the naturalist on the river amazons-第95部分

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ation　among　Brazilians　as　a　〃remedio；〃　charm　or　medicine。　The　steamer　was　stopped；　and　a　boat　sent；　with　four　strong　men；　to　embark　the　beast；　the　body；　however；　was　found　too　heavy　to　be　lifted　into　the　boat；　so　a　rope　was　passed　round　it；　and　the　hideous　creature　towed　alongside；　and　hoisted　on　deck　by　means　of　the　crane；　which　was　rigged　for　the　purpose。　It　had　still　some　sparks　of　life；　and　when　the　knife　was　applied；　lashed　its　tail；　and　opened　its　enormous　jaws；　sending　the　crowd　of　bystanders　flying　in　all　directions。　A　blow　with　a　hatchet　on　the　crown　of　the　head　gave　him　his　quietus　at　last。　The　length　of　the　animal　was　fifteen　feet；　but　this　statement　can　give　but　an　imperfect　idea　of　its　immense　bulk　and　weight。　The　numbers　of　turtles　which　were　seen　swimming　in　quiet　shoaly　bays　passed　on　the　road；　also　gave　us　much　amusement。　They　were　seen　by　dozens　ahead；　with　their　snouts　peering　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　and；　on　the　steamer　approaching；　turning　round　to　stare；　but　not　losing　confidence　till　the　vessel　had　nearly　passed；　when　they　appeared　to　be　suddenly　smitten　with　distrust；　diving　like　ducks　under　the　stream。

We　had　on　board；　among　our　deck…passengers；　a　middle…aged　Indian；　of　the　Juri　tribe；　a　short；　thickset　man；　with　features　resembling　much　those　of　the　late　Daniel　O'Connell。　His　name　was　Caracara…i　（Black　Eagle）；　and　his　countenance　seemed　permanently　twisted　into　a　grim　smile；　the　effect　of　which　was　heightened　by　the　tattooed　marksa　blue　rim　to　the　mouth；　with　a　diagonal　pointed　streak　from　each　corner　towards　the　ear。　He　was　dressed　in　European…style　black　hat；　coat；　and　trouserslooking　very　uncomfortable　in　the　dreadful　heat　which；　it　is　unnecessary　to　say；　exists　on　board　a　steamer；　under　a　vertical　sun；　during　mid…　day　hours。　This　Indian　was　a　man　of　steady　resolution；　ambitious　and　enterprising；　very　rare　qualities　in　the　race　to　which　he　belonged；　weakness　of　resolution　being　one　of　the　fundamental　defects　in　the　Indian　character。　He　was　now　on　his　return　home　to　the　banks　of　the　Issa　from　Para；　whither　he　had　been　to　sell　a　large　quantity　of　sarsaparilla　that　he　had　collected；　with　the　help　of　a　number　of　Indians；　whom　he　induces；　or　forces；　to　work　for　him。　One　naturally　feels　inclined　to　know　what　ideas　such　a　favourable　specimen　of　the　Indian　race　may　have　acquired　after　so　much　experience　amongst　civilised　scenes。　On　conversing　with　our　fellow…passenger；　I　was　greatly　disappointed　in　him；　he　had　seen　nothing；　and　thought　of　nothing；　beyond　what　concerned　his　little　trading　speculation；　his　mind　being；　evidently；　what　it　had　been　before；　with　regard　to　all　higher　subjects　or　general　ideas；　a　blank。　The　dull；　mean；　practical　way　of　thinking　of　the　Amazonian　Indians；　and　the　absence　of　curiosity　and　speculative　thought　which　seems　to　be　organic　or　confirmed　in　their　character；　although　they　are　improvable　to　a　certain　extent；　make　them；　like　commonplace　people　everywhere；　most　uninteresting　companions。　Caracara…i　disembarked　at　Tunantins　with　his　cargo；　which　consisted　of　a　considerable　number　of　packages　of　European　wares。

