THE NATURALIST ON THE RIVER AMAZON! 



sixpence per tree, which is much higher than 

 at Cameta. where I believe the yield is not so 

 great. The forest here is cleared before 

 planting, and the trees were grown in rows. 

 The smaller cultivators are all very poor. 

 Labor is scarce ; one family generally man- 

 ages its own small plantation of 10,000 to 

 15,000 trees, but at the harvest time neigh- 

 bors assist each other. It appeared to me tc 

 be an easy, pleasant life ; the woik is all 

 done under shade, and occupies only a few 

 weeks in the year. The incorrigible noncha- 

 lance and laziness of the people alone pre- 

 vent them from surrounding themselves with 

 all the luxuries of a tropical country. They 

 might plant orchards of the choicest fruit- 

 trees around their houses, grow Indian corn, 

 and rear cattle and hogs, as intelligent settlers 

 from Europe would certainly do, instead of 

 indolently relying solely on' the produce of 

 their small plantations, and living on a 

 meagre diet of fish and farinha. In prepar- 

 ing the cacao they have not devised any 

 means of separating the seed well from the 

 pulp, or drying it in a systematic way ; the 

 consequence is that, although naturally of 

 good quality, it moulds before reaching the 

 merchants' stores, and does not fetch more 

 than half the price of the same article grown 

 in other parts of tropical America. The 

 Amazons region is the original home of the 

 principal species of chocolate tree, the Theo- 

 broma cacao ; and it grows in abundance in 

 the forests of the upper river. The cultivat- 

 ed crop appears to be a precarious one ; little 

 or no car*, however, is bestowed on the 

 trees, and even weeding is done very in- 

 efficiently. The plantations are generally 

 old, and have been made on the low ground 

 near the river, which renders them liable to 

 inundation when this rises a few inches more 

 than the average. There is plenty of higher 

 land quil,e suitable to the tree, but it is un- 

 cleared, and the want of labor and enterprise 

 prevents the establishment of new planta. 

 tious. 



We passed the last houses in the Oby- 

 dos district on the 20th, aud the river 

 scenery then resumed its usual wild and sol- 

 itary character, which the scattered human 

 habitations relieved, although m a small de- 

 gree. We soon fell into a regular mode of 

 life on board par little ark. Penua would 

 not travel by night ; indeed, our small crew, 

 wearied by the day's labor, required rest, and 

 we very rarely had wind in the night. We 

 used to moor the vessel to a tree, giving out 

 plenty of cable, so as to sleep at a distance 

 from the banks and free of mosquitoes, 

 which although swarming in the forest, rarely 

 came many yards out into the river at this 

 season of the year. The strong current, at a 

 distance of thirty or forty yards from the 

 coast, steadied the cuberta head to stream, 

 ftnd kept us from drifting ashore. We all 

 slept in the open air, as the heat of the cab- 

 ins was stifling in the early part of the night. 

 Penna, Senhora Katita, and I, slung out 

 hammocks in triangle between the mainmast 

 and two stout poles fixed in the ruised 



A sheet was the only covering required, be- 

 sides our regular clothing ; for the decrease 

 of temperature at night on the Amazons k, 

 never so great as to be felt otherwise than fis 

 a delightful coolness, after the sweltering 

 heat of the afternoons. We used to rise 

 when the first gleam of dawn showed itself 

 above the long dark line of forest. Our 

 clothes and hammocks were then generally 

 soaked with dew, but this was not felt to be 

 an inconvenience. The Indian Manoel used 

 to revive himself by a plunge in the river, 

 under the bows of the vessel. It is the habit 

 of all Indians, male and female, to bathe 

 early in the morning ; they do it sometimes 

 for warmth's sake, the temperature of the 

 water being often considerably higher than 

 that of the air. Penna and I lolled in our 

 hammocks, while Katita prepared the indis- 

 pensable cup of strong coffee, which she did 

 with wonderful celerity, smoking meanwhile 1 

 her early morning pipe of tobacco. Liberal 

 owners of river craft allow a cup of coffee 

 sweetened with molasses, or a ration of 

 casha^a, to each man of their crews ; Penna. 

 gave them coffee. When all were served, 

 the day's work began. There was seldom, 

 any wind at this early hour ; so if there wa- 

 still water along the shore the men rowed, if 

 not, there was no way of progressing but by 

 espia. In some places the currents ran with 

 great force close to the banks, especially 

 where these receded to form long bays or 

 enseadas, as they are called, and then we 

 made very little headway. In such places 

 the banks consist of loose earth, a rich crum- 

 bly vegetable mould, supporting a growth of 

 most luxuriant forest, of which the currents 

 almost daily carry away large portions, so 

 that the stream for several yards out is in- 

 cumbered with fallen trees, whose branches 

 quiver in the current. When projecting 

 points of land were encountered, it was im- 

 possible, with our weak crew, to pull the 

 cuberta against the whirling torrents which 

 set round them ; and in such cases we had 

 to cross the river, drifting often with the cur- 

 rent, a mi or two lower down on the oppo- 

 site shore. There generally sprung up a light 

 wind as tho day advanced, and then we look 

 down our hammocks, hoisted all sail, anil 

 bowled away merrily. Penna generalty pre- 

 ferred to cook the dinner ashore, when theie 

 was little or no wind. About mid-day on 

 these calm dsys we used to look out for a 

 nice shady nook in the forest, with cleared 

 space sufficient to make a tire upon. I then, 

 had an hour's hunting in the neighboring 

 wilderness, and was always rewarded by the 

 discovery of some new species. During the 

 greater part of our voyage, however, we 

 stopped at the house of some settler, and 

 made our fire in the port. Just before din- 

 ner it was our habit to take a bath in the 

 river, and then, according to the universal 

 custom on the Amazons, where it seems to 

 be suitable on account of the weak fish diet, 

 we each took half a teacupful of neat 

 cashaqa, the " abre" or " opening," as it ia> 

 called, and set to on o* iu-ss of saewec?" 



