I was awoke the following morning by an unusual commotion among our
four-footed and feathered friends. The monkeys were chattering away and
running along the rafters, up and down the posts; the parrots were
talking energetically together; while True every now and then ran to the
door and gave a peculiar bark, coming back again under my hammock. John
and Domingos were quickly aroused by his barks. "What can be the
matter!" I exclaimed. "Some animal is outside," answered John,
springing out of his hammock. "It has probably been trying to find an
entrance into our hut. If a puma or jaguar, we will soon settle him."
"Oria thinks it is some big serpent, from the way the animals are
frightened," said Ellen, from her room.
"Whether big serpent or savage beast, we need not fear it, my sister,"
answered John, going to the door, which we always kept closed at night
for safety's sake.
What was our dismay to see a huge serpent coiled round the post of the
verandah, with its head moving about as if in March of prey. Duppo
sprang forward and shut to the door, exclaiming, "_Boiguaeu_!" Even
True ran behind us, not liking to face the monster. From the glimpse we
got of it, it seemed of enormous size, and might readily have crushed
two or three people together in the folds of its huge body. John and I
went back and got our guns ready, while Domingos and Duppo kept guard at
the door.
"I said those pets of Ellen's would serve as baits some day for one of
those creatures!" exclaimed John. "However, if we can hit it in the
head, we need not fear its doing us any harm."
Having carefully examined the loading of our firearms, we told Domingos
again to open the door. He seemed, however, very unwilling to do so,
alleging that the serpent might dart in and seize some one before we
could kill it. Not till John had insisted upon it would he consent.
"Oh, my dear young masters, do take care!" he exclaimed. "If you would
but wait, perhaps the creature would crawl away. Suppose you miss it,
you do not know what may happen."
"Now," cried John, "calm your fears, and open the door."
Domingos on this pulled open the door, springing back himself at the
same time, while John and I stepped forward with our rifles, ready to
fire. The serpent was gone. We looked about in every direction. It
was not pleasant to know that so dangerous a monster was in our
neighbourhood. Domingos said he was sure it was hid away somewhere, and
Duppo agreed with him. We hunted about anxiously, but nowhere could we
discover it. Believing that it had altogether gone away, we told Ellen
and her companions that they might venture out. Ellen came fearlessly,
but Maria and the Indian girl were evidently far from satisfied, and I
saw them glancing round anxiously in every direction. However, as the
snake did not appear, we had breakfast, and then went down to work at
the canoe. John told me that he had engaged four Indians to paddle her,
and that he expected them that morning. We were working away, when we
heard a low cry, and Oria was seen running towards us with looks of
terror in her countenance. She uttered a few hurried words to her
brother, the meaning of which we could not understand; but he soon
showed us by signs that something had happened at the hut. On getting
near--for it was concealed where we were at work--we saw, to our dismay,
the boa-constrictor coiled as before round one of the outer supports,
and evidently intent on making an entrance into the hut. The door was
closed. We heard Ellen's and Maria's voices calling from within. We
had unfortunately left our guns in the verandah, and could not get at
them without approaching dangerously near to the huge reptile. Every
moment I dreaded to see it break through the slight door. John and
Domingos had hatchets in their belts, but we were possessed of no other
weapons. How to get rid of the creature was the question. We shouted
at the top of our voices, hoping to frighten it away, but our cries had
no effect. Every moment we knew, too, that it might come down and
attack us. Ellen and Maria were naturally in a great state of alarm.
They had secured all their pets, though John suggested that by
sacrificing some of them they might possibly satisfy the boa. He
shouted out to them a recommendation to that effect. "No, Senor John,
no!" answered Maria from within. "Senora Ellen says she would remain
here for a week, rather than give up one to the horrid monster."
As we stood at a respectful distance, the serpent now and then turned
his head, as if he would dart at us, when Domingos cried out, "Oh, my
young masters! fly! fly! The boiguaeu is coming!"
"We must cut its head off if it does!" exclaimed John, "I have a great
mind to dash in and get hold of my gun."
I entreated him not to attempt so rash an experiment. While we were
watching the serpent, the Indians we had been expecting appeared,
emerging from the thick part of the forest, Duppo and Oria ran towards
them. They seemed to be telling them about the boa. Instead of coming
on to our assistance, however, away they started back into the forest.
"The cowards!" exclaimed John; "they have run off and left us to fight
the battle by ourselves."
"I am not quite so certain of that," I answered.
We waited. Still the boa did not move, but continued watching the door.
