The spaces between these buttresses, which are generally thin walls of wood, form spacious chambers, and may be compared to stalls in a stable; some of them are large enough to hold a half-dozen persons.The purpose of these structures is as obvious, at the first glance, as that of the similar props of brickwork which support a high wall.They are not peculiar to one species, but are common to most of the larger forest trees.Their nature and manner of growth are explained when a series of young trees of different ages is examined.It is then seen that they are the roots which have raised themselves ridge-like out of the earth;growing gradually upwards as the increasing height of the tree required augmented support.Thus, they are plainly intended to sustain the massive crown and trunk in these crowded forests, where lateral growth of the roots in the earth is rendered difficult by the multitude of competitors.
The other grand forest trees whose native names we learned, were the Moiratinga (the White or King tree), probably the same as, or allied to, the Mora Excelsa, which Sir Robert Schomburgh discovered in British Guiana; the Samauma (Eriodendron Samauma)and the Massaranduba, or Cow tree.The last-mentioned is the most remarkable.We had already heard a good deal about this tree, and about its producing from its bark a copious supply of milk as pleasant to drink as that of the cow.We had also eaten its fruit in Para, where it is sold in the streets by negro market women;and had heard a good deal of the durableness in water of its timber.We were glad, therefore, to see this wonderful tree growing in its native wilds.It is one of the largest of the forest monarchs, and is peculiar in appearance on account of its deeply-scored reddish and ragged bark.A decoction of the bark, Iwas told, is used as a red dye for cloth.A few days afterwards we tasted its milk, which was drawn from dry logs that had been standing many days in the hot sun, at the saw-mills.It was pleasant with coffee, but had a slight rankness when drunk pure;it soon thickens to a glue, which is excessively tenacious, and is often used to cement broken crockery.I was told that it was not safe to drink much of it, for a slave had recently nearly lost his life through taking it too freely.
In some parts of the road ferns were conspicuous objects.But Iafterwards found them much more numerous on the Maranham road, especially in one place where the whole forest glade formed a vast fernery; the ground was covered with terrestrial species, and the tree trunks clothed with climbing and epiphytous kinds.Isaw no tree ferns in the Para district; they belong to hilly regions; some occur, however, on the Upper Amazons.
Such were the principal features in the vegetation of the wilderness; but where were the flowers? To our great disappointment we saw none, or only such as were insignificant in appearance.Orchids are very rare in the dense forests of the low lands.I believe it is now tolerably well ascertained that the majority of forest trees in equatorial Brazil have small and inconspicuous flowers.Flower-frequenting insects are also rare in the forest.Of course they would not be found where their favourite food was wanting, but I always noticed that even where flowers occurred in the forest, few or no insects were seen upon them.In the open country or campos of Santarem on the Lower Amazons, flowering trees and bushes are more abundant, and there a large number of floral insects are attracted.The forest bees of South America belonging to the genera Melipona and Euglossa are more frequently seen feeding on the sweet sap which exudes from the trees or on the excrement of birds on leaves, rather than on flowers.
We were disappointed also in not meeting with any of the larger animals in the forest.There was no tumultuous movement, or sound of life.We did not see or hear monkeys, and no tapir or jaguar crossed our path.Birds, also, appeared to be exceedingly scarce.We heard, however, occasionally, the long-drawn, wailing note of the Inambu, a kind of partridge (Crypturus cincreus?);and, also, in the hollows on the banks, of the rivulets, the noisy notes of another bird, which seemed to go in pairs, amongst the tree-tops, calling to each other as they went.These notes resounded through the wilderness.Another solitary bird had a most sweet and melancholy song; it consisted simply of a few notes, uttered in a plaintive key, commencing high, and descending by harmonic intervals.It was probably a species of warbler of the genus Trichas.All these notes of birds are very striking and characteristic of the forest.
I afterwards saw reason to modify my opinion, founded on these first impressions, with regard to the amount and variety of animal life in this and other parts of the Amazonian forests.
