Page:The naturalist on the River Amazons 1863 v2.djvu/180

 which, salted, forms the staple food of all classes in most parts of the Lower Amazons country. It darted past with great speed close to the surface of the water, exhibiting its ornamental coat of mail, the extremely large, broad scales being margined with bright red. One of the Indians seized a harpoon and, jumping into the montaria, was after it in a moment. He killed it at the distance of a few yards, as it was plunging amongst the entangled beds of grass. The fish was a nearly full-grown one, measuring eight feet in length and five in girth, and supplied us all with two plentiful meals. The best parts only were cooked, the rest being thrown most improvidently to the vultures. The Indian name Pirarucú, or Anatto fish (from Pira, fish; and urucú, anatto or red), is in allusion to the red colour of the borders of its scales, and is a sample of the figurative style of nomenclature of the Tupí nation.

Notwithstanding the hard fare, the confinement of the canoe, the trying weather,—frequent and drenching rains with gleams of fiery sunshine,—and the woful desolation of the river scenery, I enjoyed the voyage on the whole. We were not much troubled by mosquitoes, and therefore passed the nights very pleasantly, sleeping on deck wrapped in blankets or old sails. When the rains drove us below we were less comfortable, as there was only just room in the small cabin for three of us to lie close together, and the confined air was stifling. I became inured to the Piums in the course of the first week; all the exposed parts of my body, by that time, being so closely covered with black punctures that the