The　river　scenery　about　the　mouth　of　the　Japura　is　extremely　grand；　and　was　the　subject　of　remark　among　the　passengers。　Lieutenant　Nunes　gave　it　as　his　opinion；　that　there　was　no　diminution　of　width　or　grandeur　in　the　mighty　stream　up　to　this　point；　a　distance　of　1500　miles　from　the　Atlantic；　and　yet　we　did　not　here　see　the　two　shores　of　the　river　on　both　sides　at　once；　lines　of　islands；　or　tracts　of　alluvial　land；　having　by…channels　in　the　rear；　intercepting　the　view　of　the　northern　mainland；　and　sometimes　also　of　the　southern。　Beyond　the　Issa；　however；　the　river　becomes　evidently　narrower；　being　reduced　to　an　average　width　of　about　a　mile；　there　were　then　no　longer　those　magnificent　reaches；　with　blank　horizons；　which　occur　lower　down。　We　had　a　dark　and　rainy　night　after　passing　Tunantins；　and　the　passengers　were　all　very　uneasy　on　account　of　the　speed　at　which　we　were　travelling；　twelve　miles　an　hour；　with　every　plank　vibrating　with　the　force　of　the　engines。　Many　of　them　could　not　sleep；　myself　among　the　number。　At　length；　a　little　after　midnight；　a　sudden　shout　startled　us：　〃Back　her！〃　（English　terms　being　used　in　matters　relating　to　steam…engines）。　The　pilot　instantly　sprung　to　the　helm；　and　in　a　few　moments　we　felt　our　paddle…box　brushing　against　the　wall　of　forest　into　which　we　had　nearly　driven　headlong。　Fortunately；　the　water　was　deep　close　up　to　the　bank。　Early　in　the　morning　of　the　10th　of　September　we　anchored　in　the　port　of　St。　Paulo；　after　five　days'　quick　travelling　from　Ega。

St。　Paulo　is　built　on　a　high　hill；　on　the　southern　bank　of　the　river。　The　hill　is　formed　of　the　same　Tabatinga　clay；　which　occurs　at　intervals　over　the　whole　valley　of　the　Amazons；　but　nowhere　rises　to　so　great　an　elevation　as　here；　the　height　being　about　100　feet　above　the　mean　level　of　the　river。　The　ascent　from　the　port　is　steep　and　slippery；　steps　and　resting…places　have　been　made　to　lighten　the　fatigue　of　mounting；　otherwise　the　village　would　be　almost　inaccessible；　especially　to　porters　of　luggage　and　cargo；　for　there　are　no　means　of　making　a　circuitous　road　of　more　moderate　slope；　the　hill　being　steep　on　all　sides；　and　surrounded　by　dense　forests　and　swamps。　The　place　contains　about　500　inhabitants；　chiefly　half…castes　and　Indians　of　the　Tucuna　and　Collina　tribes；　who　are　very　little　improved　from　their　primitive　state。　The　streets　are　narrow；　and　in　rainy　weather　inches　deep　in　mud；　many　houses　are　of　substantial　structure；　but　in　a　ruinous　condition；　and　the　place　altogether　presents　the　appearance；　like　Fonte　Boa；　of　having　seen　better　days。　Signs　of　commerce；　such　as　meet　the　eye　at　Ega；　could　scarcely　be　expected　in　this　remote　spot；　situate　1800　miles；　or　seven　months'　round　voyage　by　sailing…vessels；　from　Para；　the　nearest　market　for　produce。　A　very　short　experience　showed　that　the　inhabitants　were　utterly　debased；　the　few　Portuguese　and　other　immigrants　having；　instead　of　promoting　industry；　adopted　the　lazy　mode　of　life　of　the　Indians；　spiced　with　the　practice　of　a　few　strong　vices　of　their　own　introduction。

