the naturalist on the river amazons-第97部分

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bunches　of　feathers。　Others　wear　masked　dresses；　these　are　long　cloaks　reaching　below　the　knee；　and　made　of　the　thick　whitish…coloured　inner　bark　of　a　tree；　the　fibres　of　which　are　interlaced　in　so　regular　a　manner　that　the　material　looks　like　artificial　cloth。　The　cloak　covers　the　head；　two　holes　are　cut　out　for　the　eyes；　a　large　round　piece　of　the　cloth　stretched　on　a　rim　of　flexible　wood　is　stitched　on　each　side　to　represent　cars；　and　the　features　are　painted　in　exaggerated　style　with　yellow；　red；　and　black　streaks。　The　dresses　are　sewn　into　the　proper　shapes　with　thread　made　of　the　inner　bark　of　the　Uaissima　tree。　Sometimes　grotesque　head…dresses；　representing　monkeys'　busts　or　heads　of　other　animals；　made　by　stretching　cloth　or　skin　over　a　basketwork　frame；　are　worn　at　these　holidays。　The　biggest　and　ugliest　mask　represents　the　Jurupari。　In　these　festival　habiliments　the　Tucunas　go　through　their　monotonous　see…saw　and　stamping　dances　accompanied　by　singing　and　drumming；　and　keep　up　the　sport　often　for　three　or　four　days　and　nights　in　succession；　drinking　enormous　quantities　of　caysuma；　smoking　tobacco；　and　snuffing　parica　powder。

I　could　not　learn　that　there　was　any　deep　symbolical　meaning　in　these　masked　dances；　or　that　they　commemorated　any　past　event　in　the　history　of　the　tribe。　Some　of　them　seem　vaguely　intended　as　a　propitiation　of　the　Jurupari；　but　the　masker　who　represents　the　demon　sometimes　gets　drunk　along　with　the　rest；　and　is　not　treated　with　any　reverence。　From　all　I　could　make　out；　these　Indians　preserve　no　memory　of　events　going　beyond　the　times　of　their　fathers　or　grandfathers。　Almost　every　joyful　event　is　made　the　occasion　of　a　festival　weddings　among　the　best。　A　young　man　who　wishes　to　wed　a　Tucuna　girl　has　to　demand　her　hand　of　her　parents；　who　arrange　the　rest　of　the　affair；　and　fix　a　day　for　the　marriage　ceremony。　A　wedding　which　took　place　in　the　Christmas　week　while　I　was　at　St。　Paulo　was　kept　up　with　great　spirit　for　three　or　four　days；　flagging　during　the　heats　of　mid…　day；　but　renewing　itself　with　increased　vigour　every　evening。　During　the　whole　time　the　bride；　decked　out　with　feather　ornaments；　was　under　the　charge　of　the　older　squaws　whose　business　seemed　to　be；　sedulously；　to　keep　the　bridegroom　at　a　safe　distance　until　the　end　of　the　dreary　period　of　dancing　and　boosing。　The　Tucunas　have　the　singular　custom；　in　common　with　the　Collinas　and　Mauhes；　of　treating　their　young　girls；　on　their　showing　the　first　signs　of　womanhood；　as　if　they　had　committed　some　crime。　They　are　sent　up　to　the　girao　under　the　smoky　and　filthy　roof；　and　kept　there　on　very　meagre　diet；　sometimes　for　a　whole　month。　I　heard　of　one　poor　girl　dying　under　this　treatment。

The　only　other　tribe　of　this　neighbourhood　concerning　which　I　obtained　any　information　were　the　Majeronas；　whose　territory　embraces　several　hundred　miles　of　the　western　bank　of　the　river　Jauari；　an　affluent　of　the　Solimoens；　120　miles　beyond　St。　Paulo。　These　are　a　fierce；　indomitable；　and　hostile　people；　like　the　Araras　of　the　river　Madeira；　they　are　also　cannibals。　The　navigation　of　the　Jauari　is　rendered　impossible　on　account　of　the　Majeronas　lying　in　wait　on　its　banks　to　intercept　and　murder　all　travellers；　especially　whites。

