Martin Rattler

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE CAPO--INTERRUPTIONS--GRAMPUS AND MARMOSET--CANOEING IN THE WOODS--ANIGHT ON A FLOATING ISLAND

  There is a peculiar and very striking feature in the character of thegreat Amazon, which affects the distinctive appearance of that river andmaterially alters the manners and customs of those who dwell beside it.This peculiarity is the periodical overflow of its low banks; and thepart thus overflowed is called the _Gapo_. It extends from a little abovethe town of San-tarem up to the confines of Peru, a distance of aboutseventeen hundred miles; and varies in width from one to twenty miles: sothat the country when inundated assumes in many places the appearance ofan extensive lake with forest trees growing out of the water; andtravellers may proceed many hundreds of miles in their canoes withoutonce entering the main stream of the river. At this time the nativesbecome almost aquatic animals. Several tribes of Indians inhabit theGapo; such as the Purupurus, Muras; and others. They build small movablehuts on the sandy shores during the dry season, and on rafts in the wetThey subsist on turtle, cow-fish, and the other fish with which the riverabounds, and live almost entirely in their canoes; while at night theyfrequently sling their hammocks between the branches of trees and sleepsuspended over the deep water.

  Some of the animals found in the Gapo are peculiar to it, being attractedby the fruit-trees which are found growing only there. The Indians assertthat every tree that grows in the Gapo is distinct from all those thatgrow in other districts; and when we consider that these trees aresubmerged for six months every year, till they are tall enough to riseabove the highest water-level, we may well believe their constitution issomewhat different from those that are reared on ordinary ground. TheIndians are wonderfully expert in finding their way among the tracklessmazes of the Gapo, being guided by the broken twigs and scraped bark thatindicate the route followed by previous travellers.

  Owing to this sudden commencement of the rainy season, the old traderresolved to return to a small village and there spend several months.Martin and Barney were much annoyed at this; for the former was impatientto penetrate further into the interior, and the latter had firmly made uphis mind to visit the diamond mines, about which he entertained the mostextravagant notions. He did not, indeed, know in the least how to get tothese mines, nor even in which direction they lay; but he had a strongimpression that as long as he continued travelling he was approachinggradually nearer to them, and he had no doubt whatever that he would getto them at last. It was, therefore, with no small degree of impatiencethat they awaited the pleasure of their sable master, who explained tothem that when the waters reached their height he would proceed.

  Everything comes to an end, even a long story. After many weeks hadpassed slowly by, their sojourn in this village came to an end too. Itwas a dull place, very dull, and they had nothing to do; and the fewpoor 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 pointwhen the old trader announced to Barney that the flood was at its heightand they would now continue their journey. They embarked once more intheir old canoe with their goods and chattels, not forgetting Marmosetand Grampus, whose friendship during their inactive life had become moreclose than ever. This friendship was evidenced chiefly by thematter-of-course way in which Grampus permitted the monkey to mount hisback and ride about the village and through the woods, where dry placescould be found, as long as she pleased. Marmoset was fonder of ridingthan walking, so that Grampus had enough to do; but he did not puthimself much about. He trotted, walked, galloped, and lay down, when,and where, and as often as he chose, without any reference to the smallmonkey; and Marmoset held on through thick and thin, and nibbled nuts orwhatever else it picked up, utterly regardless of where it was going toor 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 branchesthreatened 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 alimpet to a rock. Marmoset was not careful as to her attitude ondog-back. She sat with her face to the front or rear, just as her fancyor convenience dictated.

  After leaving the village they travelled for many days and nights throughthe Gapo. Although afloat on the waters of the Amazon, they never enteredthe main river after the first few days, but wound their way, in acreeping, serpentine sort of fashion, through small streams and lakes andswamps, from which the light was partially excluded by the thick foliageof the forest. It was a strange scene that illimitable watery waste, andaroused new sensations in the breasts of our travellers. As Barney said,it made him "feel quite solemn-like and eerie to travel through the woodsby wather."

  The canoe was forced under branches and among dense bushes, till they gotinto a part where the trees were loftier and a deep gloom prevailed. Herethe lowest branches were on a level with the surface of the water, andmany of them were putting forth beautiful flowers. On one occasion theycame to a grove of small palms, which were so deep in the water that theleaves were only a few feet above the surface. Indeed they were so lowthat one of them caught Martin's straw-hat and swept it overboard.

