Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-05

B:RD SHOOTING IN ANaZoNIA.
varieties that are never found for sale: but in
spite of the greatest care, in cages lined with
cotton wool so az to exclude every breath of
cold air, they invariably go 20 the monkey
heaven at the first approach of wIuter.
MaeSIFIcENcE OF THE FORESTS
Tor days and days We steamed slowly along
between fat and mostly msrshy banks, gener-
ally alligator infested and always backed by a
dense wall Of verdure a1ame with gorgeous
flowers. Most AmaZonisn travellers complain
of the monotony of long voyage; but it has
never become so to us. We're there nothing to
look at but the splendid palms it would be
enough to keep us profoundly interested.
Among thousand varieties of those monarchs
of the tropical forests the assai palm is most
prominent, with its crown of plume-like leaves
and pendent punches of berry-ike fruit. So
compac. Is the thicket that YOU can seldom see
into it more than few feet, but the variety of
plant life is overwhelmingly great. However
much the early friars may have fibbed about
the beasts and reptiles and female warriors of
these regions of romance, they have never ex-
aggerated concerning the magnifcence of the
forests-simply because il is beyond the power
of mortal pen or tongue to do them justice. Be-
sides groves of towering palms that look like vast
halls set with Egyptian columns, there are even
taller trees, spreading over the rest thick roof
which looks like vast green umbrella There
are leaves varying in color from the lightest to
the darkest shades of green from pale yellow
TO black: trunks smooth as glass, or ringed and
furrowed all up and down. or twined with tam
gled network of vines, ranging from green to
gray. brown TO black, white TO dull red. But
the great mass of forest. at least that close to
shore, Is composed Of tall slim stems crowded
so closely together as to resemble q natural
picket fence. the whole completely covered
with the most splendid orchids and other bril-
liant fowers-a panorama unequaled through
out the great round world.
AN AMAzoSIAN HOME.
Though villages are few and far between
there are many waterside huts, isolated or in
groups, and after the first few DAYS we cruise
close to shore that we could almost talk with
their inhabitants. In every case the forest
crowds the casa close to the waters edge. and
a description of one Amazonian home will
answer for all the rest. with the sole exception
that in those places which sure to be sub
merged during "A greater portion of the year
the houses are set Up on stills. SO to speak, or
piles driven into the shiny ooze, each with its
little garden for the cultivation of mandioca
elevated IN the same manner. The frame is
made OF slender tree trunks, crossing each other
AZ right angles. with palm leaves woven in the
interstices and spread on top for thatch. the
oyeIhanglng roof covering a wide open porch
extending across the front. This porch, which
Is as deep as good apartment il the
most important part of the house, as it answers
for kitchen, dining and sitting rooms the in
terror being used only to sleep in or for shelter
during severest rains. The hard mud floors
are always cleanly swept, and one fruitful
source OF dirt and disease which is found in the
houses OF our own poor-viz, beds and bed
ding-is lacking here, the clean. cool hammock
slurS from the rafters being the universal and
orIy sleeping arrangement.
THE USDIsPUrED AMAZON.
The Ningu has two mouths, and we pass
through its easterly and wide- one and enter
the undisputed Amazon by way Of its narrow
but exceedingly deep western branch. Here
upon the left bank we the first high land
series OF densely wooded bluffs. perhaps 400
feet high. rising a short distance back from the
river. The captains Portuguese chart shows
three other distinct groups of hills of similar