the naturalist on the river amazons-第58部分

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　although　we　had　not　yet　met　with　alligators　in　the　river。

Some　days　afterwards；　the　young　men　belonging　to　the　different　sitios　agreed　together　to　go　in　search　of　the　serpent。　They　began　in　a　systematicmanner；　forming　two　parties；　each　embarked　in　three　or　four　canoes；　and　starting　from　points　several　miles　apart；　whence　they　gradually　approximated；　searching　all　the　little　inlets　on　both　sides　the　river。　The　reptile　was　found　at　last；　sunning　itself　on　a　log　at　the　mouth　of　a　muddy　rivulet；　and　despatched　with　harpoons。　I　saw　it　the　day　after　it　was　killed；　it　was　not　a　very　large　specimen；　measuring　only　eighteen　feet　nine　inches　in　length；　and　sixteen　inches　in　circumference　at　the　widest　part　of　the　body。　I　measured　skins　of　the　Anaconda　afterwards；　twenty…one　feet　in　length　and　two　feet　in　girth。　The　reptile　has　a　most　hideous　appearance；　owing　to　its　being　very　broad　in　the　middle　and　tapering　abruptly　at　both　ends。　It　is　very　abundant　in　some　parts　of　the　country；　nowhere　more　so　than　in　the　Lago　Grande；　near　Santarem；　where　it　is　often　seen　coiled　up　in　the　corners　of　farmyards；　and　is　detested　for　its　habit　of　carrying　off　poultry；　young　calves；　or　whatever　animal　it　can　get　within　reach　of。

At　Ega；　a　large　Anaconda　was　once　near　making　a　meal　of　a　young　lad　about　ten　years　of　age；　belonging　to　one　of　my　neighbours。　The　father　and　his　son　went；　as　was　their　custom；　a　few　miles　up　the　Teffe　to　gather　wild　fruit；　landing　on　a　sloping　sandy　shore；　where　the　boy　was　left　to　mind　the　canoe　while　the　man　entered　the　forest。　The　beaches　of　the　Teffe　form　groves　of　wild　guava　and　myrtle　trees；　and　during　most　months　of　the　year　are　partly　overflown　by　the　river。　While　the　boy　was　playing　in　the　water　under　the　shade　of　these　trees；　a　huge　reptile　of　this　species　stealthily　wound　its　coils　around　him；　unperceived　until　it　was　too　late　to　escape。　His　cries　brought　the　father　quickly　to　the　rescue；　who　rushed　forward；　and　seizing　the　Anaconda　boldly　by　the　head；　tore　his　jaws　asunder。　There　appears　to　be　no　doubt　that　this　formidable　serpent　grows　to　an　enormous　bulk；　and　lives　to　a　great　age；　for　I　heard　of　specimens　having　been　killed　which　measured　forty…two　feet　in　length；　or　double　the　size　of　the　largest　I　had　an　opportunity　to　examine。　The　natives　of　the　Amazons　country　universally　believe　in　the　existence　of　a　monster　water…serpent；　said　to　be　many　score　fathoms　in　length　and　which　appears　successively　in　different　parts　of　the　river。　They　call　it　the　Mai　d'agoathe　mother；　or　spirit；　of　the　water。　This　fable；　which　was　doubtless　suggested　by　the　occasional　appearance　of　Sucurujus　of　unusually　large　size；　takes　a　great　variety　of　forms；　and　the　wild　legends　form　the　subject　of　conversation　amongst　old　and　young；　over　the　wood　fires　in　lonely　settlements。

August　6th　and　7thOn　leaving　the　sitio　of　Antonio　Malagueita　we　continued　our　way　along　the　windings　of　the　river；　generally　in　a　southeast　and　south…southeast　direction；　but　sometimes　due　north；　for　about　fifteen　miles；　when　we　stopped　at　the　house　of　one　Paulo　Christo；　a　mameluco　whose　acquaintance　I　had　made　at　Aveyros。　Here　we　spent　the　night　and　part　of　the　next　day；　doing　in　the　morning　a　good　five　hours'　work　in　the　forest；　accompanied　by　the　owner　of　the　place。　In　the　afternoon　of　the　7th；　we　were　again　under　way；　the　river　makes　a　bend　to　the　east…northeast　for　a　short　distance　above　Paulo　Christo's　establishment；　and　then　turns　abruptly　to　the　southwest；　running　from　that　direction　about　four　miles。　The　hilly　country　of　the　interior　then　commences；　the　first　token　of　it　being　a　magnificently…wooded　bluff；　rising　nearly　straight　from　the　water　to　a　height　of　about　250　feet。　The　breadth　of　the　stream　hereabout　was　not　more　than　sixty　yards；　and　the　forest　assumed　a　new　appearance　from　the　abundance　of　the　Urucuri　palm；　a　species　which　has　a　noble　crown　of　broad　fronds　with　symmetrical　rigid　leaflets。

