the naturalist on the river amazons-第94部分

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nto　a　glutinous　mud　swamp。　There　is　a　very　pretty　church　in　one　corner　of　the　square；　but　in　the　rainy　months　of　the　year　（nine　out　of　twelve）　the　place　of　worship　is　almost　inaccessible　to　the　inhabitants　on　account　of　the　mud；　the　only　means　of　getting　to　it　being　by　hugging　closely　the　walls　and　palings；　and　so　advancing　sideways　step　by　step。

I　remained　in　this　delectable　place　until　the　25th　of　January；　1857。　Fonte　Boa；　in　addition　to　its　other　amenities；　has　the　reputation　throughout　the　country　of　being　the　headquarters　of　mosquitoes；　and　it　fully　deserves　the　title。　They　are　more　annoying　in　the　houses　by　day　than　by　night；　for　they　swarm　in　the　dark　and　damp　rooms；　keeping；　in　the　daytime；　near　the　floor；　and　settling　by　half…dozens　together　on　the　legs。　At　night　the　calico　tent　is　a　sufficient　protection；　but　this　is　obliged　to　be　folded　every　morning；　and　in　letting　it　down　before　sunset；　great　care　is　required　to　prevent　even　one　or　two　of　the　tormentors　from　stealing　in　beneath；　their　insatiable　thirst　for　blood；　and　pungent　sting；　making　these　enough　to　spoil　all　comfort。　In　the　forest　the　plague　is　much　worse；　but　the　forest…mosquito　belongs　to　a　different　species　from　that　of　the　town；　being　much　larger；　and　having　transparent　wings；　it　is　a　little　cloud　that　one　carries　about　one's　person　every　step　on　a　woodland　ramble；　and　their　hum　is　so　loud　that　it　prevents　one　hearing　well　the　notes　of　birds。　The　town…mosquito　has　opaque　speckled　wings；　a　less　severe　sting；　and　a　silent　way　of　going　to　work；　the　inhabitants　ought　to　be　thankful　the　big；　noisy　fellows　never　come　out　of　the　forest。　In　compensation　for　the　abundance　of　mosquitoes；　Fonte　Boa　has　no　piums；　there　was；　therefore；　some　comfort　outside　one's　door　in　the　daytime；　the　comfort；　however；　was　lessened　by　their　being　scarcely　any　room　in　front　of　the　house　to　sit　down　or　walk　about；　for；　on　our　side　of　the　square；　the　causeway　was　only　two　feet　broad；　and　to　step　over　the　boundary；　formed　by　a　line　of　slippery　stems　of　palms；　was　to　sink　up　to　the　knees　in　a　sticky　swamp。

Notwithstanding　damp　and　mosquitoes；　I　had　capital　health；　and　enjoyed　myself　much　at　Fonte　Boa；　swampy　and　weedy　places　being　generally　more　healthy　than　dry　ones　in　the　Amazons；　probably　owing　to　the　absence　of　great　radiation　of　heat　from　the　ground。　The　forest　was　extremely　rich　and　picturesque；　although　the　soil　was　everywhere　clayey　and　cold；　and　broad　pathways　threaded　it　for　many　a　mile　over　hill　and　dale。　In　every　hollow　flowed　a　sparkling　brook；　with　perennial　and　crystal　waters。　The　margins　of　these　streams　were　paradises　of　leafiness　and　verdure；　the　most　striking　feature　being　the　variety　of　ferns；　with　immense　leaves；　some　terrestrial；　others　climbing　over　trees；　and　two；　at　least；　arborescent。　I　saw　here　some　of　the　largest　trees　I　had　yet　seen；　there　was　one　especially；　a　cedar；　whose　colossal　trunk　towered　up　for　more　than　a　hundred　feet；　straight　as　an　arrow；　I　never　saw　its　crown；　which　was　lost　to　view；　from　below；　beyond　the　crowd　of　lesser　trees　which　surrounded　it。　Birds　and　monkeys　in　this　glorious　forest　were　very　abundant；　the　bear…like　Pithecia　hirsuta　being　the　most　remarkable　of　the　monkeys；　and　the　Umbrella　Chatterer　and　Curl…crested　Toucans　amongst　the　most　beautiful　of　the　birds。　The　Indians　and　half…castes　of　the　village　have　made　their　little　plantations；　and　built　huts　for　summer　residence　on　the　banks　of　the　rivulets；　and　my　rambles　generally　terminated　at　one　or　other　of　these　places。　The　people　were　always　cheerful　and　friendly；　and　seemed　to　be　glad　when　I　proposed　to　join　them　at　their　meals；　contributing　the　contents　of　my　provision…bag　to　the　dinner；　and　squatting　down　among　them　on　the　mat。

