Santarem to Belem (Pará)--The Amazon--From Belem to Manaos--The
Madeira-Mamore Railway
SANTAREM was an old settlement of no great interest. It had a few
relatively fine ancient buildings and many ugly new ones.
Early on November 6th the steamer proceeded on her way to Belem (Pará).
On leaving Santarem we first emerged into the great Amazon River, a
regular sea of fresh water, where we tossed about in a strong
north-easterly gale. Unless one knew, one never could have imagined
oneself on a river, as the stream was so wide at that point that the
opposite bank could not be seen at all.
Things were a little better when we entered the channel of Monte Alegre.
On that channel was the little town of the same name, half of the
buildings being along the water's edge, the other half on the summit of a
low hill near by. There is a sulphur spring there with wonderful
medicinal properties, and coal is also said to be found.
A colony of Spaniards had been imported to work, but they were
dissatisfied and had left. Tobacco, made up into fusiform sticks 6 ft.
long and tied into bundles, was exported from that place in considerable
quantities; the inhabitants were also engaged in breeding cattle, growing
Indian corn, and drying fish--the _pirarucú_ (_Vastres gigas_), a
salmonoid vulgarly called the cod-fish of the Amazon. A big trade was
done in that dried fish all over that region.
In the full moon of a glorious night we could discern to the north a
mountain region with elevations of over 3,000 ft. Between those
mountains--the Serra de Almerin--and ourselves, lay a long flat island,
the vegetation on which was, for that particular region, comparatively
sparse. That island of mud had formed during the last fifteen or twenty
years, and was at the time of my visit several kilometres in length. It
was called the Pesqueiro. Islands have a way of forming in a very short
time in the Amazon, while others change their shape or disappear
altogether.
On November 7th we were facing the principal outlet of the Amazon to the
north-east. That main estuary is, however, not as navigable as the one
south of it, through which most of the big ships pass. An archipelago had
formed at that spot. The fortress of Matapa, very ancient, stood on the
largest outlet.
We went through the channel called the Itoquara. Another, the
Tajapurozinho, was to the south, forming a boundary on that side of the
large island, which we skirted to the north in the Itoquara channel. The
beautiful island of Uruttahi was now in sight, to the north of the
largest outlet. Like all other islands in that neighbourhood, it was flat
and of alluvial formation.
In order to avoid the open waters, where the small ship upon which I was
tossed about considerably, we kept to the smaller channels between the
islands, going first through the channel of Limão and after that through
the Tajapuru. It was practically the same course as the Itoquara, which
was called by different names in different parts. It was narrow and
tortuous, and required great skill in the navigation of it; but it was
extraordinarily deep--so deep that all the big ocean steamers entering
the Amazon followed this channel in preference to the main outlet of the
river, which is not navigable owing to many sandbanks.
We were there in a regular maze of islands, composed mostly of mud and of
recent formation, not more than one or two feet above the water. For
Brazil, they were fairly thickly inhabited, miserable huts being visible
every few hundred metres or so.
On our right as we went through we had a luxuriant growth of _mirichi_
palms, some of great height and close together--a regular forest of them.
At the first glance as you looked at those islands, it seemed as if all
along the coast-line a low palisade had been erected. It was indeed a
natural palisade of _aninga_, an aquatic plant growing in profusion on
the edge of mud-banks. The _aninga_ is said to contain a powerful poison,
the touch of which produces violent itching.
All the houses and huts on those islands necessarily had to be built on
high piles, as the country was constantly inundated, the tide rising and
falling some three feet in that particular channel.
[Illustration: Campas Indian Children.]
As we neared the mouth of the river, with Para as our objective, we first
saw the lighthouse of Buyussu in the immense bay which takes its name
from the little town of Coralhina. Both this town and that of Boa Vista
were on the left side of us, on the great island of Marajo. On the right
the island of Oya was visible, and the island of Araras. Between the
light of Buyussu and the island of Oya opened the great bay of Melgasso.
Considering the amount of navigation that went through, it was amazing to
see how badly lighted that river was--the two lights, such as the one at
Buyussu, and the one at Mandy, at the entrance of the bay of Marajo,
being no bigger than and not so brilliant as the ordinary street oil-lamp
in an English or French village. I understand that all ships navigating
the Amazon have to pay a large tax on each journey for the maintenance of
the lighthouses on that immense waterway. It is quite criminal that no
proper lights are constructed in order to protect the safety of the
passengers and the valuable cargoes which go by that important water
route.
