THE CAPO--INTERRUPTIONS--GRAMPUS AND MARMOSET--CANOEING IN THE WOODS--A
NIGHT ON A FLOATING ISLAND
There is a peculiar and very striking feature in the character of the
great Amazon, which affects the distinctive appearance of that river and
materially alters the manners and customs of those who dwell beside it.
This peculiarity is the periodical overflow of its low banks; and the
part thus overflowed is called the _Gapo_. It extends from a little above
the town of San-tarem up to the confines of Peru, a distance of about
seventeen hundred miles; and varies in width from one to twenty miles: so
that the country when inundated assumes in many places the appearance of
an extensive lake with forest trees growing out of the water; and
travellers may proceed many hundreds of miles in their canoes without
once entering the main stream of the river. At this time the natives
become almost aquatic animals. Several tribes of Indians inhabit the
Gapo; such as the Purupurus, Muras; and others. They build small movable
huts on the sandy shores during the dry season, and on rafts in the wet
They subsist on turtle, cow-fish, and the other fish with which the river
abounds, and live almost entirely in their canoes; while at night they
frequently sling their hammocks between the branches of trees and sleep
suspended over the deep water.
Some of the animals found in the Gapo are peculiar to it, being attracted
by the fruit-trees which are found growing only there. The Indians assert
that every tree that grows in the Gapo is distinct from all those that
grow in other districts; and when we consider that these trees are
submerged for six months every year, till they are tall enough to rise
above the highest water-level, we may well believe their constitution is
somewhat different from those that are reared on ordinary ground. The
Indians are wonderfully expert in finding their way among the trackless
mazes of the Gapo, being guided by the broken twigs and scraped bark that
indicate the route followed by previous travellers.
Owing to this sudden commencement of the rainy season, the old trader
resolved to return to a small village and there spend several months.
Martin and Barney were much annoyed at this; for the former was impatient
to penetrate further into the interior, and the latter had firmly made up
his mind to visit the diamond mines, about which he entertained the most
extravagant notions. He did not, indeed, know in the least how to get to
these mines, nor even in which direction they lay; but he had a strong
impression that as long as he continued travelling he was approaching
gradually nearer to them, and he had no doubt whatever that he would get
to them at last. It was, therefore, with no small degree of impatience
that they awaited the pleasure of their sable master, who explained to
them that when the waters reached their height he would proceed.
Everything comes to an end, even a long story. After many weeks had
passed slowly by, their sojourn in this village came to an end too. It
was a dull place, very dull, and they had nothing to do; and the few
poor people who lived there seemed to have very little or nothing to do.
We will, therefore, pass it over, and resume our narrative at the point
when the old trader announced to Barney that the flood was at its height
and they would now continue their journey. They embarked once more in
their old canoe with their goods and chattels, not forgetting Marmoset
and Grampus, whose friendship during their inactive life had become more
close than ever. This friendship was evidenced chiefly by the
matter-of-course way in which Grampus permitted the monkey to mount his
back and ride about the village and through the woods, where dry places
could be found, as long as she pleased. Marmoset was fonder of riding
than walking, so that Grampus had enough to do; but he did not put
himself much about. He trotted, walked, galloped, and lay down, when,
and where, and as often as he chose, without any reference to the small
monkey; and Marmoset held on through thick and thin, and nibbled nuts or
whatever else it picked up, utterly regardless of where it was going to
or the pace at which it went. It was sharp, though, that small monkey,
sharp as a needle, and had its little black eyes glancing on all sides;
so that when Grampus dashed through underwood, and the branches
threatened to sweep it off, it ducked its head; or, lying flat down,
shut its eyes and held on with all its teeth and four hands like a
limpet to a rock. Marmoset was not careful as to her attitude on
dog-back. She sat with her face to the front or rear, just as her fancy
or convenience dictated.
After leaving the village they travelled for many days and nights through
the Gapo. Although afloat on the waters of the Amazon, they never entered
the main river after the first few days, but wound their way, in a
creeping, serpentine sort of fashion, through small streams and lakes and
swamps, from which the light was partially excluded by the thick foliage
of the forest. It was a strange scene that illimitable watery waste, and
aroused new sensations in the breasts of our travellers. As Barney said,
it made him "feel quite solemn-like and eerie to travel through the woods
by wather."
The canoe was forced under branches and among dense bushes, till they got
into a part where the trees were loftier and a deep gloom prevailed. Here
the lowest branches were on a level with the surface of the water, and
many of them were putting forth beautiful flowers. On one occasion they
came to a grove of small palms, which were so deep in the water that the
leaves were only a few feet above the surface. Indeed they were so low
that one of them caught Martin's straw-hat and swept it overboard.
"Hallo! stop!" cried Martin, interrupting the silence so suddenly
that Grampus sprang up with a growl, under the impression that game
was in view; and Marmoset scampered off behind a packing-box with an
angry shriek.
"What's wrong, lad?" inquired Barney.
