the naturalist on the river amazons-第81部分

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he　river；　which　keeps　alight　all　night）　being　made　in　the　middle；　by　the　side　of　which　slept　Carlito　on　a　little　mat。　Well；　one　night　I　was　awoke　by　a　great　uproar。　It　was　caused　by　Cardozo　hurling　burning　firewood　with　loud　curses　at　a　huge　cayman　which　had　crawled　up　the　bank　and　passed　beneath　my　hammock　（being　nearest　the　water）　towards　the　place　where　Carlito　lay。　The　dog　had　raised　the　alarm　in　time；　the　reptile　backed　out　and　tumbled　down　the　bank　to　the　water；　the　sparks　from　the　brands　hurled　at　him　flying　from　his　bony　hide。　To　our　great　surprise　the　animal　（we　supposed　it　to　be　the　same　individual）　repeated　his　visit　the　very　next　night；　this　time　passing　round　to　the　other　side　of　our　shed。　Cardozo　was　awake；　and　threw　a　harpoon　at　him；　but　without　doing　him　any　harm。　After　this　it　was　thought　necessary　to　make　an　effort　to　check　the　alligators；　a　number　of　men　were　therefore　persuaded　to　sally　forth　in　their　montarias　and　devote　a　day　to　killing　them。

The　young　men　made　several　hunting　excursions　during　the　fourteen　days　of　our　stay　on　Catua；　and　I；　being　associated　with　them　in　all　their　pleasures；　made　generally　one　of　the　party。　These　were；　besides；　the　sole　occasions　on　which　I　could　add　to　my　collections；　while　on　these　barren　sands。　Only　two　of　these　trips　afforded　incidents　worth　relating。

The　first；　which　was　made　to　the　interior　of　the　wooded　island　of　Catua；　was　not　a　very　successful　one。　We　were　twelve　in　number；　all　armed　with　guns　and　long　hunting…knives。　Long　before　sunrise；　my　friends　woke　me　up　from　my　hammock；　where　I　lay；　as　usual；　in　the　clothes　worn　during　the　day；　and　after　taking　each　a　cup…full　of　cashaca　and　ginger　（a　very　general　practice　in　early　morning　on　the　sand…banks）；　we　commenced　our　walk。　The　waning　moon　still　lingered　in　the　clear　sky；　and　a　profound　stillness　pervaded　sleeping　camp；　forest；　and　stream。　Along　the　line　of　ranchos　glimmered　the　fires　made　by　each　party　to　dry　turtle…eggs　for　food；　the　eggs　being　spread　on　little　wooden　stages　over　the　smoke。　The　distance　to　the　forest　from　our　place　of　starting　was　about　two　miles；　being　nearly　the　whole　length　of　the　sand…bank；　which　was　also　a　very　broad　one　the　highest　part；　where　it　was　covered　with　a　thicket　of　dwarf　willows；　mimosas；　and　arrow　grass；　lying　near　the　ranchos。　We　loitered　much　on　the　way；　and　the　day　dawned　whilst　we　were　yet　on　the　road；　the　sand　at　this　early　hour　feeling　quite　cold　to　the　naked　feet。　As　soon　as　we　were　able　to　distinguish　things；　the　surface　of　the　praia　was　seen　to　be　dotted　with　small　black　objects。　These　were　newly…　hatched　Aiyussa　turtles；　which　were　making　their　way　in　an　undeviating　line　to　the　water；　at　least　a　mile　distant。　The　young　animal　of　this　species　is　distinguishable　from　that　of　the　large　turtle　and　the　Tracaja；　by　the　edges　of　the　breast…plate　being　raised　on　each　side；　so　that　in　crawling　it　scores　two　parallel　lines　on　the　sand。　The　mouths　of　these　little　creatures　were　full　of　sand；　a　circumstance　arising　from　their　having　to　bite　their　way　through　many　inches　of　superincumbent　sand　to　reach　the　surface　on　emerging　from　the　buried　eggs。　It　was　amusing　to　observe　how　constantly　they　turned　again　in　the　direction　of　the　distant　river；　after　being　handled　and　set　down　on　the　sand　with　their　heads　facing　the　opposite　quarter。　We　saw　also　several　skeletons　of　the　large　cayman　（some　with　the　horny　and　bony　hide　of　the　animal　nearly　perfect）　embedded　in　the　sand；　they　reminded　me　of　the　remains　of　Ichthyosauri　fossilised　in　beds　of　lias；　with　the　difference　of　being　buried　in　fine　sand　instead　of　in　blue　mud。　I　marked　the　place　of　one　which　had　a　well…preserved　skull；　and　the　next　day　returned　to　secure　it。　The　specimen　is　now　in　the　British　Museum　collection。　There　were　also　many　footmarks　of　jaguars　on　the　sand。

