T33 THE NATURALIST ON THE RIVER AMAZONS. 



back with pleasure on the many happy month* common enough in the forest, but no fatal 

 I spent in It. I rose generally with the sun, accident happened during the whole time of 

 when the grassy streets were wet with dew, my residence. 



and walked down to the river to bathe ; five 1 suffered most inconvenience f i om the 

 or six hours of every morning were spent difficulty of getting news from the civilized 

 in collecting in the forest, whose borders lay world down river, from the irregularity of 

 only five minutes' walk from my house ; the receipt of letters, parcels of books and peri- 

 hot hours of the afternoon, between three and odicals, and toward the latter part of my resi- 

 six o'clock, and the rainy days, were occu- dence from ill health arising from bad and 

 pied in preparing and ticketing the specimens, insufficient food. The want of intellectual 

 making notes, dissecting, and drawing. I society, and of the varied excitement of 

 frequently had short rambles by water in a European life, was also felt most acutely, and 

 email montaria, with an Indian lad to paddle, this, instead of becoming deadened by time, 

 The neighborhood yielded me, up to the last increased until it became almost insupport- 

 day of my residence, an uninterrupted sue- able. I was obliged, at last, to come to the 

 cession of new and different forms in the conclusion that the contemplation of Nature 

 different classes of the animal kingdom, but alone is not sufficient to fill the human heart 

 especially insects. and mind. I got on pretty well when I re- 



There were, of course, many drawbacks to ceived a parcel from England by the steamer 

 the amenities of the place as a residence for a once in two or four months. I used to be 

 European ; but these were not of a nature very economical with my stock of reading, 

 thtit my readers would perhaps imagine, lest it should be finished before the next ar- 

 There was scarcely any danger from wild rival, and leave me utterly destitute. I went 

 auimals : it seems almost ridiculous to re- over the period : cals, the Athenceum, for in- 

 fute the idea of danger from the natives, in a stance, with great deliberation, going through 

 country where even incivility to an unoffend- every number three times ; the first time de- 

 ing stranger is a rarity. A Jaguar, however, vouring the more interesting articles; the 

 paid us a visit one night. It was considered second, the whole of the remainder ; and 

 an extraordinary event, and so much uproar the third, reading all the advertisements 

 was mude by the men who turned out with from beginning to end. If four mouths (two 

 guns and bows and arrows that the animal steamers) passed without a fresh parcel, I 

 scampered off and was heard of no more, felt discouraged in the extreme. I was worst 

 Alligators were rather troublesome in the dry off in the first year, 1850, when twelve months 

 s< ason. During these months there was elapsed without letters or remittances. Tow 

 almost always one or two lying in wait near ard the eud of this time my clothes had 

 the bathing place for anything that might worn to rags ; I was barefoot, a great incpii, 

 turn up at the edge of the water : dog, sheep, venience in tropical forests, notwithstanding 

 pig, child, or drunken Indian. When this statements to the contrary that have beeu 

 visitor was about, every one took extra care published by travellers ; my servant ran away, 

 while bathing. I used to imitate the natives and I was robbed of nearly all my copper 

 iti not advancing far from the bank, and in money. I was obliged then to descend to 

 keeping my eye fixed on that of the monster, Para, but returned, after finishing theexami- 

 which stares with a disgusting leer along the nation of the middle part of the Lower Aum- 

 surface of the water ; the body being sub- zons and the Tapajos, in 1855, with my San- 

 merged to the level of the eyes, and the top tarem assistant, and better provided for mak- 

 of the head, with part of the dorsal crest, the ing collections on the upper river. This 

 only portions visible. When a little motion second visit was in pursuit of the plan before 

 was perceived in the water behind the rep- mentioned, of exploring in detail the whole 

 tile's tail, bathers were obliged to beat a valley of the Amazons, which I formed in 

 quick retreat. I was never threatened my- Para, in the year 1851. 

 self, but I often saw the crowds of women During so long a residence I witnessed, 

 and children scared while bathing, by the of course, many changes in the place. Some 

 beast making a movement toward them ; a of the good fiiends who made me welcome 

 general scamper to the shore and peals of on my first arrival died, and I followed their 

 laughter were always the result in these remains to their last resting-place in the lit- 

 cases. The men can always destroy these tie rustic cemetery on the borders of the 

 alligators when they like to take the trouble surrounding forest. I lived there long 

 to set out with montarias and harpoons for enough, from first to last, to see the young 

 the purpose; but they never do it unless one people grow up, attended their weddings, 

 of the monsters, bolder than usual, puts some and the christenings of their children, and, 

 one's life in danger. This arouses them, and before I left, saw them old married folks 

 1 hey tht-n track the eneniy with the greatest with numerous families. In 1850 Ega was 

 pertinacity ; when half killed, they drag it jnly a village, dependent on Para, 1400 

 ashore and dispatch it amid loud execra- miles distant, as the capital of the then un- 

 tions. Another, however, is sure to appear divided province. In 1852, with the creation 

 some days or weeks afterward, and take the of the new province of the Amazons, it be- 

 vacant place on the station. Besides alliga- came a city ; returned its members to the 

 tors, the only animals to be feared are the provincial parliament at Barra ; had its as- 

 poisonous serpents. These are certainly sizes, its resident judges, and rose to be the 