More picturesque than most of the scenery I had so far witnessed on the
Amazon was the narrow Foro da Jararaca. From the lamp-post--it cannot in
all honesty be called a lighthouse--of Mandy, we made for the other
lamp-post of Capin; and from this for the third lamp-post of Arrozal,
navigation being most difficult in that part. From there we steered
direct for the Farol de Cutijuba, a light somewhat more respectable than
the others at the entrance of the Barra of Pará.
After going through the bay of Coralhina we did not follow the great
channel that was before us, but skirted the island of Concepção to the
left, passing between it and Paketta Island. After that island we found
ourselves in the bay of Jappelin, so named after a bird of that region,
which builds an elongated nest.
Having passed the Cutijuba Island, and then the Taxipa Island on our
left, in the early morning we entered between the islands of Arabiranga
and Jararakinha. The larger vessels generally follow a course outside on
the east of this island before entering the large bay of Marajo.
We could plainly see that we were approaching a large city, for
quantities of little sailing boats were now visible on the water. Signs
of civilization were beginning to appear on the island of Arabiranga. A
brick and tile kiln, which supplied Belem (Pará) with most of its
building materials, had been established there. Alongside the island
could be seen a lot of steamers belonging to the Amazon River Company.
Beyond was the bay of Guajara, with the city and many ocean steamers
looming in the distance.
On November 18th we steamed into the bay, and there stood the city of
Belem (Pará) before us, while the noise of the town began to get louder
and louder as we approached the dock. That sound was welcome to me in a
way, and at the same time worrying, after the dead silence I had been
accustomed to for the last many months.
A swarm of robber-porters invaded the steamer the moment we came
alongside the pier. The bustle, the loud shouting, the pushing, seemed
most irritating. Ill as I was, for a few moments I almost contemplated
the idea of turning back toward the virgin forest. The heat was
oppressive, the bells of the tramways jangled all the time, the rattle of
the mediæval carriages on the cobble-stones of the pavement was
distressing.
Things were not pleasanter when I put up in the best hotel, where the
best room I could get was not unlike a coal-cellar. We will not speak of
the food.
Those aspiring efforts at semi-civilization were to my mind ten times
worse than no civilization at all. Had it not been for the extreme
kindness of my friend Commandante Macedo, of Mr. Ross, the manager of the
London and Brazilian Bank, and of the British Consul, I would have left
the place that same day.
At Belem I dismissed Alcides, Antonio, and white Filippe, paying their
full passage by sea and railway and full wages up to the day of their
arrival at their respective homes. They had certainly many faults, and
had not behaved well to me; but I am given to weigh matters justly, and
there was no doubt that those men had endured terrific hardships and,
willingly or unwillingly, had carried through quite a herculean task. I
therefore not only paid them the high wages upon which I had agreed, but
I gave each a handsome present of money.
The three men duly signed receipts and unsolicited certificates, in which
they declared that during the entire journey they had been treated by me
in a generous manner and with every possible thoughtfulness and
consideration.
As they had not been able to spend a single penny since we had left
Diamantino they had accumulated a considerable sum of cash. I warned
them, as I had done with Benedicto, to be careful and not waste their
money. They went out for a walk. Some hours later they returned, dressed
up in wonderful costumes with fancy silk ties, patent leather shoes, gold
chains and watches, and gaudy scarf-pins. In a few hours they had wasted
away nearly the entire sum I had paid out to them. Everything was
extremely expensive in Pará--certainly three or four times the price
which things would fetch in London or New York.
Two days later white Filippe and Antonio embarked for Rio de Janeiro,
with hardly a word of farewell to me. Alcides refused to travel on the
same steamer with his companions, and left by a later one.
The city of Pará is much too well known for me to enter into a long
description of it. Since its discovery in the year 1500, when Vincente
Yanes Pinzon cast anchor in the Marañon or Amazon, Belem has become a
beautiful city. As everybody knows, it is the capital of the Pará
province, which has an area of 1,149,712 sq. kil. Geographically, Belem
could not be situated in a better position, and is bound some day to
become the most flourishing city of the Brazilian Republic. It is
undoubtedly the key to the great Amazon River, although it is not
actually at the mouth of the Amazon, but 138 kil. from the ocean. Through
it is bound to pass the trade not only of that riverine portion of
Brazil, but also of Peru and Bolivia.