Probably through one of the chinks its eye had caught sight of Nimble
or True, who had also fortunately been inside. After waiting till our
patience was nearly exhausted, the Indians re-appeared, carrying between
them a young peccary, while others carried long coils of sipos. At some
little distance from the hut they stopped, when one of them climbed a
tree, to which he secured a loop of sipos, passing through it another
long line. At the end of this a loop was formed. With a stake they
secured the peccary close to the loop, so that to get at it the serpent
must run its head through the noose. The peccary, having its snout tied
up, was unable to squeak. As soon as the arrangement was made, they
retired to a distance, holding the other end of the line. One of them
then unloosed the peccary's muzzle, when the creature instantly began to
grunt. At that instant the serpent turned its head, and, unwinding its
huge body, made its way towards the animal. In another moment almost
the peccary was struck, and the huge serpent began to fold its body
round it. Its own head, however, was meantime caught in the noose, but
this it apparently did not feel, and opening its wide jaws, began to
suck in the animal. As it did so the Indians pulled the noose tighter
and tighter. The teeth of the reptile are so formed that it could not
again force the peccary out of its mouth, while the noose prevented it
swallowing it. John and I eagerly sprang forward and seized our guns,
but Duppo now coming up, told us that there was no necessity to use
them, as in a short time the boa would be dead.
As the boa lay on the ground John boldly rushed up and gave it a blow
with his axe. The natives now without fear forced their spears into the
creature's mouth, and dragged out the mangled body of the peccary. This
done, they hoisted the serpent up by the neck to the branch of the tree,
whence it hung down, showing us its full length, which could not have
been much less than twenty-five feet. To make sure that it would not
come to life again, one of them climbed up, and with his knife split
open the body. Even during the short time it had coiled itself round
the peccary it had broken every bone in the creature's body. I observed
that it placed coil above coil, as if to increase the force of the
pressure, and it had instantly begun to swallow its prey without first
lubricating it, as it is erroneously described as doing. The part of
the peccary which had entered the mouth was, however, covered with
saliva, but this had only been poured upon it in the act of swallowing.
We thanked the Indians for the assistance they had given us in killing
our enemy. They had come, they said, to finish the canoe, and also to
inquire about Maono and Illora, whose absence had caused the tribe great
alarm. They had also brought us some mandioca-flour and a supply of
fruits. Farinha or flour, I should say, is produced from the same
root--cassava, or manioc--as is tapioca, and is like it in appearance,
only of a yellower colour, caused by the woody fibre mixed with the pure
starch which forms the tapioca. There were also several cabbage-palms,
always a welcome addition to our vegetables. Among the fruit were some
pine-apples, which had been procured in a dry treeless district--so we
understood--some miles in the interior.
Ellen begged that they would remove the body of the serpent to a
distance, as she did not at all like seeing it hanging up to the tree
near us. Fastening sipos to it, they accordingly dragged it away. By
the following morning not a particle of it remained, it having furnished
a feast to several armadillos, vultures, and other birds of prey.
The last evening of our stay had arrived. Our provision were ready for
embarking, and all our goods packed up. I was awoke by hearing Domingos
cry out--
"Some rats, or other creatures, have got into the hut, and are eating up
the farinha."
On striking a light, we hurried to the corner in which our provisions
were stored, intending to drive out the intruders, when, instead of
rats, we found a column of ants passing to and fro between the door and
our baskets of food. Each of them carried a grain of a tapioca-like
substance as big as itself. In vain we tried to drive them off. Though
hundreds were killed, others came on in a most determined manner, as if
they had resolved to rob us at all cost. At last John proposed that we
should blow them up. We called out to Ellen not to be alarmed, and then
spread a train of powder across the column, when we set it on fire.
This seemed to stagger them, but others still came on. Not till we had
performed the operation three times did they seem to discover their
danger, when the first coming on turned round and warned those behind,
and the whole took their departure. The next morning we traced them to
a spot at a considerable distance, where we came upon a mound of earth
between two or three feet high, and nearly eleven yards in
circumference. This we found was the dome which protected the entrance
to the abode of our visitors of the previous night. It was a wonder
they had not found us out before. It was of a different colour to the
surrounding ground. This was owing to its being composed of the
under-soil brought up from below. We perceived a number of small holes
in the sides--the commencement of galleries. We discovered, on digging
into it, that each led to a broad gallery four feet in diameter. This
again led down into the centre of the wonderful habitation.
