QH117

.B3

1892

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

1891

PRO SCIENTIA SALUTE POPULIQUE

LIBRARY

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

D/

The Naturalist on the River Amazons

. *“

AY i gitih veJ lag+E 4'

John Thomson, photo. H W Bates

The Naturalist on the River Amazons

A record of adventures, habits of animals, sketches of Brazilian and Indian life, and aspects of nature under the equator, during eleven years of travel.

By Henry Walter Bates, F.R.S.

Late Assistant Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society.

With a memoir of the author by Edward Clodd.

Reprint of the unabridged edition, with map and numerous illustrations.

London: John Murray, Albemarle Street.

Library stamp: New York Botanical Garden.

QH117 .B3 1892

LIBRAR NEW YC

GARDET

PREFATORY NOTE.

HE materials for the preparation of the following

Memoir have been enriched by the letters which

Sir Joseph Hooker and Mr. Francis Darwin have kindly lent me. I am under further obligation to Sir Joseph

Hooker for permission to print his letters to Mr. Bates,

and to Mr. Darwin for permission to print certain letters from his father. To these acknowledgments should be added that of the courtesy of the Council of the Linnean Society,in consenting to the reproduction of some of the coloured

drawings which illustrated the paper on “ Mimicry” on its publication in the Society’s 7vansactions, vol. xxiii.,

1862. Bre:

PRE rAaee,

N the autumn of 1847 Mr. A. R. Wallace, who has since

l acquired wide fame in connection with the Darwinian theory

of Natural Selection, proposed to me a joint expedition to the

river Amazons, for the purpose of exploring the Natural History

of its banks; the plan being to make for ourselves a collection

of objects, dispose of the duplicates in London to pay expenses,

and gather facts, as Mr. Wallace expressed it in one of his

letters, “towards solving the problem of the origin of species,”

a subject on which we had conversed and corresponded much

together. We met in London early in the following year to

study South American animals and plants at the principal

coliections; and in the month of April, as related in the

following narrative, commenced our journey.

My companion left the country at the end of four years;

and, on arriving in England, published a narrative of his

voyage, under the title of “ Travelson the Amazons and Rio

Negro.” I remained seven years longer, returning home in

July 1859; and having taken, after the first two years, a

different route from that of my friend, an account of my

separate travels and experiences seems not an inappropriate

offering to the public.

When I first arrived in England, being much depressed in

health and spirits after eleven years’ residence within four

degrees of the equator, the last three of which were spent in the wild country 1400 miles from the sea-coast, I saw little prospect of ever giving my narrative to the world; and, indeed, after two years had elapsed, had almost abandoned the intention of doing so, At that date I became acquainted with Mr. Darwin, who, having formed a flattering opinion of my ability for the task, strongly urged me to write a book, and, reminded me of it months afterwards, when, after having made a commencement, my half-formed resolution began to give way. Under this encouragement the arduous task is at length accomplished. It seems necessary to make this statement, as it explains why so long a time has intervened between my arrival in England and the publication of my book. The collections that I made during the whole eleven years were sent, at intervals of a few months, to London for distribution, except a set of species reserved for my own study, which remained with me, and always accompanied me in my longer excursions. With the exception of a few living plants and specimens in illustration of Economical and Medicinal Botany, these collections embraced only the Zoological productions of the region. The following is an approximative enumeration of the total number of species of the various classes which I obtained:— Mammals 0 0 P:. - 52 Birds k... a:. - 360 Reptiles.. 0 0 6 ° 6: 140 Fishes. 0 0 3. 0 5 5 120 Insects.; a.. ‘. 14,000 Mollusks.: 0 9::: 35 Zoophytes O 0 0 3 D 5

The part of the Amazons region where I resided longest

being unexplored country to the Naturalist, no less than 8000

of the species here enumerated were mew to science, and these

are now occupying the busy pens of a number of learned men

in different parts of Europe to describe them. The few new

mammals have been named by Dr. Gray; the birds by

Dr. Sclater; the zoophytes by Dr. Bowerbank; and the more

numerous novelties in reptiles and fishes are now in course of

publication by Dr. Giinther.

A word will perhaps be here in place with reference to what

has become of these large collections. It will be an occasion

for regret to many Naturalists to learn that a complete set of

the species has nowhere been preserved, seeing that this would

have formed a fair illustration of the Fauna of a region not

likely to be explored again for the same purpose in our time. -

The limited means of a private traveller do not admit of his

keeping, for a purely scientific end, a large collection. A

considerable number, from many of the consignments which

arrived in London from time to time, were chosen for the

British Museum, so that the largest set next to my own is

contained in our National Collection; but this probably comprises less than half the total number of species obtained. My

very complete private collection of insects of nearly all the

orders, which was especially valuable as containing the various

connecting varieties, ticketed with their exact localities for the

purpose of illustrating the formation of races, does not now

exist in its entirety, a few large groups having passed into

private hands in different parts of Europe.

With regard to the illustrations with which my book is

adorned, it requires to be mentioned that the Natural History

subjects have been drawn chiefly from specimens obtained by

me, and the others by able artists partly from my own slight

sketches. Messrs. Wolf and Zwecker have furnished most of

the larger ones, which give an accurate idea of the objects and

scenes they represent: for the smaller ones, many of which,

for example the fishes, reptiles, and insects, are drawn with

extreme care, I am indebted to Mr. E. W. Robinson.

