The Naturalist on the River Amazons

The reasons which lead me to think the Mtiras are merely an offshoot from the Munduructis, or some other allied section of the widely-spread Tupi nation, and not an originally distinct people, are founded on a general comparison of the different tribes of Amazonian Indians. In the first place, there is no sharply-defined difference between sections of the Indian race, either in physical or moral qualities. They are all very much alike in bodily structure; and, although some are much lower in the scale of culture than others, yet the numerous tribes in this respect form a graduated link from the lowest to the highest. The same customs reappear in tribes who are strongly contrasted in other respects and live very wide apart. The Mauhés, who live in the neighbourhood of the Munduructis and Mtiras, have much in common with

both; but, according to tradition, they once formed part of the Munduruct nation. The language of the Muras is entirely different from that of the tribes mentioned; but language is not a sure guide in the filiation of Brazilian tribes; seven or eight different languages being sometimes spoken on the same river, within a distance of 200 or 30c miles. There are certain peculiarities in Indian habits which lead to a quick corruption of language and segregation of dialects. When Indians, men or women, are conversing amongst themselves, they seem to take pleasure in inventing new modes of pronunciation, or in dis- _torting words. It is amusing to notice how the whole party will laugh when the wit of the circle perpetrates a new slang term, and these new words are very often retained. I have noticed this during long voyages made with Indian crews. When such alterations occur amongst a family or horde, which often live many years without communication with the rest of their tribe, the local corruption of language becomes perpetuated. Single hordes belonging to the same tribe and inhabiting the banks of the same river thus become, in the course of many years’ isolation, unintelligible to other hordes, as happens with the Collinas on the Jurtia. I think it, therefore, very probable that the disposition to invent new words and new modes of pronunciation, added to the small population and habits of isolation of hordes and tribes, are the causes of the wonderful diversity of languages in South America.

There is one curious custom of the Muras which requires noticing before concluding this digression; this is the practice of snuff-taking with peculiar ceremonies. ‘The snuff is called Parica, and is a highly stimulating powder, made from the seeds of a species of Inga, belonging to the Leguminous order of plants. The seeds are dried in the sun, pounded in wooden mortars, and kept in bamboo tubes. When they are ripe, and the snuff-making season sets in, they have a fuddling-bout, lasting many days, which the Brazilians call a Quarentena, and which forms a kind of festival of a semi-religious character. They begin by drinking large quantities of caysima and cashiri, fermented drinks made of various fruits and mandioca, but they prefer cashacga, or rum, when they can get it. Ina short time they drink themselves into a soddened, semi-intoxicated state, and then commence taking the Paricad. For this purpose they pair off, and each of the partners, taking a reed containing a quantity of the snuff, after going through a deal of unintelligible mummery, blows the contents with all his force into the nostrils of his companion. The effect on the usually dull and taciturn savages is wonderful; they become exceedingly talkative, sing, shout, and leap about in the wildest excitement. A reaction soon follows; more drinking is then necessary to rouse them from their stupor, and thus they carry on for many days in succession. The Mauhés also use the Paricd, although it is not known amongst their neighbours the Mundurucus. Their manner of taking it is very different from that of the swinish Muras, it being kept in the form of a paste, and employed chiefly as a preventive against ague in the months between the dry and wet seasons, when the disease prevails. When a dose is required, a small quantity of the paste is dried and pulverised on a flat shell, and the powder then drawn up into both nostrils at once through two vulture

quills secured together by cotton thread. ‘The use of Paric4 was found by the early travellers amongst the Omaguas, a section of the Tupis, who formerly lived on the Upper Amazons, a thousand miles distant from the homes of the Mauhés and Mtiras. This community of habits is one of those facts which support the view of the common origin and near relationship of the Amazonian Indians.

After leaving Matari we continued our voyage along the northern shore. The banks of the river were of moderate elevation during several days’ journey; the terra firma lying far in the interior, and the coast being either low land, or masked with islands of alluvial formation. On the 14th we passed the upper mouth of the Parana-mirim de Eva, an arm of the river of small breadth, formed by a straggling island, some ten miles in length, lying parallel to the northern bank. On passing the western end of this the mainland again appeared, a rather high rocky coast, clothed with a magnificent forest of rounded outline, which continues hence for twenty miles to the mouth of the Rio Negro, and forms the eastern shore of that river. Many houses of settlers, built at a considerable elevation on the wooded heights, now enlivened the river banks. One of the first objects which here greeted us was a beautiful bird we had not hitherto met with, namely, the scarlet and black tanager (Ramphoccelus nigrogularis), flocks of which were seen sporting about the trees on the edge of the water, their flame-coloured liveries lighting up the masses of dark-green foliage.