"Hilloa!" cried Arthur; "here comes Birnam Wood in miniature."
He was at some distance from us. On going up to him we found what
looked like a vast number of leaves moving along over the ground. On
examining them, we discovered that each was of the size and shape of a
small coin, and carried by an ant. On tracing them back we found the
tree at which they were at work. It was covered by vast multitudes.
Each ant was working away at a leaf, cutting out a circle with its sharp
scissor-like jaws. As soon as the operation was complete, it lifted it
up vertically and marched away towards the mound. As one lot of
labourers descended, others ascended and took their places, so that in a
short time the tree was denuded of leaves. These leaves were used, we
discovered, to thatch the domes of their galleries and halls to keep
them dry, and protect the young broods in the nests beneath them. One
body of workers was employed in bringing the leaves which they cast down
on the hillock, while another placed them so as to form the roof,
covering them with a layer of earth brought up in single grains with
prodigious labour from the soil below. There appeared to be three
different classes of workers--some employed entirely below, others
acting as masons or tilers, and others entirely engaged in bringing the
materials from a distance. There were, besides, soldiers armed with
powerful mandibles, who accompanied the workers for defence, and walked
backwards and forwards near them without doing anything. They have also
a queen-ant, who dwells in the centre of their castle, and is engaged in
laying the eggs, not only to furnish broods for the colony, but to send
forth vast numbers of winged ants to form new ones. At the commencement
of the year the workers can be seen clearing the galleries, and
evidently preparing for some important event. Soon afterwards a vast
number of winged males and females issue forth, the females measuring
two and a quarter inches in expanse of wing, though the males are much
smaller. Few of them, however, escape to enjoy existence, for they are
immediately set upon by numbers of insectivorous animals and devoured.
The few females who escape become the mothers of new colonies.
While digging, we came upon a snake-like creature about a foot long.
Directly Duppo saw it he entreated us not to touch it, as it was
fearfully poisonous, and called it the mother of the saubas. We,
however, knew it to be perfectly harmless. He declared that it had a
head at each end of its body. We convinced him, however, that he was
wrong, by showing him the head and tail. The body was covered with
small scales, the eyes were scarcely perceptible, and the mouth was like
that of a lizard. He asserted that the sauba-ants are very much
attached to the snake, and that, if we took it away, they would all
desert the spot. In reality, the snake found a convenient hiding-place
in the galleries of the ants, while, when in want of food, it could at
all times make a substantial meal off them. When the ant-eater opens
one of these galleries, the workers immediately run off and hide
themselves, while the soldier-ants rush forth to attack the intruder,
and, of course, immediately fall victims; thus preserving, by the
sacrifice of their own lives, the rest of the community. The peculiar
motion of the snake we found, scientifically called _amphisbaenae_,
wriggling as it does backwards and forwards, has given rise to the idea
of its having two heads. Duppo told us many other stories about it,
which I have no space to mention. These ants sometimes form mounds from
thirty to forty yards in circumference, and have been known to burrow
even under rivers. As they attack fruit-trees, they are a great pest to
the inhabitants of the settled parts of the country, and are sometimes
destroyed by forcing fumes of sulphur through their galleries. Their
chief use in the economy of Nature seems to be the consumption of
decayed vegetable matter, as they are exclusively vegetarians.
While the Indians were getting the boat down to the water, and Ellen and
her attendants, assisted by Domingos, were packing up, John, Duppo, and
I took a ramble into the woods to kill some more game, as we were not
likely to have anything but fish for some time to come. As we were
going along, I heard the twittering of some dull-plumaged birds in the
bushes, and was trying to get a shot at them, when I saw John, who was a
little way ahead, jumping about in the most extraordinary manner. Duppo
cried out, on seeing him, "Tauoca!" and made a sign to us to run off,
himself setting the example. John followed. "I have been attacked by
an army of ants," he exclaimed. "See, here are hundreds sticking to
me." Duppo and I went to his assistance, and we found his legs covered
with ants with enormous jaws, holding on so tight to the flesh that, in
pulling them off, the heads of many were left sticking in the wounds
they had made. We caught sight of the column which was advancing, about
six deep, with thinner columns foraging on either side of the main army.
Creatures of all sorts were getting out of their way with good cause,
for whenever they came upon a maggot, caterpillar, or any larvae, they
instantly set upon it and tore it to pieces, each ant loading itself
with as much as it could carry. A little in front of them was a wasp's
nest, on a low shrub. They mounted the twigs, and, gnawing away at the
papery covering, quickly got at the larvae and the newly-hatched wasps.
