip　of　white　sandy　beach　is　exposed　at　the　foot　of　the　high　wooded　banks　of　the　lake；　covered　with　trees；　which；　as　there　is　no　underwood；　form　a　spacious　shady　grove。　I　rambled　daily；　during　many　weeks　of　each　successive　dry　season；　along　this　delightful　road。　The　trees；　many　of　which　are　myrtles　and　wild　Guavas；　with　smooth　yellow　stems；　were　in　flower　at　this　time；　and　the　rippling　waters　of　the　lake；　under　the　cool　shade；　everywhere　bordered　the　path。　The　place　was　the　resort　of　kingfishers；　green　and　blue　tree…creepers；　purple…headed　tanagers；　and　hummingbirds。　Birds　generally；　however；　were　not　numerous。　Every　tree　was　tenanted　by　Cicadas；　the　reedy　notes　of　which　produced　that　loud；　jarring；　insect　music　which　is　the　general　accompaniment　of　a　woodland　ramble　in　a　hot　climate。　One　species　was　very　handsome；　having　wings　adorned　with　patches　of　bright　green　and　scarlet。　It　was　very　common　sometimes　three　or　four　tenanting　a　single　tree；　clinging　as　usual　to　the　branches。　On　approaching　a　tree　thus　peopled；　a　number　of　little　jets　of　a　clear　liquid　would　be　seen　squirted　from　aloft。　I　have　often　received　the　well…directed　discharge　full　on　my　face；　but　the　liquid　is　harmless；　having　a　sweetish　taste；　and　is　ejected　by　the　insect　from　the　anus；　probably　in　self…defence；　or　from　fear。　The　number　and　variety　of　gaily…tinted　butterflies；　sporting　about　in　this　grove　on　sunny　days；　were　so　great　that　the　bright　moving　flakes　of　colour　gave　quite　a　character　to　the　physiognomy　of　the　place。　It　was　impossible　to　walk　far　without　disturbing　flocks　of　them　from　the　damp　sand　at　the　edge　of　the　water；　where　they　congregated　to　imbibe　the　moisture。　They　were　of　almost　all　colours；　sizes；　and　shapes：　I　noticed　here　altogether　eighty　species；　belonging　to　twenty…two　different　genera。　It　is　a　singular　fact　that；　with　very　few　exceptions；　all　the　individuals　of　these　various　species　thus　sporting　in　sunny　places　were　of　the　male　sex；　their　partners；　which　are　much　more　soberly　dressed　and　immensely　less　numerous　than　the　males；　being　confined　to　the　shades　of　the　woods。　Every　afternoon；　as　the　sun　was　getting　low；　I　used　to　notice　these　gaudy　sunshine…loving　swains　trooping　off　to　the　forest；　where　I　suppose　they　would　find　their　sweethearts　and　wives。　The　most　abundant；　next　to　the　very　common　sulphur…yellow　and　orange…coloured　kinds；　were　about　a　dozen　species　of　Eunica；　which　are　of　large　size；　and　are　conspicuous　from　their　liveries　of　glossy　dark…blue　and　purple。　A　superbly…adorned　creature；　the　Callithea　Markii；　having　wings　of　a　thick　texture；　coloured　sapphire…blue　and　orange；　was　only　an　occasional　visitor。　On　certain　days；　when　the　weather　was　very　calm；　two　small　gilded…　green　species　（Symmachia　Trochilus　and　Colubris）　literally　swarmed　on　the　sands；　their　glittering　wings　lying　wide　open　on　the　flat　surface。　The　beach　terminates；　eight　miles　beyond　Ega；　at　the　mouth　of　a　rivulet；　the　character　of　the　coast　then　changes；　the　river　banks　being　masked　by　a　line　of　low　islets　amid　a　labyrinth　of　channels。

In　all　other　directions　my　very　numerous　excursions　were　by　water；　the　most　interesting　of　those　made　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　were　to　the　houses　of　Indians　on　the　banks　of　retired　creeks　an　account　of　one　of　these　trips　will　suffice。

On　the　23rd　of　May；　1850；　I　visited；　in　company　with　Antonio　Cardozo；　the　Delegado；　a　family　of　the　Passe　tribe；　who　live　near　the　head　waters　of　the　Igarape；　which　flows　from　the　south　into　the　Teffe；　entering　it　at　Ega。　The　creek　is　more　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　broad　near　the　town；　but　a　few　miles　inland　it　gradually　contracts；　until　it　becomes　a　mere　rivulet　flowing　through　a　broad　dell　in　the　forest。　When　the　river　rises　it　fills　this　dell；　the　trunks　of　the　lofty　trees　then　stand　many　feet　deep　in　the　water；　and　small　canoes　are　able　to　travel　the　distance　of　a　day's　journey　under　the　shade；　regular　paths　or　alleys　being　cut　through　the　branches　and　lower　trees。　This　is　the　general　character　of　the　country　of　the　Upper　Amazons；　a　land　of　small　elevation　and　abruptly　undulated；　the　hollows　forming　narrow　valleys　in　the　dry　months；　and　deep　navigable　creeks　in　the　wet　months。　In　retired　nooks　on　the　margins　of　these　shady　rivulets；　a　few　families　or　small　hordes　of　aborigines　still　linger　in　nearly　their　primitive　state；　the　relicts　of　their　once　numerous　tribes。　The　family　we　intended　to　visit　on　this　trip　was　that　of　Pedro…uassu　（Peter　the　Great；　or　Tall　Peter）；　an　old　chieftain　or　Tushaua　of　the　Passes。

