the naturalist on the river amazons-第8部分

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　negroes；　and　Indians。　The　better　sort　of　Brazilians　dislike　the　petty　details　of　shop…keeping；　and　if　they　cannot　be　wholesale　merchants；　prefer　the　life　of　planters　in　the　country；　however　small　may　be　the　estate　and　the　gains。　The　negroes　constituted　the　class　of　field…labourers　and　porters；　Indians　were　universally　the　watermen；　and　formed　the　crews　of　the　numberless　canoes　of　all　sizes　and　shapes　which　traded　between　Para　and　the　interior。　The　educated　Brazilians；　not　many　of　whom　are　of　pure　Caucasian　descentfor　the　immigration　of　Portuguese；　for　many　years；　has　been　almost　exclusively　of　the　male　sexare　courteous；　lively；　and　intelligent　people。　They　were　gradually　weaning　themselves　of　the　ignorant；　bigoted　notions　which　they　inherited　from　their　Portuguese　ancestors；　especially　those　entertained　with　regard　to　the　treatment　of　women。　Formerly；　the　Portuguese　would　not　allow　their　wives　to　go　into　society；　or　their　daughters　to　learn　reading　and　writing。　In　1848；　Brazilian　ladies　were　only　just　beginning　to　emerge　from　this　inferior　position；　and　Brazilian　fathers　were　opening　their　eyes　to　the　advantages　of　education　for　their　daughters。　Reforms　of　this　kind　are　slow。　It　is；　perhaps；　in　part　owing　to　the　degrading　position　always　held　by　women；　that　the　relations　between　the　sexes　were；　and　are　still；　on　so　unsatisfactory　a　footing；　and　private　morality　at　so　low　an　ebb；　in　Brazil。　In　Para；　I　believe　that　an　improvement　is　now　taking　place；　but　formerly　promiscuous　intercourse　seemed　to　be　the　general　rule　among　all　classes；　and　intrigues　and　love…making　the　serious　business　of　the　greater　part　of　the　population。　That　this　state　of　things　is　a　necessity　depending　on　the　climate　and　institutions　I　do　not　believe；　as　I　have　resided　at　small　towns　in　the　interior；　where　the　habits；　and　the　general　standard　of　morality　of　the　inhabitants；　were　as　pure　as　they　are　in　similar　places　in　England。


CHAPTER　II

PARA

The　Swampy　Forests　of　ParaA　Portuguese　Landed　Proprietor　Country　House　at　NazarethLife　of　a　Naturalist　under　the　EquatorThe　drier　Virgin　ForestsMagoaryRetired　Creeks　Aborigines

After　having　resided　about　a　fortnight　at　Mr。　Miller's　rocinha；　we　heard　of　another　similar　country…house　to　be　let；　much　better　situated　for　our　purpose；　in　the　village　of　Nazareth；　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　city　and　close　to　the　forest。　The　owner　was　an　old　Portuguese　gentleman　named　Danin；　who　lived　at　his　tile　manufactory　at　the　mouth　of　the　Una；　a　small　river　lying　two　miles　below　Para。　We　resolved　to　walk　to　his　place　through　the　forest；　a　distance　of　three　miles；　although　the　road　was　said　to　be　scarcely　passable　at　this　season　of　the　year；　and　the　Una　much　more　easily　accessible　by　boat。　We　were　glad；　however；　of　this　early　opportunity　of　traversing　the　rich　swampy　forest　which　we　had　admired　so　much　from　the　deck　of　the　ship；　so；　about　eleven　o'clock　one　sunny　morning；　after　procuring　the　necessary　information　about　the　road；　we　set　off　in　that　direction。　This　part　of　the　forest　afterwards　became　one　of　my　best　hunting…　grounds。　I　will　narrate　the　incidents　of　the　walk；　giving　my　first　impressions　and　some　remarks　on　the　wonderful　vegetation。　The　forest　is　very　similar　on　most　of　the　low　lands；　and　therefore；　one　description　will　do　for　all。