[Illustration: Campas Old Woman and her Son.]
Belem (Pará) is mostly known to Europeans as the nest of yellow fever.
During the last few years it has been freed absolutely from that scourge,
the cases of yellow fever being now few and far between, owing to the
wonderful progress made by hygiene and the praiseworthy efforts made by
the Province to keep the city in a healthy condition.
The population of Pará is 192,230 inhabitants. Many spacious and handsome
edifices, such as the Government buildings and the professional
Institutes, do great credit to the city; while the Peace Theatre is one
of the finest in Brazil. Many private mansions are of some architectural
beauty, and some of the new avenues and the municipal gardens are
handsome. The slaughter-house, the iron market, etc., are quite up to
date, and the city even boasts of a crematorium.
My object in coming to Belem (Pará) was merely to see my men safely on
board on their return to the Minas Geraes and Goyaz Provinces; also to
buy some new cameras and instruments, so that I could start on the second
part of my expedition, following the entire course of the Amazon almost
up to its source, then cross over the Andes and reach the Pacific Ocean.
My English friends in Pará tried to dissuade me from attempting the
journey, as I was in a pitiful condition. What was worse, civilization,
instead of making me feel better, was smashing me up altogether. Every
day I was getting weaker and weaker, and more exhausted. I had hardly
strength to walk about, less still to go up or down stairs. Beri-beri
commenced to develop in my right foot, and added to my other trials.
The English consul told me it was absolute folly to try and proceed on
such a long journey in such an exhausted state.
Having bought fresh clothes and cameras for my new expedition, I left
Pará on November 12th at noon on the excellent ship _Anthony_ of the
Booth line, on my way up the Amazon to Manaos.
I will not attempt here to give a description of that amazing river the
Amazon--amazing because it is very big and not because it is beautiful,
for indeed I do not believe that in all my travels I have ever seen a
river quite so ugly and uninteresting as the Amazon.
First of all, it is so big that you seldom see both sides of the river at
a time; its waters are muddy and filthy; its climate is damp, oppressive
and unhealthy; its vegetation, when you are near enough the banks to see
it, is entangled, half-rotted, and smelly. All along one's nostrils are
offended by the fetid odour of mud and decayed vegetable matter.
People in Europe seem imbued with the idea that, as you go along the
Amazon, you must be attracted by the great number of birds of beautiful
plumage, insects and butterflies of all sizes and amazing colours.
Occasionally, especially in the early morning and at sunset, one does
notice perhaps a flock of green paroquets with yellow foreheads, notable
for their peculiar, clumsy, rapid wing-flapping flight and their harsh
shrieks when settling on the trees. Occasionally, too, one may see a
family of larger parrots dashing across the sky; but, indeed, birds in
the lower Amazon are not plentiful by any means, nor, indeed, is their
plumage particularly attractive, most birds, except the parrots, being
small and very soberly tinted.
As for the melodious songs of birds which civilized people always imagine
in the equatorial forest--the song that will set you dreaming while you
are basking under palm trees--the actual traveller will find the greatest
disappointment of all in that respect. With one or two exceptions, such
as the _Troglodytes fuscus_, a small brown wren which emits sweet musical
notes, most birds of the Amazon have grating voices and harsh piercing
whistles, or monotonous deep repetitions of two or three funereal notes
which are more apt to drive you insane than to fascinate you. Among the
most unmusical singers of the lower Amazon may be counted the several
families of finches and fly-catchers, and the local thrushes, which feed
on ants.
Similar disappointment awaits one in regard to the vegetation. People
imagine Brazil a land of beautiful flowers, the forest made up of immense
trees with luxuriant foliage, overladen with parasitic orchids--eternally
in bloom, of course, in the dreamy minds of the untravelled, and just
waiting to be picked and to be placed in one's buttonhole. The sky,
naturally, over such a forest, could only be swarming with birds of all
sizes, with plumage of the richest colours and hues; and what else could
such a luxuriant country have in the way of butterflies and insects than
some which resemble precious gems in the iridescent tones of their wings
and bodies?
