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Showing 61–80 of 5693 items
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Describes Santarein [Santarém], a low-lying town, with most houses only one story. Very abundant fish in river, staple of inhabitants. Made a “Zoological discovery” — a blue pig. Remember pub sign of “Blue pig” at Neath which we all thought was mythological? “No longer a fable...Let the people of Neath know I have seen in Brazil, a living breathing, live Blue Pig.”
ARW tells Agent of his travel plans and seeks information and advice. Planning to head for Matto Grosso, possibly into Bolivia. Perhaps will “get up the Rio Nigro [sic] towards the sources of the Orinooko [sic], ” will head for Montalegre. Oranges are fourpence a bushel. “The more I see of the country, the more I want to, and can see no end of, the species of buttterflies when the whole country is well explored.
Tells mother preparing for voyage to Rio Negro. We are first English to climb Monte Alegre. Explored remote cave, copied “curious writings on the rocks” inside. Indians dug up “water tortoise eggs” on river bank, which, with milk and farinha “made a very excellent meal.” Fired on “several immense alligators” in river. Have eaten alligator tail, parrot, and turtle. Met English botanist Richard Spruce here. Includes “enigma” riddle and a poem about “naked little children/with skins of every dye/Some black, some brown, some lighter/some white as you or I...a dozen such in family...Tis common in Brazil.
Spent 3 weeks at Montealegre, now back at Santarem nearly a month. Before leaving for Rio Negro, sending “small lot of insects…Lepidoptera.” Many new species, difficult to capture because they settle high in trees. Also sending Indian-made painted calabashes and small stuffed alligator.
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Living conditions in Barra [Amazonas, Brazil]. Doggerel about fishing: “Here we work with Net and Trigger/By the famous river Nigger” (Watertown) Puns on local words: “All the ‘redes’ (nets) possess a title because they’re Barra-nets.”
Delays in finding new canoe crews each few days to go upriver, arrived at Bara 30th of December; took 34 days from Santarem. Plagued by mosquitos until reached Rio Negro, which deserves its name: waters are “black as ink”, but mercifully no mosquitos. Staying with Sir Henrique Anthony; Richard Spruce arrived there previous evening. Impossible to send live animals from here, would not pay to do so. Collected more umbrella bird skins, bell birds, and two new species of anacaris [aracaris?] (small toucans).
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ARW's younger brother Herbert had joined his adventure in Brazil but Alfred left him in the City of Rio Negro, a thousand miles from Para, and “has started today on his long journey up the Rio Negro.” Herbert decides to spend two months collecting specimens in the area in order to repay ARW's loan and cover costs of passage home; plans to time his return to England to be with mother and sister at Christmas.
Waiting for a passage to England; clothes left at Barra to be forwarded; speculation on Spruce's plans, regards to Mr King.
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Received post from Mr Stevens — the safe arrival of his Rio Negro birds; regards to his cousins George Wilson and Percy Wilson, brother John, mother and sister Fanny. Has not been idle since arriving in Guia 3 months ago but unsuccessful in collecting specimens. Travels upriver with Indian hunters, living on farinha and salt; unable to find Gallos de Serra, insects, or other birds. Plans to enter Venezuela near source of Rio Negro, then up the River Vaupes or Isanna to make anthropological and geographical observations. ARW plans to publish illustrated volume on fishes of Brazil, illustrated volume on palms, and map of the "Physical History of the Great Amazon valley, comprising its Geography, Geology, distribution of Animals and Plants, Meteorology & the history & Languages of the Aboriginal tribes," including description of his collection of butterflies. Misses home.
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Henry W. Bates conveys to ARW’s mother news of the death of her son Edward (Herbert Edward), ARW’s younger brother, who reached camp while ARW was away upriver. He had contracted yellow fever; Bates was with him, obtained physician’s care, but after a few days Herbert perished from the “black vomit,” the most lethal form of the disease. Bates reports that Herbert was well looked after to the end.
“Little town of Sonora, Tuolomne County, has grown into a city.” No chance of me “settling down with a Wife” at present. Doing moderately well working in the mines (5-6 dollars a day); working at own company brings no cash, so must hire self out as ordinary miner during slow season; cannot “stand idle in California.” San Francisco had fire on 4th of May “destroying nearly the whole City;” last year Stockton also burned down, “but such is the magical influence of Gold that both Cities are now nearly the same as before.” About a thousand miners live and work in this vicinity.
Has left nearest town “to be a sojourner in the wilderness.” Speculating on an immense construction project; joined 160 miners to build a canal or flume made of wood 20 miles long in steep rocky mountainous wilderness inhabited only by grisley [sic] bears, deer, and coyotes. It will convey water from Stanislaus River to Columbia region, which is rich in gold but requires water to extract it. Labor is furnished by unpaid miners, who also pay for equipment in exchange for shares in the Company; when system is operating, they will pay for use of the water to work their claims. As the only Surveyor here, it fell to me to engineer, design, and lay out the whole project. “There is no place like California for freedom of action and scope for enterprise.” Longs to hear more of the Great Exhibition and the Chrysal [sic] Palace in England “as every American paper is full of it.”
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