the naturalist on the river amazons-第77部分

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haky　ladder。　They　were　about　a　mile　off；　but　the　surface　of　the　sands　was　blackened　with　the　multitudes　which　were　waddling　towards　the　river；　the　margin　of　the　praia　was　rather　steep；　and　they　all　seemed　to　tumble　head　first　down　the　declivity　into　the　water。

I　spent　the　morning　of　the　27th　collecting　insects　in　the　woods　of　Shimuni；　and　assisted　my　friend　in　the　afternoon　to　beat　a　large　pool　for　Tracajas　Cardozo　wishing　to　obtain　a　supply　for　his　table　at　home。　The　pool　was　nearly　a　mile　long；　and　lay　on　one　side　of　the　island　between　the　forest　and　the　sand…bank。　The　sands　are　heaped　up　very　curiously　around　the　margins　of　these　isolated　sheets　of　water；　in　the　present　case　they　formed　a　steeply…inclined　bank；　from　five　to　eight　feet　in　height。　What　may　be　the　cause　of　this　formation　I　cannot　imagine。　The　pools　always　contain　a　quantity　of　imprisoned　fish；　turtles；　Tracajas；　and　Aiyussas。　＇Specimens　of　this　species　of　turtle　are　named　in　the　British　Museum　collection；　Podocnemis　expansa。＇　The　turtles　and　Aiyussas　crawl　out　voluntarily　in　the　course　of　a　few　days；　and　escape　to　the　main　river；　but　the　Tracajas　remain　and　become　an　easy　prey　to　the　natives。　The　ordinary　mode　of　obtaining　them　is　to　whip　the　water　in　every　part　with　rods　for　several　hours　during　the　day；　this　treatment　having　the　effect　of　driving　the　animals　out。　They　wait；　however；　until　the　night　following　the　beating　before　making　their　exit。　Our　Indians　were　occupied　for　many　hours　in　this　work；　and　when　night　came　they　and　the　sentinels　were　placed　at　intervals　along　the　edge　of　the　water　to　be　ready　to　capture　the　runaways。　Cardozo　and　I；　after　supper；　went　and　took　our　station　at　one　end　of　the　pool。

We　did　not　succeed；　after　all　our　trouble；　in　getting　many　Tracajas。　This　was　partly　owing　to　the　intense　darkness　of　the　night；　and　partly；　doubtless；　to　the　sentinels　having　already　nearly　exhausted　the　pool；　notwithstanding　their　declarations　to　the　contrary。　In　waiting　for　the　animals；　it　was　necessary　to　keep　silence　not　a　pleasant　way　of　passing　the　night。。。　speaking　only　in　whispers；　and　being　without　fire　in　a　place　liable　to　be　visited　by　a　prowling　jaguar。　Cardozo　and　I　sat　on　a　sandy　slope　with　our　loaded　guns　by　our　side；　but　it　was　so　dark　we　could　scarcely　see　each　other。　Towards　midnight　a　storm　began　to　gather　around　us。　The　faint　wind　which　had　breathed　from　over　the　water　since　the　sun　went　down；　ceased。　thick　clouds　piled　themselves　up；　until　every　star　was　obscured；　and　gleams　of　watery　lightning　began　to　play　in　the　midst　of　the　black　masses。　I　hinted　to　Cardozo　that　I　thought　we　had　now　had　enough　of　watching；　and　suggested　a　cigarette。　Just　then　a　quick　pattering　movement　was　heard　on　the　sands；　and　grasping　our　guns；　we　both　started　to　our　feet。　Whatever　it　might　have　been　it　seemed　to　pass　by；　and　a　few　moments　afterwards　a　dark　body　appeared　to　be　moving　in　another　direction　on　the　opposite　slope　of　the　sandy　ravine　where　we　lay。　We　prepared　to　fire；　but　luckily　took　the　precaution　of　first　shouting　〃Quem　vai　la？〃　（Who　goes　there？）　It　turned　out　to　be　the　taciturn　sentinel；　Daniel；　who　asked　us　mildly　whether　we　had　heard　a　〃raposa〃　pass　our　way。　The　raposa　is　a　kind　of　wild　dog；　with　very　long　tapering　muzzle；　and　black　and　white　speckled　hair。　Daniel　could　distinguish　all　kinds　of　animals　in　the　dark　by　their　footsteps。　It　now　began　to　thunder；　and　our　position　was　getting　very　uncomfortable。　Daniel　had　not　seen　anything　of　the　other　Indians；　and　thought　it　was　useless　waiting　any　longer　for　Tracajas；　we　therefore　sent　him　to　call　in　the　whole　party；　and　made　off　ourselves；　as　quickly　as　we　could；　for　the　canoe。　The　rest　of　the　night　was　passed　most　miserably；　as　indeed　were　very　many　of　my　nights　on　the　Solimoens。　A　furious　squall　burst　upon　us；　the　wind　blew　away　the　cloths　and　mats　we　had　fixed　up　at　the　ends　of　the　arched　awning　of　the　canoe　to　shelter　ourselves；　and　the　rain　beat　right　through　our　sleeping…　place。　There　we　lay；　Cardozo　and　I；　huddled　together；　and　wet　through；　waiting　for　the　morning。

