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TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON
TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON
TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON BY A. R. WALLACE LONDON MELBOURNE·&·TORONTO WARD·LOCK·&·CO·LIMITED 1911 AN earnest desire to visit a tropical country, to behold the luxuriance of animal and vegetable life said to exist there, and to see with my own eyes all those wonders which I had so much delighted to read of in the narratives of travellers, were the motives that induced me to break through the trammels of business and the ties of home, and start for "Some far land where endless summer r
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
AN earnest desire to visit a tropical country, to behold the luxuriance of animal and vegetable life said to exist there, and to see with my own eyes all those wonders which I had so much delighted to read of in the narratives of travellers, were the motives that induced me to break through the trammels of business and the ties of home, and start for "Some far land where endless summer reigns." My attention was directed to Pará and the Amazon by Mr. Edwards's little book, "A Voyage up the Amazon
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
Arrival at Pará—Appearance of the City and its Environs—The Inhabitants and their Costume—Vegetation—Sensitive Plants—Lizards—Ants and other Insects—Birds—Climate—Food of the Inhabitants. I I T was on the morning of the 26th of May, 1848, that after a short passage of twenty-nine days from Liverpool, we came to anchor opposite the southern entrance to the River Amazon, and obtained our first view of South America. In the afternoon the pilot came on board, and the next morning we sailed with a fa
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
THE TOCANTÍNS. Canoe, Stores, and Crew—River Mojú—Igaripé Miri—Cametá—Senhor Gomez and his Establishment—Search for a Dinner—Jambouassú—Polite Letter—Baião and its Inhabitants—A Swarm of Wasps—Enter the Rocky District—The Mutuca—Difficulty of getting Men—A Village without Houses—Catching an Alligator—Duck-shooting—Aroyas, and the Falls—A Nocturnal Concert—Blue Macaws—Turtles' Eggs—A Slight Accident—Capabilities of the Country—Return to Pará. On the afternoon of the 26th of August we left Pará fo
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
What birds can have their bills more peculiarly formed than the ibis, the spoonbill, and the heron? Yet they may be seen side by side, picking up the same food from the shallow water on the beach; and on opening their stomachs, we find the same little crustacea and shell-fish in them all. Then among the fruit-eating birds, there are pigeons, parrots, toucans, and chatterers,—families as distinct and widely separated as possible,—which yet may be often seen feeding all together on the same tree;
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
THE GUAMÁ AND CAPIM RIVERS. Natterer's Hunter, Luiz—Birds and Insects—Prepare for a Journey—First Sight of the Piroróco—St. Domingo—Senhor Calistro—Slaves and Slavery—Anecdote—Cane-field—Journey into the Forest—Game—Explanation of the Piroróco—Return to Pará—Bell-birds and Yellow Parrots. I HAD written to Mr. Miller to get me a small house at Nazaré, and I now at once moved into it, and set regularly to work in the forest, as much as the showery and changeable weather would allow me. An old Port
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
SANTAREM AND MONTEALEGRE. Leave Pará—Enter the Amazon—Its Peculiar Features—Arrive at Santarem—The Town and its Inhabitants—Voyage to Montealegre—Mosquito Plague and its Remedy—Journey to the Serras—A Cattle Estate—Rocks, Picture Writings, and Cave—The Victoria regia —Mandiocca Fields—A Festa—Return to Santarem—Beautiful Insects—Curious Tidal Phenomenon—Leave Santarem—Obydos—Villa Nova—A Kind Priest—Serpa—Christmas Day on the Amazon. We now prepared for our voyage up the Amazon; and, from inform
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE UPPER RIO NEGRO. Quit Barra for the Upper Rio Negro—Canoe and Cargo—Great Width of the River—Carvoeiro and Barcellos—Granite Rocks—Castanheiro—A Polite Old Gentleman—S. Jozé—A New Language—The Cataracts—S. Gabriel—Nossa Senhora da Guia—Senhor L. and his Family—Visit to the River Cobati—An Indian Village—The Serra—Cocks of the Rock—Return to Guia—Frei Jozé dos Santos Innocentos. It was on the last day of August, 1850, at about two o'clock on a fine bright afternoon, that I bade adieu to Barra
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
JAVITA. Leave Guía—Marabitánas—Serra de Cocof—Enter Venezuela—Sáo Carlos—Pass the Cassiquiare—Antonio Dias—Indian Shipbuilders—Feather-work—Maróa and Pimichín—A Black Jaguar—Poisonous Serpents—Fishing—Walk to Javíta—Residence there—Indian Road-makers—Language and Customs—A Description of Javíta—Runaway Indians—Collections at Javíta—Return to Tómo—A Domestic Broil—Marabitánas, and its Inhabitants—Reach Guía. When at length our visitors were gone, I commenced arrangements for my voyage further up
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
FIRST ASCENT OF THE RIVER UAUPÉS. Rapid Current—An Indian Malocca—The Inmates—A Festival—Paint and Ornaments—Illness—São Jeronymo—Passing the Cataracts—Jauarité—The Tushaúa Calistro—Singular Palm—Birds—Cheap Provisions—Edible Ants, and Earthworms—A Grand Dance—Feather Ornaments—The Snake-dance—The Capí—A State Cigar—Ananárapicóma—Fish—Chegoes—Pass down the Falls—Tame Birds—Orchids—Pium͂s—Eating Dirt—Poisoning—Return to Guia—Manoel Joaquim—Annoying Delays. At length the long-looked for canoe arri
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
ON THE RIO NEGRO. Difficulties of Starting—Descending the Falls—Catching an Alligator—Tame Parrots—A Fortnight in Barra—Frei Jozé's Diplomacy—Pickling a Cow-Fish—A River Storm—Brazilian Veracity—Wanawáca—Productiveness of the Country—A Large Snake—São Gabriel—São Joaquim—Fever and Ague. At length, on the 1st of September, after another week's delay, having succeeded in procuring two more Indians and a pilot, I left on my long-desired voyage. One Indian I could only persuade to go, by sending fou