The　village　was　formerly　a　place　of　more　importance　than　it　now　is；　a　great　number　of　Indians　belonging　to　the　most　industrious　tribes；　Shumanas；　Passes；　and　Cambevas；　having　settled　on　the　site　and　adopted　civilised　habits；　their　industry　being　directed　by　a　few　whites；　who　seem　to　have　been　men　of　humane　views　as　well　as　enterprising　traders。　One　of　these　old　employers；　Senor　Guerreiro；　a　well…educated　Paraense；　was　still　trading　on　the　Amazons　when　I　left　the　country　in　1859：　he　told　me　that　forty　years　previously　Fonte　Boa　was　a　delightful　place　to　live　in。　The　neighbourhood　was　then　well　cleared；　and　almost　free　from　mosquitoes；　and　the　Indians　were　orderly；　industrious；　and　happy。　What　led　to　the　ruin　of　the　settlement　was　the　arrival　of　several　Portuguese　and　Brazilian　traders　of　a　low　class；　who　in　their　eagerness　for　business　taught　the　easy…going　Indians　all　kinds　of　trickery　and　immorality。　They　enticed　the　men　and　women　away　from　their　old　employers；　and　thus　broke　up　the　large　establishments；　compelling　the　principals　to　take　their　capital　to　other　places。　At　the　time　of　my　visit　there　were　few　pure…blood　Indians　at　Fonte　Boa；　and　no　true　whites。　The　inhabitants　seemed　to　be　nearly　all　Mamelucos；　and　were　a　loose…living；　rustic；　plain…　spoken　and　ignorant　set　of　people。　There　was　no　priest　or　schoolmaster　within　150　miles；　and　had　not　been　any　for　many　years：　the　people　seemed　to　be　almost　without　government　of　any　kind；　and　yet　crime　and　deeds　of　violence　appeared　to　be　of　very　rare　occurrence。　The　principal　man　of　the　village；　one　Senor　Justo；　was　a　big；　coarse；　energetic　fellow；　sub…delegado　of　police；　and　the　only　tradesman　who　owned　a　large　vessel　running　directly　between　Fonte　Boa　and　Para。　He　had　recently　built　a　large　house；　in　the　style　of　middle…class　dwellings　of　towns；　namely；　with　brick　floors　and　tiled　roof；　the　bricks　and　tiles　having　been　brought　from　Para；　1500　miles　distant；　the　nearest　place　where　they　are　manufactured　in　surplus。　When　Senor　Justo　visited　me　he　was　much　struck　with　the　engravings　in　a　file　of　Illustrated　London　News；　which　lay　on　my　table。　It　was　impossible　to　resist　his　urgent　entreaties　to　let　him　have　some　of　them；　〃to　look　at；〃　so　one　day　he　carried　off　a　portion　of　the　papers　on　loan。　A　fortnight　afterwards；　on　going　to　request　him　to　return　them；　I　found　the　engravings　had　been　cut　out；　and　stuck　all　over　the　newly　whitewashed　walls　of　his　chamber；　many　of　them　upside　down。　He　thought　a　room　thus　decorated　with　foreign　views　would　increase　his　importance　among　his　neighbours；　and　when　I　yielded　to　his　wish　to　keep　them；　was　boundless　in　demonstrations　of　gratitude；　ending　by　shipping　a　boat…load　of　turtles　for　my　use　at　Ega。