LEICESTER, January 1863.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PARA.

Arrival—Aspect of the country—The Para River—First walk in the suburbs of

Para—Free Negroes—Birds, Lizards, and Insects of the suburbs—Leaf-cutting Ant—Sketch of the climate, history, and present condition of Para

CHAPTER II.

PARA (continued).

The swampy forests of Para—A Portuguese landed proprietor—Country house at Nazareth—Life of a Naturalist under the Equator—The drier virgin forests—Magoary—Retired creeks—Aborigines 22

CHAPTER III.

PARA (concluded).

Religious holidays—Marmoset monkeys—Serpents—lInsects of the forest—

Relation of the Fauna of the Para District

CHAPTER IV.

THE TOCANTINS AND CAMETA.

Preparations for the journey—The bay of Goajara—Grove of fan-leaved palms—

The lower Tocantins—Sketch of the river—Vista alegra—Baiad6—Rapids—

Boat journey to the Guariba falls—Native life on the Tocantins—Second journey to Cameta. 57

CHAPTER V.

CARIPI AND THE BAY OF MARAJO. |

p hs ae PAGE River Para and Bay of Marajo—Journey to Caripi—Negro observance of Christmas—A German family—Bats—Ant-eaters—Humming-birds—Excursion to the Murucupi— Domestic life of the inhabitants—Hunting

excursion with Indians—Natural history of the Paca and Cutia—Insects. 86

a

CHAPTER VI.

THE LOWER AMAZONS—PARA TO OBYDOS.

Modes of travelling on the Amazons—Historical sketch of the early explorations of the river—Preparations for voyage—Life on board a large trading-vessel—The narrow channels joining the Para to the Amazons—First sight of the great river—Gurupa—The great shoal—Flat-topped mountains— Contraction of the river valley—Santarem—Obydos—Natural history of Obydos—Origin of species by segregation of local varieties A: «169

CHAPTER VII.

THE LOWER AMAZONS—OBYDOS TO MANAOS, OR THE BARRA

OF THE RIO NEGRO.

Departure from Obydos—River banks and by-channels—Cacao planters—Daily life on board our vessel—Great storm—Sandisland and its birds—Hill of Parentins—Negro trader and Mauhés Indians—Villa Nova, its inhabitants, climate, forest, and animal productions—Cararauci—A rustic festival—Lake of Cararaucti—Mottca flies—Serpa—Christmas holidays—River Madeira— A Mameluco farmer—Mura Indians—Rio Negro—Description of Barra— Descent to Para—Yellow fever ‘:: ‘ 3:; Babe eye.

CHAPTER VIII.

SANTAREM.

Situation of Santarem—Manners and customs of the inhabitants—Climate— Leprosy—Historical sketch—Grassy campos and woods—Excursions to

Mapiri, Mahica, and Irura, with sketches of their natural history; Palms, wild fruit-trees, Mining Wasps, Mason Wasps, Bees, Sloths and Marmosets or monkeys—Natural history of Termites or White Ants.::. 180

CHAPTER IX.

VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS.

Preparations for voyage—First day’s sail—Mode of arranging money matters and remittance of collections in the interior—Loss of boat—Altar do Chao— Excursion in forest—Valuable timber—Modes of obtaining fish—Difficulties with crew—Arrival at Aveyros—Excursions in the neighbourhood— White Cebus, and habits and dispositions of Cebi Monkeys—Tame Parrot— Missionary settlement—Enter the River Cupari—Adventure with Anaconda —Smoke-dried Monkey—Boa-constrictor—Village of Munduruct Indians, and incursion of a wild tribe—Falls of the Cupari—Hyacinthine Macaw— Re-emerge into the broad Tapajos—Descent of river to Santarem 215

CHAPTER X.

THE UPPER AMAZONS—VOYAGE TO EGA.

Departure from Barra—First day and night on the Upper Amazons—Desolate appearance of river in the flood season—Cucama Indians—Mental condition of Indians—Squalls—Manatee—Forest—Floating pumice-stones from the Andes—Falling banks—Ega and its inhabitants—Daily life of a Naturalist at Ega—Customs, trade, etc.—The four seasons of the Upper Amazons. 255

CHAPTER XI.

EXCURSIONS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF EGA.

The River Teffé—Rambles through groves on the beach—Excursion to the house of a Passé chieftain—Character and customs of the Passé tribe—First excursion to the sand islands of the Solimoens—Habits of great river-turtle —Second excursion—Turtle-fishing in the inland pools—Third excursion— Hunting rambles with natives in the forest—Return to Ega 290

CHAPTER XII.

ANIMALS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF EGA.

Scarlet-faced Monkeys—Parauacii Monkey—Owl-faced Night-apes—Marmosets —Jupura—Comparison of monkeys of the New World with those of the Old—Bats—Birds—Cuvier’s Toucan—Curl-crested Toucan—Insects—Pendulous cocoons—Foraging Ants—Blind Ants 33!

CHAPTER XIII.

EXCURSIONS BEYOND EGA.

Steamboat travelling on the Amazons—Passengers—Tunantins—Caishána Indians—The Jutahí—Indian tribes on the Jutahí and the Juruá—The Sapó—Marauá Indians—Fonte Boa—Journey to St. Paulo—Tucúna Indians—Illness—Descent to Pará—Changes at Pará—Departure for England. 364