A　cup　of　strong　and　hot　coffee　put　us　to　rights　at　sunrise；　but　the　rain　was　still　coming　down；　having　changed　to　a　steady　drizzle。　Our　men　were　all　returned　from　the　pool；　having　taken　only　four　Tracajas。　The　business　which　had　brought　Cardozo　hither　being　now　finished；　we　set　out　to　return　to　Ega；　leaving　the　sentinels　once　more　to　their　solitude　on　the　sands。　Our　return　route　was　by　the　rarely　frequented　north…easterly　channel　of　the　Solimoens；　through　which　flows　part　of　the　waters　of　its　great　tributary　stream；　the　Japura。　We　travelled　for　five　hours　along　the　desolate；　broken；　timber…strewn　shore　of　Baria。　The　channel　is　of　immense　breadth；　the　opposite　coast　being　visible　only　as　a　long；　low　line　of　forest。　At　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　we　doubled　the　upper　end　of　the　island；　and　then　crossed　towards　the　mouth　of　the　Teffe　by　a　broad　transverse　channel　running　between　Baria　and　another　island　called　Quanaru。　There　is　a　small　sand…　bank　at　the　north…westerly　point　of　Baria；　called　Jacare；　we　stayed　here　to　dine　and　afterwards　fished　with　the　net。　A　fine　rain　was　still　falling；　and　we　had　capital　sport　in　three　hauls　taking　more　fish　than　our　canoe　would　conveniently　hold。　They　were　of　two　kinds　only；　the　Surubim　and　the　Piraepieua　（species　of　Pimelodus）；　very　handsome　fishes；　four　feet　in　length；　with　flat　spoon…shaped　heads；　and　prettily…spotted　and　striped　skins。

On　our　way　from　Jacare　to　the　mouth　of　the　Teffe　we　had　a　little　adventure　with　a　black　tiger　or　jaguar。　We　were　paddling　rapidly　past　a　long　beach　of　dried　mud；　when　the　Indians　became　suddenly　excited；　shouting　〃Ecui　Jauarete；　Jauaripixuna！〃　（Behold　the　jaguar；　the　black　jaguar！）　Looking　ahead　we　saw　the　animal　quietly　drinking　at　the　water's　edge。　Cardozo　ordered　the　steersman　at　once　to　put　us　ashore。　By　the　time　we　were　landed　the　tiger　had　seen　us；　and　was　retracing　his　steps　towards　the　forest。　On　the　spur　of　the　moment；　and　without　thinking　of　what　we　were　doing；　we　took　our　guns　（mine　was　a　double…barrel；　with　one　charge　of　B　B　and　one　of　dust…shot）　and　gave　chase。　The　animal　increased　his　speed；　and　reaching　the　forest　border；　dived　into　the　dense　mass　of　broad…leaved　grass　which　formed　its　frontage。　We　peeped　through　the　gap　he　had　made；　but；　our　courage　being　by　this　time　cooled；　we　did　not　think　it　wise　to　go　into　the　thicket　after　him。　The　black　tiger　appears　to　be　more　abundant　than　the　spotted　form　of　jaguar　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Ega。　The　most　certain　method　of　finding　it　is　to　hunt　assisted　by　a　string　of　Indians　shouting　and　driving　the　game　before　them　in　the　narrow　restingas　or　strips　of　dry　land　in　the　forest；　which　are　isolated　by　the　flooding　of　their　neighbourhood　in　the　wet　season。　We　reached　Ega　by　eight　o'clock　that　night。