We　reached；　in　the　evening；　the　house　of　the　last　civilised　settler　on　the　river；　Senor　Joao　（John）　Aracu；　a　wiry；　active　fellow　and　capital　hunter；　whom　I　wished　to　make　a　friend　of　and　persuade　to　accompany　me　to　the　Mundurucu　village　and　the　falls　of　the　Cupari；　some　forty　miles　further　up　the　river。I　stayed　at　the　sitio　of　John　Aracu　until　the　19th；　and　again；　in　descending；　spent　fourteen　days　at　the　same　place。　The　situation　was　most　favourable　for　collecting　the　natural　products　of　the　district。　The　forest　was　not　crowded　with　underwood；　and　pathways　led　through　it　for　many　miles　and　in　various　directions。　I　could　make　no　use　here　of　our　two　men　as　hunters；　so；　to　keep　them　employed　while　Jose　and　I　worked　daily　in　the　woods；　I　set　them　to　make　a　montaria　under　John　Aracu's　directions。　The　first　day　a　suitable　tree　was　found　for　the　shell　of　the　boat；　of　the　kind　called　Itauba　amarello；　the　yellow　variety　of　the　stonewood。　They　felled　it；　and　shaped　out　of　the　trunk　a　log　nineteen　feet　in　length；　this　they　dragged　from　the　forest；　with　the　help　of　my　host's　men；　over　a　road　they　had　previously　made　with　cylindrical　pieces　of　wood　acting　as　rollers。　The　distance　was　about　half　a　mile；　and　the　ropes　used　for　drawing　the　heavy　load　were　tough　lianas　cut　from　the　surrounding　trees。　This　part　of　the　work　occupied　about　a　week：　the　log　had　then　to　be　hollowed　out；　which　was　done　with　strong　chisels　through　a　slit　made　down　the　whole　length。　The　heavy　portion　of　the　task　being　then　completed；　nothing　remained　but　to　widen　the　opening；　fit　two　planks　for　the　sides　and　the　same　number　of　semicircular　boards　for　the　ends；　make　the　benches；　and　caulk　the　seams。

The　expanding　of　the　log　thus　hollowed　out　is　a　critical　operation；　and　not　always　successful；　many　a　good　shell　being　spoiled　from　splitting　or　expanding　irregularly。　It　is　first　reared　on　tressels；　with　the　slit　downwards；　over　a　large　fire；　which　is　kept　up　for　seven　or　eight　hours；　the　process　requiringunremitting　attention　to　avoid　cracks　and　make　the　plank　bend　with　the　proper　dip　at　the　two　ends。　Wooden　straddlers；　made　by　cleaving　pieces　of　tough　elastic　wood　and　fixing　them　with　wedges；　are　inserted　into　the　opening；　their　compass　being　altered　gradually　as　the　work　goes　on；　but　in　different　degrees　according　to　the　part　of　the　boat　operated　upon。　Our　casca　turned　out　a　good　one　it　took　a　long　time　to　cool；　and　was　kept　in　shape　whilst　it　did　so　by　means　of　wooden　cross…pieces。　When　the　boat　was　finished；　it　was　launched　with　great　merriment　by　the　men；　who　hoisted　coloured　handkerchiefs　for　flags；　and　paddled　it　up　and　down　the　stream　to　try　its　capabilities。　My　people　had　suffered　as　much　inconvenience　from　the　want　of　a　montaria　as　myself；　so　this　was　a　day　of　rejoicing　to　all　of　us。

