the naturalist on the river amazons-第74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！


buildings；　which　were　about　a　furlong　distant。　My　friend　Cardozo　was　godfather　to　a　grandchild　of　Pedro…uassu；　whose　daughter　had　married　an　Indian　settled　in　Ega。　He　had　sent　word　to　the　old　man　that　he　intended　to　visit　him：　we　were　therefore　expected。

As　we　landed；　Pedro…uassu　himself　came　down　to　the　port　to　receive　us；　our　arrival　having　been　announced　by　the　barking　of　dogs。　He　was　a　tall　and　thin　old　man；　with　a　serious；　but　benignant　expression　of　countenance；　and　a　manner　much　freer　from　shyness　and　distrust　than　is　usual　with　Indians。　He　was　clad　in　a　shirt　of　coarse　cotton　cloth；　dyed　with　murishi；　and　trousers　of　the　same　material　turned　up　to　the　knee。　His　features　were　sharply　delineated　more　so　than　in　any　Indian　face　I　had　yet　seen；　the　lips　thin　and　the　nose　rather　high　and　compressed。　A　large；　square；　blue…black　tattooed　patch　occupied　the　middle　of　his　face；　which；　as　well　as　the　other　exposed　parts　of　his　body；　was　of　a　light　reddish…tan　colour；　instead　of　the　usual　coppery…　brown　hue。　He　walked　with　an　upright；　slow　gait；　and　on　reaching　us　saluted　Cardozo　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　wished　it　to　be　understood　that　he　was　dealing　with　an　equal。　My　friend　introduced　me；　and　I　was　welcomed　in　the　same　grave；　ceremonious　manner。　He　seemed　to　have　many　questions　to　ask；　but　they　were　chiefly　about　Senora　Felippa；　Cardozo's　Indian　housekeeper　at　Ega；　and　were　purely　complimentary。　This　studied　politeness　is　quite　natural　to　Indians　of　the　advanced　agricultural　tribes。　The　language　used　was　Tupi　I　heard　no　other　spoken　all　the　day。　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　Pedro…uassu　had　never　had　much　intercourse　with　whites；　he　was；　although　baptised；　a　primitive　Indian　who　had　always　lived　in　retirement；　the　ceremony　of　baptism　having　been　gone　through；　as　it　generally　is　by　the　aborigines；　simply　from　a　wish　to　stand　well　with　the　whites。

Arrived　at　the　house；　we　were　welcomed　by　Pedro's　wife：　a　thin；　wrinkled；　active　old　squaw；　tattooed　in　precisely　the　same　way　as　her　husband。　She　also　had　sharp　features；　but　her　manner　was　more　cordial　and　quicker　than　that　of　her　husband：　she　talked　much；　and　with　great　inflection　of　voice；　while　the　tones　of　the　old　man　were　rather　drawling　and　querulous。　Her　clothing　was　a　long　petticoat　of　thick　cotton　cloth；　and　a　very　short　chemise；　not　reaching　to　her　waist。　I　was　rather　surprised　to　find　the　grounds　around　the　establishment　in　neater　order　than　in　any　sitio；　even　of　civilised　people；　I　had　yet　seen　on　the　Upper　Amazons；　the　stock　of　utensils　and　household　goods　of　all　sorts　was　larger；　and　the　evidences　of　regular　industry　and　plenty　more　numerous　than　one　usually　perceives　in　the　farms　of　civilised　Indians　and　whites。　The　buildings　were　of　the　same　construction　as　those　of　the　humbler　settlers　in　all　other　parts　of　the　country。　The　family　lived　in　a　large；　oblong；　open　shed　built　under　the　shade　of　trees。　Two　smaller　buildings；　detached　from　the　shed　and　having　mud…walls　with　low　doorways；　contained　apparently　the　sleeping　apartments　of　different　members　of　the　large　household。　A　small　mill　for　grinding　sugar…cane；　having　two　cylinders　of　hard　notched　wood；　wooden　troughs；　and　kettles　for　boiling　the　guarapa　（cane　juice）　to　make　treacle；　stood　under　a　separate　shed；　and　near　it　was　a　large　enclosed　mud…house　for　poultry。　There　was　another　hut　and　shed　a　short　distance　off；　inhabited　by　a　family　dependent　on　Pedro；　and　a　narrow　pathway　through　the　luxuriant　woods　led　to　more　dwellings　of　the　same　kind。　There　was　an　abundance　of　fruit　trees　around　the　place；　including　the　never…failing　banana；　with　its　long；　broad；　soft　green　leaf…　blades；　and　groups　of　full…grown　Pupunhas；　or　peach　palms。　There　was　also　a　large　number　of　cotton　and　coffee　trees。　Among　the　utensils　I　noticed　baskets　of　different　shapes；　made　of　flattened　maranta　stalks；　and　dyed　various　colours。　The　making　of　these　is　an　original　art　of　the　Passes；　but　I　believe　it　is　also　practised　by　other　tribes；　for　I　saw　several　in　the　houses　of　semi…　civilised　Indians　on　the　Tapajos。