On　leaving　the　town　we　walked　along　a　straight；　suburban　road　constructed　above　the　level　of　the　surrounding　land。　It　had　low　swampy　ground　on　each　side；　built　upon；　however；　and　containing　several　spacious　rocinhas　which　were　embowered　in　magnificent　foliage。　Leaving　the　last　of　these；　we　arrived　at　a　part　where　the　lofty　forest　towered　up　like　a　wall　five　or　six　yards　from　the　edge　of　the　path　to　the　height　of；　probably；　a　hundred　feet。　The　tree　trunks　were　only　seen　partially　here　and　there；　nearly　the　whole　frontage　from　ground　to　summit　being　covered　with　a　diversified　drapery　of　creeping　plants；　all　of　the　most　vivid　shades　of　green；　scarcely　a　flower　to　be　seen；　except　in　some　places　a　solitary　scarlet　passion…flower　set　in　the　green　mantle　like　a　star。　The　low　ground　on　the　borders　between　the　forest　wall　and　the　road　was　encumbered　with　a　tangled　mass　of　bushy　and　shrubby　vegetation；　amongst　which　prickly　mimosas　were　very　numerous；　covering　the　other　bushes　in　the　same　way　as　brambles　do　in　England。　Other　dwarf　mimosas　trailed　along　the　ground　close　to　the　edge　of　the　road；　shrinking　at　the　slightest　touch　of　the　feet　as　we　passed　by。　Cassia　trees；　with　their　elegant　pinnate　foliage　and　conspicuous　yellow　flowers；　formed　a　great　proportion　of　the　lower　trees；　and　arborescent　arums　grew　in　groups　around　the　swampy　hollows。　Over　the　whole　fluttered　a　larger　number　of　brilliantly…coloured　butterflies　than　we　had　yet　seen；　some　wholly　orange　or　yellow　（Callidryas）；　others　with　excessively　elongated　wings；　sailing　horizontally　through　the　air；　coloured　black；　and　varied　with　blue；　red；　and　yellow　（Heliconii）。　One　magnificent　grassy…green　species　（Colaenis　Dido）　especially　attracted　our　attention。　Near　the　ground　hovered　many　other　smaller　species　very　similar　in　appearance　to　those　found　at　home；　attracted　by　the　flowers　of　numerous　leguminous　and　other　shrubs。　Besides　butterflies；　there　were　few　other　insects　except　dragonflies；　which　were　in　great　numbers；　similar　in　shape　to　English　species；　but　some　of　them　looking　conspicuously　different　on　account　of　their　fiery　red　colours。

After　stopping　repeatedly　to　examine　and　admire；　we　at　length　walked　onward。　The　road　then　ascended　slightly；　and　the　soil　and　vegetation　became　suddenly　altered　in　character。　The　shrubs　here　were　grasses；　low　sedges　and　other　plants；　smaller　in　foliage　than　those　growing　in　moist　grounds。　The　forest　was　second　growth；　low；　consisting　of　trees　which　had　the　general　aspect　of　laurels　and　other　evergreens　in　our　gardens　at　home　the　leaves　glossy　and　dark　green。　Some　of　them　were　elegantly　veined　and　hairy　（Melastomae）；　while　many；　scattered　amongst　the　rest；　had　smaller　foliage　（Myrtles）；　but　these　were　not　sufficient　to　subtract　much　from　the　general　character　of　the　whole。