On　the　6th　of　October　we　left　Ega　on　a　second　excursion；　the　principal　object　of　Cardozo　being；　this　time；　to　search　certain　pools　in　the　forest　for　young　turtles。　The　exact　situation　of　these　hidden　sheets　of　water　is　known　only　to　a　few　practised　huntsmen；　we　took　one　of　these　men　with　us　from　Ega；　a　Mameluco　named　Pedro；　and　on　our　way　called　at　Shimuni　for　Daniel　to　serve　as　an　additional　guide。　We　started　from　the　praia　at　sunrise　on　the　7th　in　two　canoes　containing　twenty…three　persons；　nineteen　of　whom　were　Indians。　The　morning　was　cloudy　and　cool；　and　a　fresh　wind　blew　from　down　river；　against　which　we　had　to　struggle　with　all　the　force　of　our　paddles；　aided　by　the　current；　the　boats　were　tossed　about　most　disagreeably；　and　shipped　a　great　deal　of　water。　On　passing　the　lower　end　of　Shimuni；　a　long　reach　of　the　river　was　before　us；　undivided　by　islands　a　magnificent　expanse　of　water　stretching　away　to　the　southeast。　The　country　on　the　left　bank　is　not；　however；　terra　firma；　but　a　portion　of　the　alluvial　land　which　forms　the　extensive　and　complex　delta　region　of　the　Japura。　It　is　flooded　every　year　at　the　time　of　high　water；　and　is　traversed　by　many　narrow　and　deep　channels　which　serve　as　outlets　to　the　Japura；　or　at　least；　are　connected　with　that　river　by　means　of　the　interior　water…system　of　the　Cupiyo。　This　inhospitable　tract　of　country　extends　for　several　hundred　miles；　and　contains　in　its　midst　an　endless　number　of　pools　and　lakes　tenanted　by　multitudes　of　turtles；　fishes；　alligators；　and　water　serpents。　Our　destination　was　a　point　on　this　coast　situated　about　twenty　miles　below　Shimuni；　and　a　short　distance　from　the　mouth　of　the　Anana；　one　of　the　channels　just　alluded　to　as　connected　with　the　Japura。　After　travelling　for　three　hours　in　midstream　we　steered　for　the　land；　and　brought　to　under　a　steeply…inclined　bank　of　crumbly　earth；　shaped　into　a　succession　of　steps　or　terraces；　marking　the　various　halts　which　the　waters　of　the　river　make　in　the　course　of　subsidence。　The　coast　line　was　nearly　straight　for　many　miles；　and　the　bank　averaged　about　thirty　feet　in　height　above　the　present　level　of　the　river：　at　the　top　rose　the　unbroken　hedge　of　forest。　No　one　could　have　divined　that　pools　of　water　existed　on　that　elevated　land。　A　narrow　level　space　extended　at　the　foot　of　the　bank。　On　landing　the　first　business　was　to　get　breakfast。　While　a　couple　of　Indian　lads　were　employed　in　making　the　fire；　roasting　the　fish；　and　boiling　the　coffee；　the　rest　of　the　party　mounted　the　bank；　and　with　their　long　hunting　knives　commenced　cutting　a　path　through　the　forest；　the　pool；　called　the　Aningal；　being　about　half　a　mile　distant。　After　breakfast；　a　great　number　of　short　poles　were　cut　and　were　laid　crosswise　on　the　path；　and　then　three　light　montarias　which　we　had　brought　with　us　were　dragged　up　the　bank　by　lianas；　and　rolled　away　to　be　embarked　on　the　pool。　A　large　net；　seventy　yards　in　length；　was　then　disembarked　and　carried　to　the　place。　The　work　was　done　very　speedily；　and　when　Cardozo　and　I　went　to　the　spot　at　eleven　o'clock；　we　found　some　of　the　older　Indians；　including　Pedro　and　Daniel；　had　begun　their　sport。　They　were　mounted　on　little　stages　called　moutas；　made　of　poles　and　cross…pieces　of　wood　secured　with　lianas；　and　were　shooting　the　turtles　as　they　came　near　the　surface；　with　bows　and　arrows。　The　Indians　seemed　to　think　that　netting　the　animals；　as　Cardozo　proposed　doing；　was　not　lawful　sport；　and　wis