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A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro

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A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro (1889)
by Alfred R. Wallace
A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro
4440168A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro — A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro1889Alfred R. Wallace

Contents

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 — Caripe or pottery-tree — India-rubber-tree — Flowers and trees in blossom— Sailba 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 Piroroco — St. Domingo — Senhor Calistro — Slaves and slavery — Anecdote — Cane-field — Journey into the forest — Game — Explanation of the Piroroco — Return to Para — 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 Oncas—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 Guia — 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 — Lanuage and customs — A description of Javita — Runaway Indians — Collections at Javita — Return to Tómo — A domestic roil — Marabitanas and its inhabitants — Reach Guia 159
CHAPTER X.
first ascent of the river uaupés.
Rapid current — An Indian Malccca — The Inmates — A Festival — Paint and ornaments — Illness — São Jeronvymo — 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 Capi — A State cigar — Ananárapicóma — Fish — Chegoes — Pass down the falls — Tame birds — Orchids — Piums — 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 — São Joaquim 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 — Ocoki — 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 — Para — 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
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
appendix 362

LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.


1. — portrait of mr. wallace Facing Title
2. — map of the amazon and parts of its basin visited by mr. wallace Facing page 1
3. — chapel at nazaré near pará 14
4 . — a brazilian plantation on the lower amazons 95
5. — on the rio negro 136
6. — a village on the rio negro 138
7. — a stream in the forest 199
8. — an indian village on the rio negro 232
9 .— granite rocks and veins, etc. 293
10. — forms of granite rocks 294
11. — comparative curves of temperature, pará and london 297
12. — curves of pressure and rain at para 298
13 .— indian implements and domestic articles 350
14. — indian implements and domestic articles 352
15. — figures on the granite rocks, river uaupés 360
16. — figures on the granite rocks, river uaupés 362