the naturalist on the river amazons-第75部分

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　until　the　sportsman　has　a　heap　of　slain　by　his　side。　None　but　the　stealthy　Indian　can　use　it　effectively。　The　poison；　which　must　be　fresh　to　kill　speedily；　is　obtained　only　of　the　Indians　who　live　beyond　the　cataracts　of　the　rivers　flowing　from　the　north；　especially　the　Rio　Negro　and　the　Japura。　Its　principal　ingredient　is　the　wood　of　the　Strychnos　toxifera；　a　tree　which　does　not　grow　in　the　humid　forests　of　the　river　plains。　A　most　graphic　account　of　the　Urari；　and　of　an　expedition　undertaken　in　search　of　the　tree　in　Guiana；　has　been　given　by　Sir　Robert　Schomburgk。　＇Annals　and　Magazine　of　Natural　History；　vol。　vii。　P。　411。＇

When　we　returned　to　the　house　after　mid…day；　Cardozo　was　still　sipping　cauim；　and　now　looked　exceedingly　merry。　It　was　fearfully　hot；　the　good　fellow　sat　in　his　hammock　with　a　cuya　full　of　grog　in　his　hands；　his　broad　honest　face　all　of　a　glow；　and　the　perspiration　streaming　down　his　uncovered　breast；　the　unbuttoned　shirt　having　slipped　half…way　over　his　broad　shoulders。　Pedro…　uassu　had　not　drunk　much；　he　was　noted；　as　I　afterwards　learned；　for　his　temperance。　But　he　was　standing　up　as　I　had　left　him　two　hours　previous；　talking　to　Cardozo　in　the　same　monotonous　tones；　the　conversation　apparently　not　having　flagged　all　the　time。　I　had　never　heard　so　much　talking　amongst　Indians。　The　widower　was　asleep；　the　stirring；　managing　old　lady　with　her　daughter　were　preparing　dinner。　This；　which　was　ready　soon　after　I　entered；　consisted　of　boiled　fowls　and　rice；　seasoned　with　large　green　peppers　and　lemon　juice；　and　piles　of　new；　fragrant　farinha　and　raw　bananas。　It　was　served　on　plates　of　English　manufacture　on　a　tupe；　or　large　plaited　rush　mat；　such　as　is　made　by　the　natives　pretty　generally　on　the　Amazons。　Three　or　four　other　Indians；　men　and　women　of　middle　age；　now　made　their　appearance；　and　joined　in　the　meal。　We　all　sat　round　on　the　floor：　the　women；　according　to　custom；　not　eating　until　after　the　men　had　done。　Before　sitting　down；　our　host　apologised　in　his　usual　quiet；　courteous　manner　for　not　having　knives　and　forks；　Cardozo　and　I　ate　by　the　aid　of　wooden　spoons；　the　Indians　using　their　fingers。　The　old　man　waited　until　we　were　all　served　before　he　himself　commenced。　At　the　end　of　the　meal；　one　of　the　women　brought　us　water　in　a　painted　clay　basin　of　Indian　manufacture；　and　a　clean　coarse　cotton　napkin；　that　we　might　wash　our　hands。