  "Hallo! stop!" cried Martin, interrupting the silence so suddenlythat Grampus sprang up with a growl, under the impression that gamewas in view; and Marmoset scampered off behind a packing-box with anangry shriek.

  "What's wrong, lad?" inquired Barney.

  "Back water, quick! my hat's overboard, and there's an alligator going tosnap it up. Look alive, man!"

  In a few seconds the canoe was backed and the straw-hat rescued from itsperilous position.

  "It's an ill wind that blows nae guid, as the Scotch say," remarkedBarney, rising in the canoe and reaching towards something among theoverhanging branches. "Here's wan o' them trees that old black-face callsa 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 berelations. But the moment the travellers caught sight of them theybounded away screaming.

  Having gathered as much fruit as they required, they continued theirvoyage, and presently emerged into the pleasant sunshine in a largegrassy lake, which was filled with lilies and beautiful water-plants,little yellow bladder-worts, with several other plants of which they knewnot the names; especially one with a thick swollen stalk, curious leaves,and bright blue flowers. This lake was soon passed, and they againentered into the gloomy forest, and paddled among the lofty trunks of thetrees, which rose like massive columns out of the deep water. There wasenough of animal life there, however, to amuse and interest them. Theconstant plash of falling fruit showed that birds were feeding overhead.Sometimes a flock of parrots or bright blue chatterers swept from tree totree, or atrogon swooped at a falling bunch of fruit and caught it ere itreached the water; while ungainly toucans plumped clumsily down upon thebranches, 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-yellowflowers of the creeping-plants, which twined round the trees. Some ofthese plants had white, spotted, and purple blossoms; and there was onesplendid species, called by the natives the flor de Santa Anna--theflower of St. Ann--which emitted a delightful odour and was four inchesin diameter.

  Having traversed this part of the wood, they once more emerged upon themain stream of the Amazon. It was covered with water-fowl. Large logs oftrees and numerous floating islands of grass were sailing down; and onthese sat hundreds of white gulls, demurely and comfortably voyaging tothe ocean; for the sea would be their final resting-place if they sat onthese logs and islands until they descended several hundreds of miles ofthe great river.

  "I wish," said Martin, after a long silence, during which the travellershad been gazing on the wate
ry waste as they paddled up stream--"I wishthat we could fall in with solid land, where we might have somethingcooked. I'm desperately hungry now; but I don't see a spot of earth largeenough for a mosquito to rest his foot on."

  "We'll jist have to take to farhina and wather," remarked Barney, layingdown his paddle and proceeding leisurely to light his pipe. "It's ablissin' we've got baccy, any how. Tis mesilf that could niver git onwithout it."

  "I wish you joy of it, Barney. It may fill your mouth, but it can't stopyour hunger."

  "Och, boy, it's little ye know! Sure it stops the cravin's o' hunger, andkapes yer stumick from callin' out for iver, till ye fall in withsomethin' to ate."

  "It does not seem to stop the mouth then, Barney, for you call out forgrub oftener than I do; and then you say that you couldn't get on withoutit; so you're a slave to it, old boy. I wouldn't be a slave to anythingif I could help it."

  "Martin, lad, ye're gittin' deep. Take care now, or ye'll be inmettlefeesics soon. I say, ould black-face,"--Barney was not on ceremonywith 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'san 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'sremarks; and the canoe would have passed straight on, had not Barney usedhis bow-paddle so energetically that he managed to steer her, as heexpressed it, by the nose, and ran her against a mass of floating logswhich had caught firmly in a thicket, and were so covered with grass andbroken twigs as to have very much the appearance of a real island. Herethey landed, so to speak, kindled a small fire, made some coffee, roasteda few fish, baked several cakes, and were soon as happy and comfortableas 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 aconvanient 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 wasdelightful, 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 firehad driven out of the old logs. These and mosquitoes effectually banishedsleep from their eye-lids, and caused them to reflect very seriously, andto state to each other more than once very impressively, that, with alltheir beauties and wonders, tropical lands had their disadvantages, andthere was no place like the "ould country," after all.