I　was　very　successful　at　this　place　with　regard　to　the　objects　of　my　journey。　About　twenty　new　species　of　fishes　and　a　considerable　number　of　small　reptiles　were　added　to　my　collection；　but　very　few　birds　were　met　with　worth　preserving。　A　great　number　of　the　most　conspicuous　insects　of　the　locality　were　new　to　me；　and　turned　out　to　be　species　peculiar　to　this　part　of　the　Amazons　valley。　The　most　interesting　acquisition　was　a　large　and　handsome　monkey；　of　a　species　I　had　not　before　met　withthe；　white…　whiskered　Coaita；　or　spider…monkey　（Ateles　marginatus）。　I　saw　a　pair　one　day　in　the　forest　moving　slowly　along　the　branches　of　a　lofty　tree；　and　shot　one　of　them；　the　next　day　John　Aracu　brought　down　another；　possibly　the　companion。　The　species　is　of　about　the　same　size　as　the　common　black　kind；　of　which　I　have　given　an　account　in　a　former　chapter；　and　has　a　similar　lean　body；　with　limbs　clothed　with　coarse　black　hair；　but　it　differs　in　having　the　whiskers　and　a　triangular　patch　on　the　crown　of　the　head　of　a　white　colour。　I　thought　the　meat　the　best　flavoured　I　had　ever　tasted。　It　resembled　beef；　but　had　a　richer　and　sweeter　taste。　During　the　time　of　our　stay　in　this　part　of　the　Cupari；　we　could　get　scarcely　anything　but　fish　to　eat；　and　as　this　diet　disagreed　with　me；　three　successive　days　of　it　reducing　me　to　a　state　of　great　weakness。　I　was　obliged　to　make　the　most　of　our　Coaita　meat。　We　smoke…dried　the　joints　instead　of　salting　them；　placing　them　for　several　hours　upon　a　framework　of　sticks　arranged　over　a　fire；　a　plan　adopted　by　the　natives　to　preserve　fish　when　they　have　no　salt；　and　which　they　call　〃muquiar。〃　Meat　putrefies　in　this　climate　in　less　than　twenty…four　hours；　and　salting　is　of　no　use；　unless　the　pieces　are　cut　in　thin　slices　anddried　immediately　in　the　sun。

My　monkeys　lasted　me　about：　a　fortnight；　the　last　joint　being　an　arm　with　the　clenched　fist；　which　I　used　with　great　economy；　hanging　it　in　the　intervals；　between　my　frugal　meals；　on　a　nail　in　the　cabin。　Nothing　but　the　hardest　necessity　could　have　driven　me　so　near　to　cannibalism　as　this；　but　we　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　obtaining　here　a　sufficient　supply　of　animal　food。　About　every　three　days　the　work　on　the　montaria　had　to　be　suspended；　and　all　hands　turned　out　for　the　day　to　hunt　and　fish；　in　which　they　were　often　unsuccessful；　for　although　there　was　plenty　of　game　in　the　forest；　it　was　too　widely　scattered　to　be　available。　Ricardo；　and　Alberto　occasionally　brought　in　a　tortoise　or　anteater；　which　served　us　for　one　day's　consumption。　We　made　acquaintance　here　with　many　strange　dishes；　amongst　them　Iguana　eggs；　these　are　of　oblong　form；　about　an　inch　in　length；　and　covered　with　a　flexible　shell。　The　lizard　lays　about　two　score　of　them　in　the　hollows　of　trees。　They　have　an　oily　taste；　the　men　ate　them　raw；　beaten　up　with　farinha；　mixing　a　pinch　of　salt　in　the　mess；　I　could　only　do　with　them　when　mixed　with　Tucupi　sauce；　of　which　we　had　a　large　jar　full　always　ready　to　temper　unsavoury　morsels。

One　day　as　I　was　entomologising　alone　and　unarmed；　in　a　dry　Ygapo；　where　the　trees　were　rather　wide　apart　and　the　ground　coated　to　the　depth　of　eight　or　ten　inches　with　dead　leaves；　I　was　near　coming　into　collision　with　a　boa　constrictor。　I　had　just　entered　a　little　thicket　to　capture　an　insect；　and　while　pinning　it　was　rather　startled　by　a　rushing　noise　in　the　vicinity。　I　looked　up　to　the　sky；　thinking　a　squall　was　coming　on；　but　not　a　breath　of　wind　stirred　in　the　tree…tops。　On　stepping　out　of　the　bushes　I　met　face　to　face　a　huge　serpent　coming　down