The　horde　of　Passes　of　which　Pedro…uassu　was　Tushaua　or　chieftain；　was　at　this　time　reduced　to　a　very　small　number　of　individuals。　The　disease　mentioned　in　the　last　chapter　had　for　several　generations　made　great　havoc　among　them；　many　had　also　entered　the　service　of　whites　at　Ega；　and；　of　late　years；　intermarriages　with　whites；　half…castes；　and　civilised　Indians　had　been　frequent。　The　old　man　bewailed　the　fate　of　his　race　to　Cardozo　with　tears　in　his　eyes。　〃The　people　of　my　nation；〃　he　said；〃　have　always　been　good　friends　to　the　Cariwas　（whites）；　but　before　my　grandchildren　are　old　like　me　the　name　of　Passe　will　be　forgotten。〃　In　so　far　as　the　Passes　have　amalgamated　with　European　immigrants　or　their　descendants；　and　become　civilised　Brazilian　citizens；　there　can　scarcely　be　ground　for　lamenting　their　extinction　as　a　nation；　but　it　fills　one　with　regret　to　learn　how　many　die　prematurely　of　a　disease　which　seems　to　arise　on　their　simply　breathing　the　same　air　as　the　whites。　The　original　territory　of　the　tribe　must　have　been　of　large　extent；　for　Passes　are　said　to　have　been　found　by　the　early　Portuguese　colonists　on　the　Rio　Negro；　an　ancient　settlement　on　that　river；　Barcellos；　having　been　peopled　by　them　when　it　was　first　established；　and　they　formed　also　part　of　the　original　population　of　Fonte…boa　on　the　Solimoens。　Their　hordes　were　therefore；　spread　over　a　region　400　miles　in　length　from　cast　to　west。　It　is　probable；　however；　that　they　have　been　confounded　by　the　colonists　with　other　neighbouring　tribes　who　tattoo　their　faces　in　a　similar　manner。　The　extinct　tribe　of　Yurimauas；　or　Sorimoas；　from　which　the　river　Solimoens　derives　its　name；　according　to　traditions　extant　at　Ega；　resembled　the　Passes　in　their　slender　figures　and　friendly　disposition。　These　tribes　（with　others　lying　between　them）　peopled　the　banks　of　the　main　river　and　its　by…　streams　from　the　mouth　of　the　Rio　Negro　to　Peru。　True　Passes　existed　in　their　primitive　state　on　the　banks　of　the　Issa；　240　miles　to　the　west　of　Ega；　within　the　memory　of　living　persons。　The　only　large　body　of　them　now　extant　are　located　on　the　Japura；　at　a　place　distant　about　150　miles　from　Ega：　the　population　of　this　horde；　however；　does　not　exceed；　from　what　I　could　learn；　300　or　400　persons。　I　think　it　probable　that　the　lower　part　of　the　Japura　and　its　extensive　delta　lands　formed　the　original　home　of　this　gentle　tribe　of　Indians。

The　Passes　are　always　spoken　of　in　this　country　as　the　most　advanced　of　all　the　Indian　nations　in　the　Amazons　region。　Under　what　influences　this　tribe　has　become　so　strongly　modified　in　mental；　social；　and　bodily　features　it　is　hard　to　divine。　The　industrious　habits；　fidelity；　and　mildness　of　disposition　of　the　Passes；　their　docility　and；　it　may　be　added；　their　personal　beauty；　especially　of　the　children　and　women；　made　them　from　the　first　very　attractive　to　the　Portuguese　colonists。　They　were；　consequently；　enticed　in　great　number　from　their　villages　and　brought　to　Barra　and　other　settlements　of　the　whites。　The　wives　of　governors　and　military　officers　from　Europe　were　always　eager　to　obtain　children　for　domestic　servants；　the　girls　being　taught　to　sew；　cook；　weave　hammocks；　manufacture　pillow…lace；　and　so　forth。　They　have　been　generally　treated　with　kindness；　especially　by　the　educated　families　in　the　settlements。　It　is　pleasant　to　have　to　record　that　I　never　heard　of　a　deed　of　violence　perpetrated；　on　the　one　side　or　the　other；　in　the　dealings　between　European　settlers　and　this　noble　tribe　of　savages。