The weather, from the 14th to the 18th, was wretched; it rained sometimes for twelve hours in succession, not heavily, but in a steady drizzle, such as we are familiar with in our English climate. We landed at several places on the coast, Penna to trade as usual, and I to ramble in the forest in search of birds and insects. In one spot the wooded slope enclosed a very picturesque scene: a brook, flowing through a ravine in the high bank, fell in many little cascades to the broad river beneath, its margins decked out with an infinite variety of beautiful plants. Wild bananas arched over the watercourse, and the trunks of the trees in its vicinity were clothed with ferns, large-leaved species belonging to the genus Lygodium, which, like Osmunda, have their spore-cases collected together on contracted leaves. On the 18th we arrived at a large fazenda (plantation and cattle farm), called Jatuardna. A rocky point here projects into the stream, and as we found it impossible to stem the strong current which whirled round it, we crossed over to the southern shore. Canoes in approaching the Rio Negro generally prefer the southern side, on account of the slackness of the current near the banks. Our progress, however, was most tediously slow, for the regular east wind had now entirely ceased, and the vento de cima, or wind from up river, having taken its place, blew daily for a few hours dead against us. ‘The weather was oppressively close, and every afternoon a squall arose, which, however, as it came from the right quarter and blew for an hour or two, was very welcome. We made acquaintance on this coast with a new insect pest, the Piim, a minute fly, two-thirds of a line in length, which here commences its reign, and continues henceforward as a terrible scourge along the uppe1 river, or Solimoens, to the end of the navigation on the Amazons. It

comes forth only by day, relieving the mosquito at sunrise with the greatest punctuality, and occurs only near the muddy shores of the stream, not one ever being found in the shade of the forest. In places where it is abundant, it accompanies canoes in such dense swarms as to resemble thin clouds of smoke. It made its appearance in this way the first day after we crossed the river. Before I was aware of the presence of flies I felt a slight itching on my neck, wrist, and ankles, and on looking for the cause saw a number of tiny objects, having a disgusting resemblance to lice, adhering to the skin. This was my introduction to the much-talked-of Piim. On close examination they are seen to be minute two-winged insects, with dark-coloured body and pale legs and wings, the latter closed lengthwise over the back. They alight imperceptibly, and squatting close, fall at once to work, stretching forward their long front legs, which are in constant motion and seem to act as feelers, and then applying their short, broad snouts to the skin. Their abdomens soon become distended and red with blood, and then, their thirst satisfied, they slowly move off, sometimes so stupefied with their potations that they can scarcely fly. No pain is felt whilst they are at work, but they each leave a small circular raised spot on the skin and a disagreeable irritation. The latter may be avoided in great measure by pressing out the blood which remains in the spot; but this is a troublesome task, when one has several hundred punctures in the course of a day. I took the trouble to dissect specimens to ascertain the way in which the little pests operate. The mouth consists of a pair of thick fleshy lips, and two triangular horny lancets, answering to the upper lip and tongue of other insects. This is applied closely to the skin, a puncture is made with the lancets, and the blood then sucked through between these into the cesophagus, the circular spot which results coinciding with the shape of the lips. In the course of a few days the red spots dry up, and the skin in time becomes blackened with the endless number of discoloured punctures that are crowded together. The irritation they produce is more acutely felt by some persons than others. I once travelled with a middle-aged Portuguese, who was laid up for three weeks from the attacks of Pitim, his legs being swelled to an enormous size, and the punctures aggravated into spreading sores.* A brisk wind from the east sprang up early in the morning of the 22nd; we then hoisted all sail, and made for the mouth of the Rio Negro. This noble stream at its junction with the Amazons seems, from its position, to be a direct continuation of the main river, whilst the Solimoens, which joins at an angle, and is somewhat narrower than its tributary, appears to be a branch instead of the main trunk of the vast water-system. One sees therefore at once how the early explorers came to give a separate name to this upper part of the Amazons. The Brazilians have lately taken to applying the convenient term Alto Amazonas (High or Upper Amazons) to the Solimoens, and it is

• The Piim belongs probably tc the same species as the Mosquito of the Orinoco, described by Humboldt, and which he referred to the genus Simulium, several kinds of which inhabit Europe. Our insect is nearly allied to Simulium, but differs from the genus in several points, chiefly in the nervures of the wings.

• probable that this will gradually prevail over the old name. The Rio Negro broadens considerably from its mouth upwards, and presents the appearance of a great lake; its black-dyed waters having no current, and seeming to be dammed up by the impetuous flow of the yellow, turbid Solimoens, which here belches forth a continuous line of uprooted trees and patches of grass, and forms a striking contrast with its tributary. In crossing we passed the line, a little more than half-way over, where the waters of the tworivers meet, and are sharply demarcated from each other. On reaching the opposite shore we found a remarkable change. All our insect pests had disappeared, as if by magic, even from the hold of the canoe: the turmoil of an agitated, swiftly flowing river, and its torn, perpendicular, earthy banks, had given place to tranquil water, and a coast indented with snug little bays, fringed with sloping sandy beaches. ‘The low shore and vivid light green endlessly-varied foliage, which prevailed on the south side of the Amazons, were exchanged for a hilly country, clothed with a sombre, rounded and monotonous forest. Our tedious voyage now approached its termination; a light wind carried us gently along the coast to the city of Barra, which lies about seven or eight miles within the mouth of the river. We stopped for an hour in a clean little bay, to bathe and dress, before showing ourselves again among civilised people. The bottom was visible at a depth of six feet, the white sand taking a brownish tinge from the stained but clear water. In the evening I went ashore, and was kindly received by Senhor Henriques Antony, a warm-hearted Italian, established here in a high position as merchant, who was the never-failing friend of stray travellers. He placed a couple of rooms at my disposal, and in a few hours I was comfortably settled in my new quarters, sixty-four days after leaving Obydos.