"The natives hunt for turtle eggs by pushing sticks in the sand; if the stick enters easily it reveals the locality of the deposit, and a little digging brings it to light. It is estimated that not fewer than fifty millions of turtle eggs are taken every year on the Amazon and its tributaries, and some authorities think the number is much larger.
"The wonder is that any turtles remain. They are shot in the water or caught when returning from the banks where they have deposited their eggs; young turtles by the thousand are eaten by alligators and large fishes; jaguars and pumas seize them when they are travelling overland, to or from their nesting-places; and the birds of prey by no means let them alone. But they could get along well enough were it not for their human foes, which are the worst of all. The turtles of the Amazon will follow the fate of the buffalo and the salmon of North America whenever the country becomes fully peopled and the demand increases in proportion.
"The Indians have brought back many gallons of oil from turtles' eggs, which they made during their absence. The eggs are thrown into a canoe, and then trampled and beaten up by the feet of men and boys till the mass resembles a Brobdingnagian omelette ready for cooking. Water is poured into the canoe and mixed with the stuff; the oil rises to the surface and is skimmed off. Then it is purified over the fire and put into jars holding about three gallons each, for transportation to market."
[CHAPTER XVI.]
DOWN THE BENI.—PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.—PLANS FOR DEVELOPING COMMERCE.—OBSTRUCTIONS TO NAVIGATION.—VOYAGE ON THE MAMORÉ.
Negotiations for descending the river could not proceed with rapidity, as the Indians were in no hurry to get away after their return from the turtle-hunt. Everything among these people is connected in one way or another with a festival, and it was necessary to celebrate the success of the expedition with a period of rejoicing. The alcalde did his best, but though he possesses great power, an alcalde is not absolute in his authority at all times; it was finally arranged that the festivity would continue two days, and on the morning of the third our friends could hope to depart.
The morning came, but there were still many things to be done, and it was fully noon before the boats were ready. As there were no rapids to pass, it was decided to lash two boats together side by side and connect them with a platform. The tent could be spread on this platform, in addition to an awning of palm-leaves, to shelter the travellers from the heat of the sun and the not infrequent rains. Two of the largest attainable boats were taken and connected in this way. It proved an excellent arrangement, and the party was unanimous in recommending it to all future travellers descending the tributaries of the Amazon where they are not navigated by steamboats.
The rowers and pilots had little to do beyond keeping the raft (as we will call the combination of boats and platform just described) in the middle of the stream, where the current was strongest. There was a good deal of drift-wood in the river, but it was far less troublesome than if their course had been up the stream. Dr. Bronson explained to the youths that Madeira means "wood," and the Madeira River, into which the Beni flows, was so named by the Portuguese in consequence of the great number of floating trees that were met by the early explorers. The Beni contributes more than its share of this floating material, as the forests extend far along its banks, which are constantly crumbling away through the action of the current. In many places the Beni resembles the Missouri, and seems to be subject to the same forces of nature.