We　set　out　at　sunrise；　in　a　small　igarite；　manned　by　six　young　Indian　paddlers。　After　travelling　about　three　miles　along　the　broad　portion　of　the　creek　which；　being　surrounded　by　woods；　had　the　appearance　of　a　large　pool　we　came　to　a　part　where　our　course　seemed　to　be　stopped　by　an　impenetrable　hedge　of　trees　and　bushes。　We　were　some　time　before　finding　the　entrance；　but　when　fairly　within　the　shades；　a　remarkable　scene　presented　itself。　It　was　my　first　introduction　to　these　singular　waterpaths。　A　narrow　and　tolerably　straight　alley　stretched　away　for　a　long　distance　before　us；　on　each　side　were　the　tops　of　bushes　and　young　trees；　forming　a　kind　of　border　to　the　path；　and　the　trunks　of　the　tall　forest　trees　rose　at　irregular　intervals　from　the　water；　their　crowns　interlocking　far　over　our　heads；　and　forming　a　thick　shade。　Slender　air　roots　hung　down　in　clusters；　and　looping　sipos　dangled　from　the　lower　branches；　bunches　of　grass；　tillandsiae；　and　ferns　sat　in　the　forks　of　the　larger　boughs；　and　the　trunks　of　trees　near　the　water　had　adhering　to　them　round　dried　masses　of　freshwater　sponges。　There　was　no　current　perceptible；　and　the　water　was　stained　of　a　dark　olive…brown　hue；　but　the　submerged　stems　could　be　seen　through　it　to　a　great　depth。　We　travelled　at　good　speed　for　three　hours　along　this　shady　road　the　distance　of　Pedro's　house　from　Ega　being　about　twenty　miles。　When　the　paddlers　rested　for　a　time；　the　stillness　and　gloom　of　the　place　became　almost　painful：　our　voices　waked　dull　echoes　as　we　conversed；　and　the　noise　made　by　fishes　occasionally　whipping　the　surface　of　the　water　was　quite　startling。　A　cool；　moist；　clammy　air　pervaded　the　sunless　shade。

The　breadth　of　the　wooded　valley；　at　the　commencement；　is　probably　more　than　half　a　mile；　and　there　is　a　tolerably　clear　view　for　a　considerable　distance　on　each　side　of　the　water…path　through　the　irregular　colonnade　of　trees；　other　paths　also；　in　this　part；　branch　off　right　and　left　from　the　principal　road；　leading　to　the　scattered　houses　of　Indians　on　the　mainland。　The　dell　contracts　gradually　towards　the　head　of　the　rivulet；　and　the　forest　then　becomes　denser；　the　waterpath　also　diminishes　in　width；　and　becomes　more　winding；　on　account　of　the　closer　growth　of　the　trees。　The　boughs　of　some　are　stretched　forth　at　no　great　height　over　one's　head；　and　are　seen　to　be　loaded　with　epiphytes；　one　orchid　I　noticed　particularly；　on　account　of　its　bright　yellow　flowers　growing　at　the　end　of　flower…stems　several　feet　long。　Some　of　the　trunks；　especially　those　of　palms；　close　beneath　their　crowns；　were　clothed　with　a　thick　mass　of　glossy　shield…shaped　Pothos　plants；　mingled　with　ferns。　Arrived　at　this　part　we　were；　in　fact；　in　the　heart　of　the　virgin　forest。　We　heard　no　noises　of　animals　in　the　trees；　and　saw　only　one　bird；　the　sky…blue　chatterer；　sitting　alone　on　a　high　branch。　For　some　distance　the　lower　vegetation　was　so　dense　that　the　road　runs　under　an　arcade　of　foliage；　the　branches　having　been　cut　away　only　sufficiently　to　admit　of　the　passage　of　a　small　canoe。　These　thickets　are　formed　chiefly　of　bamboos；　whose　slender　foliage　and　curving　stems　arrange　themselves　in　elegant；　feathery　bowers；　but　other　social　plants　slender　green　climbers　with　tendrils　so　eager　in　aspiring　to　grasp　the　higher　boughs　that　they　seem　to　be　endowed　almost　with　animal　energy；　and　certain　low　trees　having　large　elegantly…veined　leaves　contribute　also　to　the　jungly　masses。　Occasionally　we　came　upon　an　uprooted　tree　lying　across　the　path；　its　voluminous　crown　still　held　up　by　thick　cables　of　sipo；　connecting　it　with　standing　trees；　a　wide　circuit　had　to　be　made　in　these　cases；　and　it　was　sometimes　difficult　to　find　the　right　path　again。

At　length　we　arrived　at　our　journey's　end。　We　were　then　in　a　very　dense　and　gloomy　part　of　the　forest　we　could　see；　however；　the　dry　land　on　both　sides　of　the　creek；　and　to　our　right　a　small　sunny　opening　appeared；　the　landing　place　to　the　native　dwellings。　The　water　was　deep　close　to　the　bank；　and　a　clean　pathway　ascended　from　the　shady　port　to　the　buildings；　which　were　about　a　furlong　distant。　My　friend　Cardozo　was　godfather　to　a　grandchild　of　Pe