There　were　only　three　persons　in　the　house　besides　the　old　couple；　the　rest　of　the　people　being　absent；　several　came　in；　however；　in　the　course　of　the　day。　One　was　a　daughter　of　Pedro's；　who　had　an　oval　tattooed　spot　over　her　mouth；　the　second　was　a　young　grandson；　and　the　third　the　son…in…law　from　Ega；　Cardozo's　compadre。　The　old　woman　was　occupied；　when　we　entered；　in　distilling　spirits　from　cara；　an　edible　root　similar　to　the　potato；　by　means　of　a　clay　still；　which　had　been　manufactured　by　herself。　The　liquor　had　a　reddish　tint；　but　not　a　very　agreeable　flavour。　A　cup　of　it；　warm　from　the　still；　however；　was　welcome　after　our　long　journey。　Cardozo　liked　it；　emptied　his　cup；　and　replenished　it　in　a　very　short　time。　The　old　lady　was　very　talkative；　and　almost　fussy　in　her　desire　to　please　her　visitors。　We　sat　in　tucum　hammocks；　suspended　between　the　upright　posts　of　the　shed。　The　young　woman　with　the　blue　mouth　who；　although　married；　was　as　shy　as　any　young　maiden　of　her　racesoon　became　employed　in　scalding　and　plucking　fowls　for　the　dinner　near　the　fire　on　the　ground　at　the　other　end　of　the　dwelling。　The　son…in…　law；　Pedro…uassu；　and　Cardozo　now　began　a　long　conversation　on　the　subject　of　their　deceased　wife；　daughter；　and　comadre。　＇Co…　mother；　the　term　expressing　the　relationship　of　a　mother　to　the　godfather　of　her　child。＇　It　appeared　she　had　died　of　consumption…　…〃tisica；〃　as　they　called　it；　a　word　adopted　by　the　Indians　from　the　Portuguese。　The　widower　repeated　over　and　over　again；　in　nearly　the　same　words；　his　account　of　her　illness；　Pedro　chiming　in　like　a　chorus；　and　Cardozo　moralising　and　condoling。　I　thought　the　cauim　（grog）　had　a　good　deal　to　do　with　the　flow　of　talk　and　warmth　of　feeling　of　all　three；　the　widower　drank　and　wailed　until　he　became　maundering；　and　finally　fell　asleep。I　left　them　talking；　and　took　a　long　ramble　into　the　forest；　Pedro　sending　his　grandson；　a　smiling　well…behaved　lad　of　about　fourteen　years　of　age；　to　show　me　the　paths；　my　companion　taking　with　him　his　Zarabatana；　or　blow…gun。　This　instrument　is　used　by　all　the　Indian　tribes　on　the　Upper　Amazons。　It　is　generally　nine　or　ten　feet　long；　and　is　made　of　two　separate　lengths　of　wood；　each　scooped　out　so　as　to　form　one…half　of　the　tube。　To　do　this　with　the　necessary　accuracy　requires　an　enormous　amount　of　patient　labour；　and　considerable　mechanical　ability；　the　tools　used　being　simply　the　incisor　teeth　of　the　Paca　and　Cutia。　The　two　half　tubes；　when　finished；　are　secured　together　by　a　very　close　and　tight　spirally…wound　strapping；　consisting　of　long　flat　strips　of　Jacitara；　or　the　wood　of　the　climbing　palm…tree；　and　the　whole　is　smeared　afterwards　with　black　wax；　the　production　of　a　Melipona　bee。　The　pipe　tapers　towards　the　muzzle；　and　a　cup…shaped　mouthpiece；　made　of　wood；　is　fitted　in　the　broad　end。　A　full…　sized　Zarabatana　is　heavy；　and　can　only　be　used　by　an　adult　Indian　who　has　had　great　practice。　The　young　lads　learn　to　shoot　with　smaller　and　lighter　tubes。　When　Mr。　Wallace　and　I　had　lessons　at　Barra　in　the　use　of　the　blow…gun；　of　Julio；　a　Juri　Indian；　then　in　the　employ　of　Mr。　Hauxwell；　an　English　bird…　collector；　we　found　it　very　difficult　to　hold　steadily　the　long　tubes。　The　arrows　are　made　from　the　hard　rind　of　the　leaf…stalks　of　certain　palms；　thin　strips　being　cut；　and　rendered　as　sharp　as　needles　by　scraping　the　ends　with　a　knife　or　the　tooth　of　an　animal。　They　are　winged　with　a　little　oval　mass　of　samauma　silk　（from　the　seed…vessels　of　the　silk…cotton　tree；　Eriodendron　samauma）；　cotton　being　too　heavy。　The　ball　of　samauma　should　fit　to　a　nicety　the　bore　of　the　blowgun；　when　it　does　so；　the　arrow　can　be　propelled　with　such　force　by　the　breath　that　it　makes　a　noise　almost　as　loud　as　a　pop…gun　on　flying　from　the　muzzle。　My　little　companion　was　armed　with　a　quiver　full　of　these　little　missiles；　a　small　number　of　which；　sufficient　for　the　day's　sport；　were　tipped　with　the　fatal　Urari　poison。　The　quiver　was　an　ornamental　affair；　the　broad　rim　being　made　of　highly…polished　wood　of　a　rich　cherry…red　colour　（the　Moira…piranga；　or　redwood　of　the　Japura）。　The　body　was　formed　of　neatly…plaited　strips　of　Maranta　stalks；　and　the　belt　by　which　it　was　suspended　from　the　shoulder　was　decorated　with　cotton　fringes　and　tassels。