We　entered　the　forest；　as　the　sun　peeped　over　the　tree…tops　far　away　down　river。　The　party　soon　after　divided；　I　keeping　with　a　section　which　was　led　by　Bento；　the　Ega　carpenter；　a　capital　woodsman。　After　a　short　walk　we　struck　the　banks　of　a　beautiful　little　lake；　having　grassy　margins　and　clear　dark　water；　on　the　surface　of　which　floated　thick　beds　of　water…lilies。　We　then　crossed　a　muddy　creek　or　watercourse　that　entered　the　lake；　and　then　found　ourselves　on　a　restinga；　or　tongue　of　land　between　two　waters。　By　keeping　in　sight　of　one　or　the　other　of　these；　there　was　no　danger　of　our　losing　our　way　all　other　precautions　were　therefore　unnecessary。　The　forest　was　tolerably　clear　of　underwood；　and　consequently；　easy　to　walk　through。　We　had　not　gone　far　before　a　soft；　long…drawn　whistle　was　heard　aloft　in　the　trees；　betraying　the　presence　of　Mutums　（Curassow　birds）。　The　crowns　of　the　trees；　a　hundred　feet　or　more　over　our　heads；　were　so　closely　interwoven　that　it　was　difficult　to　distinguish　the　birds　the　practised　eye　of　Bento；　however；　made　them　out；　and　a　fine　male　was　shot　from　the　flock；　the　rest　flying　away　and　alighting　at　no　great　distance。　The　species　was　the　one　of　which　the　male　has　a　round　red　ball　on　its　beak　（Crax　globicera）。　The　pursuit　of　the　others　led　us　a　great　distance；　straight　towards　the　interior　of　the　island；　in　which　direction　we　marched　for　three　hours；　having　the　lake　always　on　our　right。

Arriving　at　length　at　the　head　of　the　lake；　Bento　struck　off　to　the　left　across　the　restinga；　and　we　then　soon　came　upon　a　treeless　space　choked　up　with　tall　grass；　which　appeared　to　be　the　dried…up　bed　of　another　lake。　Our　leader　was　obliged　to　climb　a　tree　to　ascertain　our　position；　and　found　that　the　clear　space　was　part　of　the　creek；　whose　mouth　we　had　crossed　lower　down。　The　banks　were　clothed　with　low　trees；　nearly　all　of　one　species；　a　kind　of　araca　（Psidium）；　and　the　ground　was　carpeted　with　a　slender　delicate　grass；　now　in　flower。　A　great　number　of　crimson　and　vermilion…coloured　butterflies　（Catagramma　Peristera；　male　and　female）　were　settled　on　the　smooth；　white　trunks　of　these　trees。　I　had　also　here　the　great　pleasure　of　seeing　for　the　first　time；　the　rare　and　curious　Umbrella　Bird　（Cephalopterus　ornatus）；　a　species　which　resembles　in　size；　colour；　and　appearance　our　common　crow；　but　is　decorated　with　a　crest　of　long；　curved；　hairy　feathers　having　long　bare　quills；　which；　when　raised；　spread　themselves　out　in　the　form　of　a　fringed　sunshade　over　the　head。　A　strange　ornament；　like　a　pelerine；　is　also　suspended　from　the　neck；　formed　by　a　thick　pad　of　glossy　steel…blue　feathers；　which　grow　on　a　long　fleshy　lobe　or　excrescence。　This　lobe　is　connected　（as　I　found　on　skinning　specimens）　with　an　unusual　development　of　the　trachea　and　vocal　organs；　to　which　the　bird　doubtless　owes　its　singularly　deep；　loud；　and　long…sustained　fluty　note。　The　Indian　name　of　this　strange　creature　is　Uira…mimbeu；　or　fife…　bird；　＇Mimbeu　is　the　Indian　name　for　a　rude　kind　of　pan…pipes　used　by　the　Caishanas　and　other　tribes。＇　in　allusion　to　the　tone　of　its　voice。　We　had　the　good　luck；　after　remaining　quiet　a　short　time；　to　hear　its　performance。　It　drew　itself　up　on　its　perch；　spread　widely　the　umbrella…formed　crest；　dilated　and　waved　its　glossy　breast…lappet；　and　then；　in　giving　vent　to　its　loud　piping　note；　bowed　its　head　slowly　forwards。　We　obtained　a　pair；　male　and　female；　the　female　has　only　the　rudiments　of　the　crest　and　lappet；　and　is　duller…coloured　altogether　than　the　male。　The　range　of　this　bird　appears　to　be　quite　confined　to　the　plains　of　the　Upper　Amazons　（especially　the　Ygapo　forests）；　not　having　been　found　to　the　east　of　the　Rio　Negro。