That is what people imagine. The following is what you really see.
The trees, overcrowded everywhere, far from being gigantic, are, instead,
mean-looking and anæmic--not unlike the pallid, overgrown youth of the
over-populated slums of a great city. Orchids? Yes, there are plenty of
orchids about, but you never see them unless you go on a special search
for them with a high ladder or some other such means of climbing high
trees. In any case, you would not detect them unless you had the eye of
an expert. It is well not to forget that in tropical climates, as in
temperate zones, plants are not always in bloom when you happen to be
passing. As for the butterflies, you seldom see any at all in the actual
forest.
Perhaps one of the most common birds of the Amazon is a kind of
grey-eyed, noisy, mimicking magpie, locally called _guache_ or _japim_ or
_jappelin_ (_Cassicus icterranotus_), quite amusing with its energetic
movements, its observant habits, its familiar interest in everything and
everybody, and its facility for reproducing correctly enough sounds which
momentarily attract its attention. The wonderful activity of its slender
body, clothed in velvety black, neatly-groomed yellow feathers, and its
charming wickedness make it, perhaps, one of the most attractive birds
near towns and settlements on the river. It builds elongated nests which
are 20 to 30 in. in length, the entrance to which is in the lower
portion. They are suspended from the branches of trees. As I have said,
the large bay near the mouth of the Amazon has been named in honour of
this bird.
[Illustration: Campas Indian Woman.]
Another bird of great interest is the _araruna_ (or _Macrocerus
hyacinthinus_), a magnificent macaw of great size, which is perhaps the
rarest and most beautiful found in the interior of Brazil from the
northern end of the central plateau as far as the Amazon River. Its
feathers are of a soft, metallic, dark greyish-blue, almost black,
except round the eyes, where the uncovered white skin shows through. I
have seen these birds in flight on four or five different occasions on
the Tapajoz River, and tried in vain to secure a specimen. I generally
saw them in couples, flying at a great height and speed. These birds are
extremely intelligent, and become most affectionate and faithful
companions to a considerate master. In fact, they will attack any one
endeavouring to get near their owners. Their beaks are extremely strong.
When in captivity they are disastrous to one's belongings, as they seem
to possess an irresistible desire to crush and tear anything they see.
They can chip off pieces of furniture made of the hardest wood with
considerable ease. This is easily understood when you can see them crush
into fragments the extremely hard nuts of the _Acrocomia lasiopatha_, on
which they principally live.
Sir Roger Casement, of Putumayo atrocities fame, whom I had the pleasure
of meeting at Manaos, possessed a most beautiful specimen of the
_Macrocerus hyacinthinus_. It was most touching to see the pathetic
devotion which existed between master and bird and _vice versa_. Only the
people of the hotel where we both stayed did not appreciate the
magnificent blue-black visitor, for when its master was out it spent all
its time chipping off pieces from tables and chairs, and took the
greatest pride and delight in flinging forks, knives and spoons off the
dining-room tables, and tearing the menus to strips. The Brazilian
waiters, in their caution to maintain their own anatomy intact, did not
dare go near it; for the bird, even on hearing remarks made on its
behaviour, would let itself down the sides of chairs and defiantly
proceed to attack the intruders.
Similar but larger and more beautiful than this macaw is the _ararama_,
extremely rare and perfectly black. The natives say that it is impossible
to keep it in captivity as it is quite untameable. I saw a couple of
these birds. They were really magnificent--certainly 3 ft. in length from
the tip of the beak to the end of the tail.
When the steamer was close enough to the banks or an island we
occasionally saw small groups of _assahy_ palms (_Euterpe oleracea_) 20
to 30 ft. high, with smooth stems and feather-like foliage. Other palms,
equally graceful, with stems like polished columns and delicately-cut
fronds aloft, were also to be seen; but otherwise most of the vegetation
was entangled and untidy.
From the trees hung liane in festoons or suspended like cords. Creepers
of all kinds smothered the trunks and branches of the trees, which seemed
to struggle for a little life and air; while, when we had an opportunity
of examining the branches of the trees a little closer, we could see
absolute swarms of parasites covering every bough.