These　neglected　and　rude　villagers　still　retained　many　religious　practices　which　former　missionaries　or　priests　had　taught　them。　The　ceremony　which　they　observed　at　Christmas；　like　that　described　as　practised　by　negroes　in　a　former　chapter；　was　very　pleasing　for　its　simplicity；　and　for　the　heartiness　with　which　it　was　conducted。　The　church　was　opened；　dried；　and　swept　clean　a　few　days　before　Christmas　Eve；　and　on　the　morning　all　the　women　and　children　of　the　village　were　busy　decorating　it　with　festoons　of　leaves　and　wild　flowers。　Towards　midnight　it　was　illuminated　inside　and　out　with　little　oil　lamps；　made　of　clay；　and　the　image　of　the　〃menino　Deus；〃　or　Child…God；　in　its　cradle；　was　placed　below　the　altar；　which　was　lighted　up　with　rows　of　wax　candles；　very　lean　ones；　but　the　best　the　poor　people　could　afford。　All　the　villagers　assembled　soon　afterwards；　dressed　in　their　best；　he　women　with　flowers　in　their　hair；　and　a　few　simple　hymns；　totally　irrelevant　to　the　occasion；　but　probably　the　only　ones　known　by　them；　were　sung　kneeling；　an　old　half…caste；　with　black…　spotted　face；　leading　off　the　tunes。　This　finished；　the　congregation　rose；　and　then　marched　in　single　file　up　one　side　of　the　church　and　down　the　other；　singing　together　a　very　pretty　marching　chorus；　and　each　one；　on　reaching　the　little　image；　stooping　to　kiss　the　end　of　a　ribbon　which　was　tied　round　its　waist。　Considering　that　the　ceremony　was　got　up　of　their　own　free　will；　and　at　considerable　expense；　I　thought　it　spoke　well　for　the　good　intentions　and　simplicity　of　heart　of　these　poor；　neglected　villagers。

I　left　Fonte　Boa；　for　Ega；　on　the　25th　of　January；　making　the　passage　by　steamer；　down　the　middle　of　the　current；　in　sixteen　hours。　The　sight　of　the　clean　and　neat　little　town；　with　its　open　spaces；　close…cropped　grass；　broad　lake；　and　white　sandy　shores；　had　a　most　exhilarating　effect；　after　my　trip　into　the　wilder　parts　of　the　country。　The　district　between　Ega　and　Loreto；　the　first　Peruvian　village　on　the　river；　is；　indeed；　the　most　remote；　thinly…peopled；　and　barbarous　of　the　whole　line　of　the　Amazons；　from　ocean　to　ocean。　Beyond　Loreto；　signs　of　civilisation；　from　the　side　of　the　Pacific；　begin　to　be　numerous；　and；　from　Ega　downwards；　the　improvement　is　felt　from　the　side　of　the　Atlantic。

September　5th；　1857Again　embarked　on　the　Tabatinga；　this　time　for　a　longer　excursion　than　the　last；　namely　to　St。　Paulo　de　Olivenca；　a　village　higher　up　than　any　I　had　yet　visited；　being　260　miles　distant；　in　a　straight　line；　from　Ega；　or　about　400　miles　following　the　bends　of　the　river。

The　waters　were　now　nearly　at　their　lowest　point；　but　this　made　no　difference　to　the　rate　of　travelling；　night　or　day。　Several　of　the　Parana　mirims；　or　by…channels；　which　the　steamer　threads　in　the　season　of　full…water；　to　save　a　long　circuit；　were　now　dried　up；　their　empty　beds　looking　like　deep　sandy　ravines　in　the　midst　of　the　thick　forest。　The　large　sand…islands；　and　miles　of　sandy　beach；　were　also　uncovered；　and　these；　with　the　swarms　of　large　aquatic　birds；　storks；　herons；　ducks；　waders；　and　spoon…bills；　which　lined　their　margins　in　certain　places；　made　the　river　view　much　more　varied　and　animated　than　it　is　in　the　season　of　the　flood。　Alligators　of　large　size　were　common　near　the　shores；　lazily　floating；　and　heedless　of　the　passing　steamer。　The　passengers　amused　themselves　by　shooting　at　them　from　the　deck　with　a　double…barrelled　rifle　we　had　on　board。　The　sign　of　a　mortal　hit　was　the　monster　turning　suddenly　over；　and　remaining　floating；　with　its　white　belly　upwards。　Lieutenant　Nunes　wished　to　have　one　of　the　dead　animals　on　board；　for　the　purpose　of　opening　the　abdomen；　and；　if　a　male；　extracting　a　part　which　is　held　in　great　estimation　among　Brazilians　as　a　〃remedio；〃　charm　or　medicine。　The　steamer　was　stopped；　and　a　boat　sent；