Four　months　before　my　arrival　at　St。　Paulo；　two　young　half…castes　（nearly　white）　of　the　village　went　to　trade　on　the　Jauari；　the　Majeronas　having　shown　signs　of　abating　their　hostility　for　a　year　or　two　previously。　They　had　not　been　long　gone；　when　their　canoe　returned　with　the　news　that　the　two　young　fellows　had　been　shot　with　arrows；　roasted；　and　eaten　by　the　savages。　Jose　Patricio；　with　his　usual　activity　in　the　cause　of　law　and　order；　despatched　a　party　of　armed　men　of　the　National　Guard　to　the　place　to　make　inquiries；　and；　if　the　murder　should　appear　to　be　unprovoked；　to　retaliate。　When　they　reached　the　settlement　of　the　horde　who　had　eaten　the　two　men；　it　was　found　evacuated；　with　the　exception　of　one　girl；　who　had　been　in　the　woods　when　the　rest　of　her　people　had　taken　flight；　and　whom　the　guards　brought　with　them　to　St。　Paulo。　It　was　gathered　from　her；　and　from　other　Indians　on　the　Jauari；　that　the　young　men　had　brought　their　fate　on　themselves　through　improper　conduct　towards　the　Majerona　women。　The　girl；　on　arriving　at　St。　Paulo；　was　taken　care　of　by　Senor　Jose　Patricio；　baptised　under　the　name　of　Maria；　and　taught　Portuguese。　I　saw　a　good　deal　of　her；　for　my　friend　sent　her　daily　to　my　house　to　fill　the　water…jars；　make　the　fire；　and　so　forth。　I　also　gained　her　goodwill　by　extracting　the　grub　of　an　Oestrus　fly　from　her　back；　and　thus　cured　her　of　a　painful　tumour。　She　was　decidedly　the　best…humoured　and；　to　all　appearance；　the　kindest…hearted　specimen　of　her　race　I　had　yet　seen。　She　was　tall　and　very　stout；　in　colour　much　lighter　than　the　ordinary　Indian　tint；　and　her　ways　altogether　were　more　like　those　of　a　careless；　laughing　country　wench；　such　as　might　be　met　with　any　day　amongst　the　labouring　class　in　villages　in　our　own　country；　than　a　cannibal。　I　heard　this　artless　maiden　relate；　in　the　coolest　manner　possible；　how　she　ate　a　portion　of　the　bodies　of　the　young　men　whom　her　tribe　had　roasted。　But　what　increased　greatly　the　incongruity　of　this　business；　the　young　widow　of　one　of　the　victims；　a　neighbour　of　mine；　happened　to　be　present　during　the　narrative；　and　showed　her　interest　in　it　by　laughing　at　the　broken　Portuguese　in　which　the　girl　related　the　horrible　story。

In　the　fourth　month　of　my　sojourn　at　St。　Paulo　I　had　a　serious　illness；　an　attack　of　the　〃sizoens；〃　or　ague　of　the　country；　which；　as　it　left　me　with　shattered　health　and　damped　enthusiasm；　led　to　my　abandoning　the　plan　I　had　formed　of　proceeding　to　the　Peruvian　towns　of　Pebas　and　Moyobamba；　250　and　600　miles　further　west；　and　so　completing　the　examination　of　the　Natural　History　of　the　Amazonian　plains　up　to　the　foot　of　the　Andes。　I　made　a　very　large　collection　at　St。　Paulo；　and　employed　a　collector　at　Tabatinga　and　on　the　banks　of　the　Jauari　for　several　months；　so　that　I　acquired　a　very　fair　knowledge　altogether　of　the　productions　of　the　country　bordering　the　Amazons　to　the　end　of　the　Brazilian　territory；　a　distance　of　1900　miles　from　the　Atlantic　at　the　mouth　of　the　Para；　but　beyond　the　Peruvian　boundary　I　found　now　I　should　be　unable　to　go。　My　ague　seemed　to　be　the　culmination　of　a　gradual　deterioration　of　health；　which　had　been　going　on　for　several　years。　I　had　exposed　myself　too　much　in　the　sun；　working　to　the　utmost　of　my　strength　six　days　a　week；　and　had　suffered　much；　besides；　from　bad　and　insufficient　food。　The　ague　did　not　exist　at　St。　Paulo　but　the　foul　and　humid　state　of　the　village　was；　perhaps；　sufficient　to　produce　ague　in　a　person　much　weakened　from　other　causes。　The　country　bordering　the　shores　of　the　Solimoens　is　healthy　throughout；　some　endemic　diseases　certainly　exist；　but　these　are　not　of　a　fatal　nature；　and　the　epidemics　which　desolated　the　Lower　Amazons　from　Para　to　the　Rio　Negro；　between　the　years　1850　and　1856；　had　never　reached　this　favoured　land。　Ague　is　known　only　on　the　banks　of　those　tributary　streams　which　have　dark…coloured　water。