Bento　and　our　other　friends　being　disappointed　in　finding　no　more　Curassows；　or　indeed　any　other　species　of　game；　now　resolved　to　turn　back。　On　reaching　the　edge　of　the　forest；　we　sat　down　and　ate　our　dinners　under　the　shade　each　man　having　brought　a　little　bag　containing　a　few　handsfull　of　farinha；　and　a　piece　of　fried　fish　or　roast　turtle。　We　expected　our　companions　of　the　other　division　to　join　us　at　midday；　but　after　waiting　till　past　one　o'clock　without　seeing　anything　of　them　（in　fact；　they　had　returned　to　the　huts　an　hour　or　two　previously）；　we　struck　off　across　the　praia　towards　the　encampment。　An　obstacle　here　presented　itself　on　which　we　had　not　counted。　The　sun　had　shone　all　day　through　a　cloudless　sky　untempered　by　a　breath　of　wind；　and　the　sands　had　become　heated　by　it　to　a　degree　that　rendered　walking　over　them　with　our　bare　feet　impossible。　The　most　hardened　footsoles　of　the　party　could　not　endure　the　burning　soil。　We　made　several　attempts；　we　tried　running；　having　wrapped　the　cool　leaves　of　Heliconiae　round　our　feet；　but　in　no　way　could　we　step　forward　many　yards。　There　was　no　means　of　getting　back　to　our　friends　before　night；　except　going　round　the　praia；　a　circuit　of　about　four　miles；　and　walking　through　the　water　or　on　the　moist　sand。　To　get　to　the　waterside　from　the　place　where　we　then　stood　was　not　difficult；　as　a　thick　bed　of　a　flowering　shrub；　called　tintarana；　an　infusion　of　the　leaves　of　which　is　used　to　dye　black；　lay　on　that　side　of　the　sand…bank。　Footsore　and　wearied；　burthened　with　our　guns；　and　walking　for　miles　through　the　tepid　shallow　water　under　the　brain…scorching　vertical　sun；　we　had；　as　may　be　imagined；　anything　but　a　pleasant　time　of　it。　I　did　not；　however；　feel　any　inconvenience　afterwards。　Everyone　enjoys　the　most　lusty　health　while　living　this　free　and　wild　life　on　the　rivers。

The　other　hunting　trip　which　I　have　alluded　to　was　undertaken　in　company　with　three　friendly　young　half…castes。　Two　of　them　were　brothers；　namely；　Joao　（John）　and　Zephyrino　Jabuti：　Jabuti；　or　tortoise；　being　a　nickname　which　their　father　had　earned　for　his　slow　gait；　and　which；　as　is　usual　in　this　country；　had　descended　as　the　surname　of　the　family。　The　other　was　Jose　Frazao；　a　nephew　of　Senor　Chrysostomo；　of　Ega；　an　active；　clever；　and　manly　young　fellow；　whom　I　much　esteemed。　He　was　almost　a　white　his　father　being　a　Portuguese　and　his　mother　a　Mameluca。　We　were　accompanied　by　an　Indian　named　Lino；　and　a　Mulatto　boy；　whose　office　was　to　carry　our　game。

Our　proposed　hunting…ground　on　this　occasion　lay　across　the　water；　about　fifteen　miles　distant。　We　set　out　in　a　small　montaria；　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　again　leaving　the　encampment　asleep；　and　travelled　at　a　good　pace　up　the　northern　channel　of　the　Solimoens；