Near some of the houses could be seen the _Musa paradisiaca_, the most
common kind of banana palm in that region, with its green leaves ten to
twelve feet long reflecting beautiful shades like silk velvet when
caressed by the wind. I saw one or two specimens of the bread-fruit tree,
with its digitated foliage, and several kinds of pine-apple plants
(_Bromelia_)--some with leaves toothed along their edges, others shaped
more like the blade of a long knife.
I was in great pain, and could not observe much. Also, most of the time
we were at a great distance from the banks, and the river was so wide
that it was almost like being in mid-ocean.
On November 14th we passed Obidos, at the mouth of the Rio Trombetas, the
narrowest point, where the river went through a channel only 2,000 m.
broad, but of extreme depth. The channel was formed by a depression
between two hillocks 250 ft. high or so. The settlement of Obidos
consisted of two long white buildings near the water, and a series of
stores. To the left of the village as we looked at it was a high cliff
extending for some 2,000 m. up stream over a beautiful beach. The cliff
showed patches of red and yellow rock of a brilliant colour, the lower
strata being of a deep red and clearly defined, the upper ones of a raw
sienna colour, the dividing-line between the two colours being somewhat
undulating. There was dense forest on the summit of the cliff. A good
deal of vegetation had crept down and was clinging to the side of the
cliff.
A little white church with a pointed spire stood on the highest point of
the cliff, close to the town. Behind the cliff rose a hill of some
height, upon which the better houses, with red-tiled roofs, were
situated. A wide road led up to them.
The water of the stream was of a dirty yellow, and very turbulent owing
to the strong wind that was blowing and the violent current. Proceeding
up stream, we then came to a hill 300 ft. high on the right, which ended
abruptly in an almost vertical red and yellow cliff plunging into the
water. On the opposite side of the river, along the narrow neck, were
lowlands, quite open and scantily wooded, over which rose great columns
of black smoke, caused by the natives burning down the forest in order to
prepare the land for their plantations. It was at this point that the
entire volume of the Amazon could be gauged at a glance. As you looked up
stream a long bluish line of low forest could be perceived over the
gradually expanding deep yellow river. Dozens upon dozens of columns of
smoke were visible. When night came the effects of those forest fires,
with the reflection of the light upon the low clouds and in the water,
were very weird and beautiful.
Greetings were occasionally exchanged upon the river as a big ocean
steamer went by, or an over-enthusiastic captain let off rockets, which
brought all the passengers from the dinner-table to the port-holes.
Farther on we came to a pretty plantation on the left with innumerable
banana palms crowded together, and some cocoa trees. At one time the
exportation of cocoa from that section of the Amazon between Obidos and
Santarem was considerable--some 8,000 kilos yearly. I was told that that
industry has now gone down a great deal, and not more than 4,000 kilos
were exported in 1911.
[Illustration: Campas Woman.]
[Illustration: Campas Man, Woman and Child.]
As we went farther up stream we passed alluvial banks of comparatively
recent formation, in some places only one foot above the water and liable
to constant inundation--in other places 10 or 12 ft. above the stream,
and exposing an abrupt crumbling section of grey clay on a lower
stratum with a narrow band of raw sienna colour. This yellow band rarely
exceeded a thickness of 1 ft. We had an object-lesson here, where the
banks were eroded by water and were gradually crumbling away, of the
reason why the trees were so anæmic and generally died. The roots,
instead of burrowing deep into the ground, spread out laterally in a
horizontal position quite close to the surface of the ground. That night
we had a beautiful effect of rain and smoke and the reflection from the
fires, a wonderful study of reds and yellows and dark blues which would
have fascinated the immortal painter Turner.
Farther on we passed an island 6 ft. above the water with beautiful green
grass upon it, wonderful grazing land, and no trees whatever. On both
sides of the channel we followed, in fact, we had fine open country all
around, which seemed excellent for grazing purposes.
More interesting to me than the river itself were the wonderful effects
of the ever-changing light in the sky. I saw no more the wonderful
radiations which had given me so much pleasure in Matto Grosso, but we
beheld here a great haze of delicate tones up to a great height and a
light blue sky above it. The clouds seemed to possess no well-defined
form, but were more like masses of mist, the edges blending gradually
with the blue of the sky. Only to the west was there an attempt at
globular formation in the clouds. The clouds of heavy smoke which rose
and rolled about over the landscape helped to render the otherwise
monotonous scene a little more picturesque.