We　walked　about　two　miles　along　a　well…trodden　pathway；　through　high　caapoeira　（second…growth　forest）。　A　large　proportion　of　the　trees　were　Melastomas；　which　bore　a　hairy　yellow　fruit；　nearly　as　large　and　as　well　flavoured　as　our　gooseberry。　The　season；　however；　was　nearly　over　for　them。　The　road　was　bordered　every　inch　of　the　way　by　a　thick　bed　of　elegant　Lycopodiums。　An　artificial　arrangement　of　trees　and　bushes　could　scarcely　have　been　made　to　wear　so　finished　an　appearance　as　this　naturally　decorated　avenue。　The　path　at　length　terminated　at　a　plantation　of　mandioca；　the　largest　I　had　yet　seen　since　I　left　the　neighbourhood　of　Para。　There　were　probably　ten　acres　of　cleared　land；　and　part　of　the　ground　was　planted　with　Indian　corn；　water…　melons；　and　sugar　cane。　Beyond　this　field　there　was　only　a　faint　hunter's　track；　leading　towards　the　untrodden　interior。　My　companion　told　me　he　had　never　heard　of　there　being　any　inhabitants　in　that　direction　（the　south）。　We　crossed　the　forest　from　this　place　to　another　smaller　clearing；　and　then　walked；　on　our　road　home；　through　about　two　miles　of　caapoeira　of　various　ages；　the　sites　of　old　plantations。　The　only　fruits　of　our　ramble　were　a　few　rare　insects　and　a　Japu　（Cassicus　cristatus）；　a　handsome　bird　with　chestnut　and　saffron…coloured　plumage；　which　wanders　through　the　tree…tops　in　large　flocks。　My　little　companion　brought　this　down　from　a　height　which　I　calculated　at　thirty　yards。　The　blow…gun；　however；　in　the　hands　of　an　expert　adult　Indian；　can　be　made　to　propel　arrows　so　as　to　kill　at　a　distance　of　fifty　and　sixty　yards。　The　aim　is　most　certain　when　the　tube　is　held　vertically；　or　nearly　so。　It　is　a　far　more　useful　weapon　in　the　forest　than　a　gun；　for　the　report　of　a　firearm　alarms　the　whole　flock　of　birds　or　monkeys　feeding　on　a　tree；　while　the　silent　poisoned　dart　brings　the　animals　down　one　by　one　until　the　sportsman　has　a　heap　of　slain　by　his　side。　None　but　the　stealthy　Indian　can　use　it　effect