These they carried off in spite of the efforts of the enraged parents,
who kept flying about them. They were ecitons, or foraging ants, of
which there are numerous species. They also came upon a bank, in their
course, in which was a nest belonging to a large species of white ant.
They forced their way in, attacked them, and dragged out the bodies of
the slain. These were cut into three or four pieces, each of which was
lifted up by an eciton and carried off.
However, a volume could be filled with accounts of the numberless ants
and termites of South America, and their curious and varied habits. One
species is quite blind; others tunnel as they go, or form ways to enable
them to make their attacks in secret. For this purpose the little
creatures will form miles of covered ways. Some build their nests of
clay in trees, and others hollow out abodes under the bark. They vary,
too, in size and form. Some are half an inch long; some white, others
red and black; some sting furiously. The ants inhabiting trees are
those which commit depredations in houses chiefly. The most annoying of
the species is the fire-ant--a little creature of a shining reddish
colour. They live in the sand, where they form subterranean galleries
covered by a sandy dome. They enter houses, and attack eatables of all
sorts. When they attack human beings they fix their jaws in the flesh,
and, doubling up their tails, sting with all their might; and a very
fearful sting it is. When we met with them we were obliged to smear the
ropes of our hammocks with balsam of _copauba_. Eatables are suspended
in baskets by ropes covered with the same balsam, and the legs of chairs
and footstools are also covered to prevent their climbing up and
stinging those sitting on them. Villages have sometimes been deserted
in consequence of the attacks of these fierce little insects. However,
they are only found on the sandy banks of the river and drier parts of
the country.
After this digression I must continue my narrative. We shot only two or
three birds, and then had to hurry back to prepare for our departure.
Our new canoe floated well, but was smaller than we could have wished.
Over the centre was an awning of palm-leaves, under which was seated
Ellen, with her black and brown attendants and her numerous pets,
surrounded by our goods and chattels. Four Indians sat in the bows to
paddle, while John and Domingos took it by turns to steer. Duppo had
especial charge of the various pets, while I was glad to be relieved
from the labour of paddling. I had my gun ready for a shot, and we kept
out our books of natural history, which I wished to search through, and
two or three others for reading. We were thankful to be once more on
our voyage, but still we could not help looking with some interest and
regret at the beautiful spot in which we had spent the last few weeks.
"All on board?" cried Domingos. "On, boys, on!" and giving a shove with
his pole, we left the bank and glided down the stream, our dark-skinned
crew keeping time with their paddles to the monotonous song which they
struck up. Although the wet season was commencing, the weather promised
to be fair for a time; and we hoped soon to have Arthur on board, and to
continue our voyage without interruption till we should at length fall
in with those dear ones of whom we were in search.
I have already described the broad river, and the wall of strangely
varied and lofty trees which border it. We kept along the left bank,
not to run the risk of missing the entrance to the igarape of the
recluse, as we called it.
"Do you think we shall persuade him to come with us?" asked Ellen. "I
should be so delighted if we could draw him out of his strange way of
life and restore him to society."
John thought there was little chance of our doing so.
"If anybody can, I think Arthur may," I observed.
"Then you agree with me in my notion?" said Ellen.
"It is possible you may be right," I answered; "but yet it would be very
strange."
The recluse formed the chief subject of our conversation during the
day's voyage. At length we approached his igarape. I almost expected
to see him and Arthur standing on the bank, but looked out in vain. To
give them notice of our approach, I fired off my rifle. We had already
made the canoe fast at our former landing-place. Ellen, John, and I
were going towards the hut when Arthur appeared. "O Arthur will he
come--will he come?" cried out Ellen.
Arthur shook his head. "I am very glad to see you," he said; "but if
you had delayed a few days longer perhaps he would have made up his
mind. However, you must come and try what you can do."
"And how is Maono?" I asked.
"He is wonderfully recovered, but is still unable to move."
"I hope he and his wife will not insist on Oria remaining with them!"
said Ellen.
"I think not," answered Arthur. "Were it not for their other children,
they would like to come themselves, I suspect, were Maono better. But
you must come and see our friend; he has been so kind and gentle, and
talked a great deal to me. I have been greatly puzzled to know the
meaning of some of his questions. Sometimes he spoke as if he would
like me to remain with him; but when I told him that I could not leave
you, my old friends, he agreed that I ought not."
