Chapter II: Preface: To New Edition

THIS issue is substantially a reprint of the original work, but the proof sheets have been carefully revised and many verbal corrections made. A few notes have been added, and English names have in many cases been substituted for the local terms, which were used too freely in the first edition. The only omissions are the vocabularies of Indian languages and Dr. Latham's observations on them, which were thought to be unsuitable to the general reader.

A. R. W.

PARKSTONE, DORSET, _October_, 1889.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PARÁ.

Arrival at Pará--Appearance of the city and its environs--The
inhabitants and their costumes--Vegetation--Sensitive
plants--Lizards--Ants and other insects--Birds--Climate--Food of
the inhabitants 1

CHAPTER II.

PARÁ.

Festas--Portuguese and Brazilian currency--M. Borlaz'
estate--Walk to the rice-mills--The virgin forest, its
plants and insects--Milk-tree--Saw and rice-mills--Caripé
or pottery-tree--India-rubber-tree--Flowers and trees in
blossom--Saüba ants, wasps, and chegoes--Journey by water to
Magoary--The monkeys--The commandante at Laranjeiras--Vampire
bats--The timber-trade--Boa constrictor and sloth 13

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 35

CHAPTER IV.

MEXIANA AND MARAJÓ.

Visit to Olería--Habits of birds--Voyage to
Mexiana--Arrival--Birds--Description of the
island--Population--Slaves, their treatment and habits--Journey
to the Lake--Beautiful stream--Fish and birds at the
lake--Catching alligators--Strange sounds, and abundance of
animal life--Walk back--Jaguar meat--Visit to Jungcal in
Marajó--Embarking cattle--Ilha das Frechas 57

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 77

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 92

CHAPTER VII.

BARRA DO RIO NEGRO AND THE SOLIMÕES.

Appearance of the Rio Negro--The city of Barra, its trade
and its inhabitants--Journey up the Rio Negro--The Lingoa
Geral--The umbrella bird--Mode of life of the Indians--Return
to Barra--Strangers in the city--Visit to the Solimões--The
Gapó--Manaquery--Country life--Curl-crested Araçaris--Vultures
and Onças--Tobacco growing and manufacture--The Cow-fish--Senhor
Brandão--A fishing party with Senhor Henrique--Letters from
England 112

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--São Jozé--A new language--The
cataracts--São 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 Guía--Frei Jozé dos Santos
Innocentos 133

CHAPTER IX.

JAVITA.

Leave Guía--Marabitánas--Serra de Cocoi--Enter Venezuela--São
Carlos--Pass the Cassiquiare--Antonio Dias--Indian
shipbuilders--Feather-work--Maróa and Pimichin--A black
jaguar--Poisonous serpents--Fishing--Walk to Javita--Residence
there--Indian road-makers--Language and customs--A description of
Javita--Runaway Indians--Collections at Javita--Return to Tómo--A
domestic broil--Marabitánas and its inhabitants--Reach Guía 159

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 Guía--Manoel Joaquim--Annoying delays
188

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--Sâo Joaquim--Fever and ague 218

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 236

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--Salsaparilha--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 256

PAGE

CHAPTER XIV.

THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE AMAZON VALLEY 280

CHAPTER XV.

VEGETATION OF THE AMAZON VALLEY 300

CHAPTER XVI.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE ZOOLOGY OF THE AMAZON DISTRICT 310

CHAPTER XVII.

ON THE ABORIGINES OF THE AMAZON 331

MAP _of the_ RIVER AMAZON _and the Northern part of_ SOUTH AMERICA.]

TRAVELS

ON THE

AMAZON AND RIO NEGRO.