Very　little　is　known　of　the　original　customs　of　the　Passes。　The　mode　of　life　of　our　host　Pedro…uassu　did　not　differ　much　from　that　of　the　civilised　Mamelucos；　but　he　and　his　people　showed　a　greater　industry；　and　were　more　open；　cheerful；　and　generous　in　their　dealings　than　many　half…castes。　The　authority　of　Pedro；　like　that　of　the　Tushauas；　generally　was　exercised　in　a　mild　manner。　These　chieftains　appear　able　to　command　the　services　of　their　subjects；　since　they　furnish　men　to　the　Brazilian　authorities　when　requested；　but　none　of　them；　even　those　of　the　most　advanced　tribes；　appear　to　make　use　of　this　authority　for　the　accumulation　of　property　the　service　being　exacted　chiefly　in　time　of　war。　Had　the　ambition　of　the　chiefs　of　some　of　these　industrious　tribes　been　turned　to　the　acquisition　of　wealth；　probably　we　should　have　seen　indigenous　civilised　nations　in　the　heart　of　South　America　similar　to　those　found　on　the　Andes　of　Peru　and　Mexico。　It　is　very　probable　that　the　Passes　adopted　from　the　first　to　some　extent　the　manners　of　the　whites。　Ribeiro；　a　Portuguese　official　who　travelled　in　these　regions　in　1774…5；　and　wrote　an　account　of　his　journey；　relates　that　they　buried　their　dead　in　large　earthenware　vessels　（a　custom　still　observed　among　other　tribes　on　the　Upper　Amazons）；　and　that；　as　to　their　marriages；　the　young　men　earned　their　brides　by　valiant　deeds　in　war。　He　also　states　that　they　possessed　a　cosmogony　in　which　the　belief　that　the　sun　was　a　fixed　body；　with　the　earth　revolving　around　it；　was　a　prominent　feature。　He　says；　moreover；　that　they　believed　in　a　Creator　of　all　things；　a　future　state　of　rewards　and　punishments；　and　so　forth。　These　notions　are　so　far　in　advance　of　the　ideas　of　all　other　tribes　of　Indians；　and　so　little　likely　to　have　been　conceived　and　perfected　by　a　people　having　no　written　language　or　leisured　class；　that　we　must　suppose　them　to　have　been　derived　by　the　docile　Passes　from　some　early　missionary　or　traveller。　I　never　found　that　the　Passes　had　more　curiosity　or　activity　of　intellect　than　other　Indians。　No　trace　of　a　belief　in　a　future　state　exists　amongst　Indians　who　have　not　had　much　intercourse　with　the　civilised　settlers；　and　even　amongst　those　who　have　it　is　only　a　few　of　the　more　gifted　individuals　who　show　any　curiosity　on　the　subject。　Their　sluggish　minds　seem　unable　to　conceive　or　feel　the　want　of　a　theory　of　the　soul；　and　of　the　relations　of　man　to　the　rest　of　Nature　or　to　the　Creator。　But　is　it　not　so　with　totally　uneducated　and　isolated　people　even　in　the　most　highly　civilised　parts　of　the　world？　The　good　qualities　of　the　Passes　belong　to　the　moral　part　of　the　character：　they　lead　a　contented；　unambitious；　and　friendly　life；　a　quiet；　domestic；　orderly　existence；　varied　by　occasional　drinking　bouts　and　summer　excursions。　They　are　not　so　shrewd；　energetic；　and　masterful　as　the　Mundurucus；　but　they　are　more　easily　taught；　because　their　disposition　is　more　yielding　than　that　of　the　Mundurucus　or　any　other　tribe。

We　started　on　our　return　to　Ega　at　half…past　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　Our　generous　entertainers　loaded　us　with　presents。　There　was　scarcely　room　for　us　to　sit　in　the　canoe；　as　they　had　sent　down　ten　large　bundles　of　sugar…cane；　four　baskets　of　farinha；　three　cedar　planks；　a　small　hamper　of　coffee；　and　two　heavy　bunches　of　bananas。　After　we　were　embarked；　the　old　lady　came　with　a　parting　gift　for　mea　huge　bowl　of　smoking　hot　banana　porridge。　I　was　to　eat　it　on　the　road　〃to　keep　my　stomach　warm。〃　Both　stood　on　the　bank　as　we　pushed　off；　and　gave　us　their　adios：　〃Ikudna　Tupana　eirum〃　（Go　with　God）　a　form　of　salutation　taught　by　the　old　Jesuit　missionaries。　We　had　a　most　uncomfortable　passage；　for　Cardozo　was　quite　tipsy；　and　had　not　attended　to　the　loading　of　the　boat。　The　cargo　had　been　placed　too　far　forward；　and　to　make　matters　worse；　my　heavy　friend　obstinately　insisted　on　sitting　astride　on　the　top　of　the　pile；　instead　of　taking　his　place　near　the　stern；　singing　from　his　perch　a　most　indecent　love…song；　and　disregarding　the　inconvenience　of　having　to　bend　down　almost　every　minute　to　pass　under　the　boughs　of　hanging　sipos　as　we　sped　rapidly　along。　The　canoe　leaked　but　not；　at　first；　alarmingly。　Long　before　sunset；　darkness　began　to　close　in　under　those　gloomy　shades；　and　our　steersman　could　not　avoid　now　and　then　running　the　boat　into　the　thicket。　The　fir