Farther up stream we reached on the right a long island almost absolutely
free from trees, except at its western end, where a miserable growth of
sickly trees covered its point. Beyond was a beautiful spit of red sand
some 2,000 m. long.
On November 15th we reached Itaquatiara, where the banks of the river
were much higher than usual on the right side. I was much struck by the
sight of a lot of fallen timber lying about on the slopes of the high
bank, and by that of innumerable logs of wood floating on the water,
quite an unusual sight in Brazilian waters. Itaquatiara was placed
geographically on a most convenient site, opposite the mouth of the great
Madeira River. Now that the Madeira-Mamore railway is completed, bringing
down the trade of Bolivia and of the Acre territory, there is no doubt
that it will become a most important trading centre. To my mind it is
bound to supplant Manaos, which is very inconveniently situated, not on
the Amazon River itself but on the tributary Rio Negro.
All the rubber which goes down the Madeira River has so far been conveyed
to Manaos by a great detour, involving much expense and time. In the
future, I think, when Itaquatiara has developed into a big city, and
proper arrangements are made for landing and storing cargoes, it is
certain to become a most important centre of commerce. Land is already
going up in value tremendously, although Manaos has waged war against the
growth of a town at that spot, which will be inimical to her own
interests.
[Illustration: The Ucayalli River.]
[Illustration: The Launch on which Author travelled almost to the
Foot of the Andes.]
As is well known, the Madeira-Mamore railway was built from Porto Velho,
on the Madeira River, around and along a series of rapids and
waterfalls which rendered navigation most difficult, as far as Guajara
Merim, on the river Mamore, a mere continuation of the Madeira River. The
construction of the railway had long been contemplated by the Brazilian
and Bolivian Governments, but it was a difficult matter owing to the
dense forest and the unhealthy climate, which equals, if it does not even
surpass, the deadliness of Panama in the time of the French. The works of
the railway were begun as long ago as 1878 by Collings Brothers, who were
then contractors, but nothing effectively was done until the Brazilian
Government, fully realizing the necessity of opening up that rich
country, especially after the purchase from Bolivia of the Acre
Territory, perhaps one of the richest regions on earth as far as rubber
is concerned, entered into a contract with a Brazilian engineer named
Catambry, to build the railway. The Brazilian engineer transferred the
contract to Mr. Percival Farquhar, who, in his turn, organized the
Madeira-Mamore Company, entrusting the actual construction of the railway
to Messrs. May, Jeckill & Randolph.
They started work in July, 1907, with preliminary engineering, the actual
construction not beginning until January 1908. Work began with one
engine, a Baldwin locomotive rebuilt, which had been there since 1878.
Gradually the number of engines--all Baldwin locomotives--was increased
to twelve. During the construction six tugs and eleven lighters were used
on the Madeira River for handling the material. The contractors took into
Brazil during the four and a half years occupied in the construction
from 43,000 to 45,000 men, although they never had more than 5,000 men
working at any one time. Many, indeed, were the deaths registered, and
the steamers were constantly bringing back men laid up with fever. The
supplies for those men had all to be brought from Europe and America,
except sugar and coffee, as nothing could be obtained in the country
itself. The four chief engineers were all Americans, Mr. Randolph and Mr.
Jeckill, who were at the head of the entire concern, spending all their
time on the line in progress or at their head office in Manaos, which was
mostly in charge of Mr. May. One chief surgeon, Dr. Carl Lovelace,
handled all the hospital work, with the assistance of fifteen physicians;
but innumerable were the lives lost from yellow fever and beri-beri, the
two most prevalent diseases in that fatal country.
[Illustration: Campas Family wading across a Stream.]
[Illustration: A Farmhouse on the Andes.]
Before the railway was built it was necessary to unload the _battellãos_
or trading boats thirty-eight times during the journey at the
thirty-eight different rapids and falls on the way. The journey over the
rapids took not less than forty days. I shall not speak of the constant
danger to boats, their crews and merchandise. Now by the railway the
entire journey occupies from eight to ten hours. The length of the
completed railway, now in full working order, is 364 kil. The last rail
was laid on April 30th, 1912, when Mrs. Jeckill drove the last and golden
spike--an honour which no other white woman, I believe, has ever had in
so inhospitable a country.