I　always　carried　a　stock　of　medicines　with　me；　and　a　small　phial　of　quinine；　which　I　had　bought　at　Para　in　1851；　but　never　yet　had　use　for；　now　came　in　very　useful。　I　took　for　each　dose　as　much　as　would　lie　on　the　tip　of　a　penknife…blade；　mixing　it　with　warm　camomile　tea。　The　first　few　days　after　my　first　attack　I　could　not　stir；　and　was　delirious　during　the　paroxysms　of　fever；　but　the　worst　being　over；　I　made　an　effort　to　rouse　myself；　knowing　that　incurable　disorders　of　the　liver　and　spleen　follow　ague　in　this　country　if　the　feeling　of　lassitude　is　too　much　indulged。　So　every　morning　I　shouldered　my　gun　or　insect…net；　and　went　my　usual　walk　in　the　forest。　The　fit　of　shivering　very　often　seized　me　before　I　got　home；　and　I　then　used　to　stand　still　and　brave　it　out。　When　the　steamer　ascended　in　January；　1858；　Lieutenant　Nunes　was　shocked　to　see　me　so　much　shattered；　and　recommended　me　strongly　to　return　at　once　to　Ega。　I　took　his　advice；　and　embarked　with　him；　when　he　touched　at　St。　Paulo　on　his　downward　voyage；　on　the　2nd　of　February。　I　still　hoped　to　be　able　to　turn　my　face　westward　again；　to　gather　the　yet　unseen　treasures　of　the　marvellous　countries　lying　between　Tabatinga　and　the　slopes　of　the　Andes；　but　although；　after　a　short　rest　in　Ega；　the　ague　left　me；　my　general　health　remained　in　a　state　too　weak　to　justify　the　undertaking　of　further　journeys。　At　length　I　left　Ega；　on　the　3rd　of　February；　1859；　en　route　for　England。

I　arrived　at　Para　on　the　17th　of　March；　after　an　absence　in　the　interior　of　seven　years　and　a　half。　My　old　friends；　English；　American；　and　Brazilian；　scarcely　knew　me　again；　but　all　gave　me　a　very　warm　welcome；　especially　Mr。　G。　R。　Brocklehurst　（of　the　firm　of　R。　Singlehurst　and　Co。；　the　chief　foreign　merchants；　who　had　been　my　correspondents）；　who　received　me　into　his　house；　and　treated　me　with　the　utmost　kindness。　I　was　rather　surprised　at　the　warm　appreciation　shown　by　many　of　the　principal　people　of　my　labours；　but；　in　fact；　the　interior　of　the　country　is　still　the　〃sertao〃　（wilderness）a　terra　incognita　to　most　residents　of　the　seaportand　a　man　who　had　spent　seven　years　and　a　half　in　exploring　it　solely　with　scientific　aims　was　somewhat　of　a　curiosity。　I　found　Para　greatly　changed　and　improved。　It　was　no　longer　the　weedy；　ruinous；　village…looking　place　that　it　appeared　to　be　when　I　first　knew　it　in　1848。　The　population　had　been　increased　to　20；000　by　an　influx　of　Portuguese；　Madeiran；　and　German　immigrants；　and　for　many　years　past　the　provincial　government　had　spent　their　considerable　surplus　revenue　in　beautifying　the　city。　The　streets；　formerly　unpaved　or　strewn　with　loose　stones　and　sand；　were　now　laid　with　concrete　in　a　most　complete　manner；　all　the　projecting　masonry　of　the　irregularly…　built　houses　had　been　cleared　away；　and　the　buildings　made　more　uniform。　Most　of　the　dilapidated　houses　were　replaced　by　handsome　new　edifices；　having　long　and　elegant　balconies　fronting　the　first　floors；　at　an　elevation　of　several　feet　above　the　roadway。　The　large；　swampy　squares　had　been　drained；　weeded；　and　planted　with　rows　of　almond　and　casuarina　trees；　so　that　they　were　now　a