The　sun；　now；　for　we　had　loitered　long　on　the　road；　was　exceedingly　powerful。　The　day　was　most　brilliant；　the　sky　without　a　cloud。　In　fact；　it　was　one　of　those　glorious　days　which　announce　the　commencement　of　the　dry　season。　The　radiation　of　heat　from　the　sandy　ground　was　visible　by　the　quivering　motion　of　the　air　above　it。　We　saw　or　heard　no　mammals　or　birds；　a　few　cattle　belonging　to　an　estate　down　a　shady　lane　were　congregated；　panting；　under　a　cluster　of　wide　spreading　trees。　The　very　soil　was　hot　to　our　feet；　and　we　hastened　onward　to　the　shade　of　the　forest　which　we　could　see　not　far　ahead。　At　length；　on　entering　it；　what　a　relief！　We　found　ourselves　in　a　moderately　broad　pathway　or　alley；　where　the　branches　of　the　trees　crossed　overhead　and　produced　a　delightful　shade。　The　woods　were　at　first　of　recent　growth；　dense；　and　utterly　impenetrable；　the　ground；　instead　of　being　clothed　with　grass　and　shrubs　as　in　the　woods　of　Europe；　was　everywhere　carpeted　with　Lycopodiums　（fern…shaped　mosses）。　Gradually　the　scene　became　changed。　We　descended　slightly　from　an　elevated；　dry；　and　sandy　area　to　a　low　and　swampy　one；　a　cool　air　breathed　on　our　faces；　and　a　mouldy　smell　of　rotting　vegetation　greeted　us。　The　trees　were　now　taller；　the　underwood　less　dense；　and　we　could　obtain　glimpses　into　the　wilderness　on　all　sides。　The　leafy　crowns　of　the　trees；　scarcely　two　of　which　could　be　seen　together　of　the　same　kind；　were　now　far　away　above　us；　in　another　world　as　it　were。　We　could　only　see　at　times；　where　there　was　a　break　above；　the　tracery　of　the　foliage　against　the　clear　blue　sky。　Sometimes　the　leaves　were　palmate；　or　of　the　shape　of　large　outstretched　hands；　at　others；　finely　cut　or　feathery；　like　the　leaves　of　Mimosae。　Below；　the　tree　trunks　were　everywhere　linked　together　by　sipos；　the　woody；　flexible　stems　of　climbing　and　creeping　trees；　whose　foliage　is　far　away　above；　mingled　with　that　of　the　taller　independent　trees。　Some　were　twisted　in　strands　like　cables；　others　had　thick　stems　contorted　in　every　variety　of　shape；　entwining　snake…like　round　the　tree　trunks；　or　forming　gigantic　loops　and　coils　among　the　larger　branches；　others；　again；　were　of　zigzag　shape；　or　indented　like　the　steps　of　a　staircase；　sweeping　from　the　ground　to　a　giddy　height。

It　interested　me　much　afterwards　to　find　that　these　climbing　trees　do　not　form　any　particular　family。　There　is　no　distinct　group　of　plants　whose　special　habit　is　to　climb；　but　species　of　many　and　the　most　diverse　families；　the　bulk　of　whose　members　are　not　climbers；　seem　to　have　been　driven　by　circumstances　to　adopt　this　habit。　There　is　even　a　climbing　genus　of　palms　（Desmoncus）；　the　species　of　which　are　called；　in　the　Tupi　language；　Jacitara。　These　have　slender；　thickly…spined；　and　flexuous　stems；　which　twine　about　the　taller　trees　from　one　to　the　other；　and　grow　to　an　incredible　length。　The　leaves；　which　have　the　ordinary　pinnate　shape　characteristic　of　the　family；　are　emitted　from　the　stems　at　long　intervals；　instead　of　being　collected　into　a　dense　crown；　and　have　at　their　tips　a　number　of　long　recurved　spines。　These　structures　are　excellent　contrivances　to　enable　the　trees　to　secure　themselves　by　in　climbing；　but　they　are　a　great　nuisance　to　the　traveller；　for　they　sometimes　hang　over　the　pathway　and　catch　the　hat　or　clothes；　dragging　off　the　one　or　tearing　the　other　as　he　passes。　The　number　and　variety　of　climbing　trees　in　the　Amazons　forests　are　interesting；　taken　in　connection　with　the　fact　of　the　very　general　tendency　of　the　animals；　also；　to　become　climbers。

All　the　Amazonian；　and　in　fact　all　South　American；　monkeys　are　climbers。　There　is　no　group　answering　to　the　baboons　of　the　Old　World；　which　live　on　the　ground。　The　Gallinaceous　birds　of　the　country；　the　representatives　of　the　fowls　and　pheasants　of　Asia　and　Africa；　are　all　adapted　by　the　position　of　the　toes　to　perch　on　trees；　and　it　is　only　on　trees；　at　a　great　height；　that　they　are　to　be　seen。　A　genus　of　Plantigrade　Carnivora；　allied　to　the　bears　（Cercoleptes）；　found　only　in　the　Amazonian　forests；　is　entirely　arboreal；　and　has　a　long　flexible　tail　like　that　of　certain　monkeys。　Many　other　similar　instances　could　be　enumerated；　but　I