As we entered the open space before the hut of the recluse he advanced
to meet us, and courteously invited us to remain till the next day. We
had wished to push on, as we had still some hours of daylight; but
Arthur begged us so earnestly to remain, that at last John agreed to do
so. The Indians built themselves a hut near the canoe, in which
Domingos remained to watch over our goods; while we passed the night at
the hermitage. Ellen tried her utmost to persuade our host to accompany
us; but he declined, saying that he could not abandon his present mode
of life, and would not desert his patient Maono till he had recovered.
Maono and Illora showed more pleasure at seeing us than is usually
exhibited by Indians. His head was still bound up, and both he and his
wife appeared clothed in light garments, which, though not so
picturesque as their savage want of attire, made them look much more
civilised.
The next morning we were on foot before daybreak, and having
breakfasted, and bid farewell to the chief and his wife, repaired at
early dawn to the canoe, attended by the recluse. Again Arthur
entreated him to accompany us, observing that Maono had so far recovered
that Illora might attend to him without his aid. He seemed to hesitate,
but finally shook his head, saying, "It cannot be; no, it cannot be!"
"Then do you wish me to remain with you?" asked Arthur, looking up in
his face.
The recluse seemed to be agitated with contending feelings. "No, boy,
no!" he answered. "I cannot allow you to leave friends who have shown
that they are interested in your welfare. But take this packet, and do
not open it till you have rejoined Mr Faithful's family. You will, I
doubt not, ere long find them, for from the information I have obtained
they some time ago proceeded down the river. Where they are settled I
cannot tell, but two if not more messengers have been despatched by them
in search of you, some of whom have either gone higher up the river, or
have fallen victims to the treacherous savages."
Arthur took the packet from the recluse with a look of surprise.
"It will explain all," said the latter. "Put it by now, and keep it
carefully. I have acted for the best, and you will acknowledge that
when you come to notice the contents."
Saying this, he pressed Arthur's hand, and assisting Ellen into the
canoe, waved an adieu, and turning hastily round, with long hasty
strides hurried back towards his abode. The Indians stood up and
saluted him with signs of respect, and then, at the command of Domingos,
began to ply their paddles, and we once more recommenced our voyage.
Arthur watched the recluse till he disappeared among the trees.
"It is very, very strange," I heard him say to himself; "I cannot
understand it." Several times he pulled out the packet and looked at it
wistfully. "I must not disobey him," he added aloud, "and yet I long to
know what he meant by giving me this."
"So do I," said Ellen; "but I am sure you ought to obey him."
Arthur started; he seemed not to be aware that he had been speaking
aloud.
John looked at Ellen. "Sister," he said rather gravely, "do not utter
your ideas; whatever they may be, you are likely to be wrong."
Ellen was silent. Arthur replaced the packet in his wallet, and the
subject was not again alluded to. For several hours we glided down the
stream without interruption. In the middle of the day we landed to give
our crew rest and to cook our dinner. While the men were resting, we
rambled through the forest with Duppo. We took Duppo that we might not
run the risk of losing our way. We had gone on for some distance, when
he exclaimed, "_Jacare tinga_!" I called True close to me, knowing that
the words meant alligator. Duppo crept cautiously on. Every moment we
expected to come up with the monster, though on dry ground we knew we
had little cause to fear it. "What is that?" exclaimed John, and he
fired his rifle at a creature which went bounding through the forest.
For a moment I caught sight of a jaguar, and directly afterwards we came
on an alligator which had evidently just been killed by the jaguar. I
should have liked to have seen the combat in which the fierce mammal had
come off victorious. What mighty strength it must have put forth to
kill the huge reptile which lay mangled before us, a considerable
portion of the interior devoured. Duppo, on seeing it, began to search
about in the neighbourhood, and came before long on a conical pile of
dead leaves, from among which he dug out upwards of twenty eggs. They
were nearly twice the size of those of a duck, and of an elliptical
shape. The shells were very hard, of the texture of porcelain, and
extremely rough on the outside. Duppo rubbed them together, producing a
loud sound. Then he shook his head, as much as to say, "If the mother
were alive that would bring her, but there she lies;" and he then told
us that it was the way his people had of attracting alligators when they
found a nest, knowing that the female is sure to be near, and will come
to see what is the matter with her eggs. We carried them on board as a
present to our crew, knowing that they would be acceptable, as the
natives are very fond of them. At night we landed on an island, and
built our huts in the same style that we had done on descending the
Napo. And thus, with various incidents which I have not space to
recount, we proceeded on our voyage for several days without
interruption.