The　head…man　of　the　village；　Senor　Antonio　Ribeiro；　half…white　half…Tucuna；　prepared　a　house　for　me　on　landing；　and　introduced　me　to　the　principal　people。　The　summit　of　the　hill　is　grassy　table…land；　of　two　or　three　hundred　acres　in　extent。　The　soil　is　not　wholly　clay；　but　partly　sand　and　gravel；　the　village　itself；　however；　stands　chiefly　on　clay；　and　the　streets　therefore　after　heavy　rains；　become　filled　with　muddy　puddles。　On　damp　nights　the　chorus　of　frogs　and　toads　which　swarm　in　weedy　back…yards　creates　such　a　bewildering　uproar　that　it　is　impossible　to　carry　on　a　conversation　indoors　except　by　shouting。　My　house　was　damper　even　than　the　one　I　occupied　at　Fonte　Boa；　and　this　made　it　extremely　difficult　to　keep　my　collections　from　being　spoilt　by　mould。　But　the　general　humidity　of　the　atmosphere　in　this　part　of　the　river　was　evidently　much　greater　than　it　is　lower　down；　it　appears　to　increase　gradually　in　ascending　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Andes。　It　was　impossible　at　St。　Paulo　to　keep　salt　for　many　days　in　a　solid　state；　which　was　not　the　case　at　Ega；　when　the　baskets　in　which　it　is　contained　were　well　wrapped　in　leaves。　Six　degrees　further　westward；　namely；　at　the　foot　of　the　Andes；　the　dampness　of　the　climate　of　the　Amazonian　forest　region　appears　to　reach　its　acme；　for　Poeppig　found　at　Chinchao　that　the　most　refined　sugar；　in　a　few　days；　dissolved　into　syrup；　and　the　best　gunpowder　became　liquid；　even　when　enclosed　in　canisters。　At　St。　Paulo　refined　sugar　kept　pretty　well　in　tin　boxes；　and　I　had　no　difficulty　in　keeping　my　gunpowder　dry　in　canisters；　although　a　gun　loaded　overnight　could　very　seldom　be　fired　off　in　the　morning。

The　principal　residents　at　St。　Paulo　were　the　priest；　a　white　from　Para；　who　spent　his　days　and　most　of　his　nights　in　gambling　and　rum…drinking；　corrupting　the　young　fellows　and　setting　the　vilest　example　to　the　Indians；　the　sub…delegado；　an　upright；　open…hearted；　and　loyal　negro；　whom　I　have　before　mentioned；　Senor　Jose　Patricio；　the　Juiz　de　Paz；　a　half…caste　named　Geraldo；　and　lastly；　Senor　Antonio　Ribeiro；　who　was　Director　of　the　Indians。　Geraldo　and　Ribeiro　were　my　near　neighbours；　but　they　took　offence　at　me　after　the　first　few　days；　because　I　would　not　join　them　in　their　drinking　bouts；　which　took　place　about　every　third　day。　They　used　to　begin　early　in　the　morning　with　Cashaca　mixed　with　grated　ginger；　a　powerful　drink；　which　used　to　excite　them　almost　to　madness。　Neighbour　Geraldo；　after　these　morning　potations；　used　to　station　himself　opposite　my　house　and　rave　about　foreigners；　gesticulating　in　a　threatening　manner　towards　me　by　the　hour。　After　becoming　sober　in　the　evening；　he　usually　came　to　offer　me　the　humblest　apologies；　driven　to　it；　I　believe；　by　his　wife；　he　himself　being　quite　unconscious　of　this　breach　of　good　manners。　The　wives　of　the　St。　Paulo　worthies；　however；　were　generally　as　bad　as　their　husbands；　nearly　all　the　women　being　hard　drinkers；　and　corrupt　to　the　last　degree。　Wifebeating　naturally　flourished　under　such　a　state　of　things。　I　found　it　always　best　to　lock　myself　indoors　after　sunset；　and　take　no　notice　of　the　thumps　and　screams　which　used　to　rouse　the　village　in　different　quarters　throughout　the　night；　especially　at　festival　times。

The　only　companionable　man　I　found　in　the　place；　except　Jose　Patricio；　who　was　absent　most　part　of　the　time；　was　the　negro　tailor　of　the　village；　a　tall；　thin；　grave　young　man；　named　Mestre　Chico　（Master　Frank）；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　made　at　Para　several　years　previously。　He　was　a　free　negro　by　birth；　but　had　had　the　advantage　of　kind　treatment　in　his　younger　days；　having　been　brought　up　by　a　humane　and　sensible　man；　one　Captain　Basilio；　of　Pernambuco；　his　padrinho；　or　godfather。　He　neither　drank；　smoked；　nor　gambled；　and　was　thoroughly　disgusted　at　the　depravity　of　all　classes　in　this　wretched　little　settlement；　which　he　intended　to　quit　as　soon　as　possible。

When　he　visited　me　at　night　he　used　to　knock　at　my　shutters　in　a　manner　we　had　agreed　on；　it　being　necessary　to　guard　against　admitting　drunken　neighbours；　and　we　then　spent　the　long　evenings　most　pleasantl