"Back water, quick! my hat's overboard, and there's an alligator going to
snap it up. Look alive, man!"
In a few seconds the canoe was backed and the straw-hat rescued from its
perilous position.
"It's an ill wind that blows nae guid, as the Scotch say," remarked
Barney, rising in the canoe and reaching towards something among the
overhanging branches. "Here's wan o' them trees that old black-face calls
a maraja, with some splendid bunches o' fruit on it. Hould yer hat,
Martin; there's more nor enough for supper anyhow,"
As he spoke a rustling in the leaves told that monkeys were watching us,
and Marmoset kept peeping up as if she half expected they might be
relations. But the moment the travellers caught sight of them they
bounded away screaming.
Having gathered as much fruit as they required, they continued their
voyage, and presently emerged into the pleasant sunshine in a large
grassy lake, which was filled with lilies and beautiful water-plants,
little yellow bladder-worts, with several other plants of which they knew
not the names; especially one with a thick swollen stalk, curious leaves,
and bright blue flowers. This lake was soon passed, and they again
entered into the gloomy forest, and paddled among the lofty trunks of the
trees, which rose like massive columns out of the deep water. There was
enough of animal life there, however, to amuse and interest them. The
constant plash of falling fruit showed that birds were feeding overhead.
Sometimes a flock of parrots or bright blue chatterers swept from tree to
tree, or atrogon swooped at a falling bunch of fruit and caught it ere it
reached the water; while ungainly toucans plumped clumsily down upon the
branches, and sat, in striking contrast, beside the lovely pompadours,
with their claret-coloured plumage and delicate white wings.
Vieing with these birds in splendour were several large bright-yellow
flowers of the creeping-plants, which twined round the trees. Some of
these plants had white, spotted, and purple blossoms; and there was one
splendid species, called by the natives the flor de Santa Anna--the
flower of St. Ann--which emitted a delightful odour and was four inches
in diameter.
Having traversed this part of the wood, they once more emerged upon the
main stream of the Amazon. It was covered with water-fowl. Large logs of
trees and numerous floating islands of grass were sailing down; and on
these sat hundreds of white gulls, demurely and comfortably voyaging to
the ocean; for the sea would be their final resting-place if they sat on
these logs and islands until they descended several hundreds of miles of
the great river.
"I wish," said Martin, after a long silence, during which the travellers
had been gazing on the watery waste as they paddled up stream--"I wish
that we could fall in with solid land, where we might have something
cooked. I'm desperately hungry now; but I don't see a spot of earth large
enough for a mosquito to rest his foot on."
"We'll jist have to take to farhina and wather," remarked Barney, laying
down his paddle and proceeding leisurely to light his pipe. "It's a
blissin' we've got baccy, any how. Tis mesilf that could niver git on
without it."
"I wish you joy of it, Barney. It may fill your mouth, but it can't stop
your hunger."
"Och, boy, it's little ye know! Sure it stops the cravin's o' hunger, and
kapes yer stumick from callin' out for iver, till ye fall in with
somethin' to ate."
"It does not seem to stop the mouth then, Barney, for you call out for
grub oftener than I do; and then you say that you couldn't get on without
it; so you're a slave to it, old boy. I wouldn't be a slave to anything
if I could help it."
"Martin, lad, ye're gittin' deep. Take care now, or ye'll be in
mettlefeesics soon. I say, ould black-face,"--Barney was not on ceremony
with the old trader,--"is there no land in thim parts at all?"
"No, not dis night,"
"Och, then, we'll have to git up a tree and try to cook somethin' there;
for I'm not goin' to work on flour and wather. Hallo! hould on! There's
an island, or the portrait o' wan! Port your helm, Naygur! hard aport!
D'ye hear?"
The old man heard, but, as usual, paid no attention to the Irishman's
remarks; and the canoe would have passed straight on, had not Barney used
his bow-paddle so energetically that he managed to steer her, as he
expressed it, by the nose, and ran her against a mass of floating logs
which had caught firmly in a thicket, and were so covered with grass and
broken twigs as to have very much the appearance of a real island. Here
they landed, so to speak, kindled a small fire, made some coffee, roasted
a few fish, baked several cakes, and were soon as happy and comfortable
as hungry and wearied men usually are when they obtain rest and food.
"This is what I call jolly," remarked Barney.
"What's jolly?" inquired Martin.
"Why _this_, to be sure,--grub to begin with, and a smoke and a
convanient snooze in prospect,"
The hopes which Barney cherished, however, were destined to be blighted,
at least in part. To the victuals he did ample justice; the pipe was
delightful, and in good working order; but when they lay down to repose,
they were attacked by swarms of stinging ants, which the heat of the fire
had driven out of the old logs. These and mosquitoes effectually banished
sleep from their eye-lids, and caused them to reflect very seriously, and
to state to each other more than once very impressively, that, with all
their beauties and wonders, tropical lands had their disadvantages, and
there was no place like the "ould country," after all.