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
THE CATARACTS OF THE UAUPÉS. Start for the Uaupés—São Jeronymo and Jauarité—Indians run Away—Numerous Cataracts—Reach Carurú—Difficult Passage—Painted Malocca—Devil Music—More Falls—Ocokí—Curious Rocks—Reach Uarucapurí—Cobeu Indians—Reach Mucúra—An Indian's House and Family—Height above the Sea—Tenente Jesuino—Return to Uarucapurí—Indian Prisoners—Voyage to Jauarité—Correcting the Calendar—Delay at São Jeronymo. At length, on the 16th of February, two months and twenty-three days after my arriva
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
SÃO JERONYMO TO THE DOWNS. Voyage down the Rio Negro—Arrive at Barra—Obtaining a Passport—State of the City—Portuguese and Brazilian Enterprise—System of Credit—Trade—Immorality, and its Causes—Leave Barra—A Storm on the Amazon—Sarsaparilla—A Tale about Death—Pará—The Yellow Fever—Sail for England—Ship takes Fire—Ten Days in the Boats—Get picked up—Heavy Gales—Short of Provisions—Storm in the Channel—Arrive at Deal. At length, on the 23rd of April, I bade adieu, with much pleasure, to São Jerony
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GEOLOGY.
GEOLOGY.
Fully to elucidate the Geology of the Amazon valley, requires much more time and research than I was able to devote to it. The area is so vast, and the whole country being covered with forests renders natural sections so comparatively scarce, that the few distant observations one person can make will lead to no definite conclusions. It is remarkable that I was never able to find any fossil remains whatever,—not even a shell, or a fragment of fossil wood, or anything that could lead to a conjectu
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CLIMATE.
CLIMATE.
The climate of the Amazon valley seems remarkable for uniformity of temperature, and for a regular supply of moisture. There are, in most parts of it, six months' wet, and six months' dry season, neither of which are so severe as in some other tropical countries. From June to December is the dry, and from January to May the wet season. In the dry season there are a few occasional rains, especially about All Saints' day, in November; and during the wet season there are intervals of fine weather,
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CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XV
VEGETATION OF THE AMAZON VALLEY. Perhaps no country in the world contains such an amount of vegetable matter on its surface as the valley of the Amazon. Its entire extent, with the exception of some very small portions, is covered with one dense and lofty primeval forest, the most extensive and unbroken which exists upon the earth. It is the great feature of the country,—that which at once stamps it as a unique and peculiar region. It is not here as on the coasts of southern Brazil, or on the sh
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A. Mammalia.
A. Mammalia.
Notwithstanding the luxuriance of the vegetation, which might be supposed to afford sustenance, directly or indirectly, to every kind of animal life, the Amazon valley is remarkably deficient in large animals, and of Mammalia generally has a smaller number both of species and individuals, than any other part of the world of equal extent, except Australia. Three small species of deer, which occur but rarely, are the only representatives of the vast herds of countless species of deer and antelopes
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B. Birds.
B. Birds.
The birds of the Amazon district are so numerous and striking, that it is impossible here to do more than mention a few of the most interesting and beautiful, so as to give some general idea of the ornithology of the district. Among the birds of prey, the most conspicuous are the King Vulture ( Sarcorhamphus papa ), and the Harpy Eagle ( Thrasaëtos harpyia ), both of which are found in the whole district of the lower Amazon. There is also a great variety of eagles, hawks, kites, and owls, and pr
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C. Reptiles and Fishes.
C. Reptiles and Fishes.
Like all tropical countries the Amazon district abounds in reptiles, and contains many of the largest size and most singular structure. The lizards and serpents are particularly abundant, and among the latter are several very venomous species; but the most remarkable are the boa and the anaconda, which reach an enormous size. The former inhabits the land, and though it is often found very large, yet the most authentic and trustworthy accounts of monstrous serpents refer to the latter, the Eunect
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E. Geographical Distribution of Animals.
E. Geographical Distribution of Animals.
There is no part of natural history more interesting or instructive than the study of the geographical distribution of animals. It is well known that countries possessing a climate and soil very similar, may differ almost entirely in their productions. Thus Europe and North America have scarcely an animal in common in the temperate zone; and South America contrasts equally with the opposite coast of Africa; while Australia differs almost entirely in its productions from districts under the same
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APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
ON AMAZONIAN PICTURE-WRITINGS. As connected with the languages of these people, we may mention the curious figures on the rocks commonly known as picture-writings, which are found all over the Amazon district. The first I saw was on the serras of Montealegre, as described in my Journal (p. 104 ). These differed from all I have since seen, in being painted or rubbed in with a red colour, and not cut or scratched as in most of the others I met with. They were high up on the mountain, at a consider
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Corrections.
Corrections.
p. 219 : p. 226 : p. 231 : p. 248 : p. 268 : p. 269 : p. 275 : p. 293 : p. 310 : p. 331 : p. 342 : p. 348 : p. 352 :...
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