[Part 1] Chapter 1 Mr. Miguel and his two colleagues It seems that this argument between you two is endless, Mr. Miguel interjected between the two people who were blushing. yeah no end, says mr felipe, unless i surrender to mr varinas' point I will never bow to the views of Mr. Felipe!Mr Varinas countered. These two obstinate and learned men had been quarreling for three full hours over the Orinoco, a famous river in South America and the main artery of Venezuela.The two disagreed over its tributaries: if the first stretch of the Orinoco flowed from east to west, as shown on recently published maps, the Atabab should not be called Its tributaries are its true source; and if it is southwest|northeast, then the Guaviare is the true source of the Orinoco.

It was the Atabab that would later become the Orinoco, Felipe asserted with certainty. It should be the Guaviare River!Varinas did not show any weakness. As for Mr. Miguel, he agrees with modern geographers that the Orinoco originates in Venezuela near Brazil and British Guyana, so that the entire Orinoco is in Venezuela, but Miguel Gale can't convince the two friends. No, one insisted that the Orinoco River originated in the Andes Mountains in Colombia, and the so-called Guaviare River, the so-called tributary you mentioned, was later the Orinoco River, with its upper reaches in Colombia and its lower reaches in Venezuela.

Wrong, the other said that the Atababu River was the Orinoco River later, not the Guaviare River. Hey!My friends, said Miguel, I still prefer to believe that this one of the most beautiful rivers in America flows only through our country! It has nothing to do with patriotism, Varinas said, just a fact of geography.guaviare, r. No, Atabab River!Felipe cut him off immediately. Both opponents stood up suddenly, staring at each other. Gentlemen, gentlemen!Miguel, who has always been good at mediating disputes, said repeatedly. The loud quarrel in the house continued.A map hangs on the wall, with Venezuela at the center. This Spanish-speaking American country covers an area of ​​972,000 square kilometers. The vicissitudes of history have greatly changed its appearance.In 1499, accompanied by the Florentine Amerigo.Hoyeda, a Vespucci explorer, discovered a small town when he docked in Maracaibo Bay. Its houses were raised on pillars, because the bottom was all lagoons, not solid land.Hoyeda named the town Venezuela, which means small Venice.Simon.After the War of Independence led by Bolivar, the Governor's Palace was established in Caracas.In 1839, Colombia separated from Venezuela, which became an independent republic.The map on the wall shows the territory of Venezuela as a republic.Several colored lines divide the Orinoco region into three provinces: Varinas, Guyana and Apure.The ups and downs of the mountains and the length and breadth of the rivers in the area are clearly marked by hatched lines.Its coastline starts from the Antilles Sea in the west [Note: the Caribbean Sea.Translator's Note] Maracaibo, the capital of Maracaibo Province, is east to the mouth of the Orinoco River adjacent to British Guyana.

Miguel stared at the map.Judging from the picture, the views of Felipe and Varinas are obviously absurd.The map depicts a large river in fine detail, flowing in a beautiful semicircle across the land of Venezuela.At the first big turn, the Apure River flows into it, and at the second big turn, the Guaviare River and the Atabab River bring it the water source of the Andes Mountains, and the entire river The name is always this melodious Orinoco. At the junction of Venezuela, Brazil and British Guyana, the three South American countries, the 2,300-meter-high Mount Roraima seems to be a huge boundary stone piercing into the sky.From the map, the Palima Highlands next to this mountain is the birthplace of the Orinoco River.Why did Felipe and Varinas insist on going to the mountains of Colombia to find the source of the Orinoco?

It must be said that the views of these two geographers are not unanimous.Some brave explorers, such as Dias.De La Fuente, Bodadia and Robert.Chamboc traveled up the Orinoco in 1760, 1764, and 1840 and came near its source.The French traveler Xia Fangrong planted the tricolor flag high on the hillside of Palima, and the flag is the original silk stream of the Orinoco River.The testimony of these people can be said to be authoritative enough.However, it is still questioned by some people who need more evidence.They may be said to be the heirs of St. Thomas in that they never credulously followed.

It would be an exaggeration, however, to say that in 1893 the issue was a keen concern of the local population.Two years ago, that is, in 1891, Spain took the initiative to delineate the dividing line between Colombia and Venezuela, a section of which was bounded by the main stem of the Orinoco River, while the border between Brazil and Venezuela was earlier. It has been delineated, so there is no need for further investigation of the Orinoco due to considerations in this regard.The river basin has a total population of 2.25 million, including 325,000 naturalized Indians or still living in forests and grasslands and 50,000 blacks, as well as mixed blood, whites and the continuous influx of British, Italian, Dutch, French, German and other countries.There is no doubt that the Orinoco is of interest to a very small minority of the entire population.Like the two Venezuelans before us, Varinas insists that the Guaviare River is the true source of the Orinoco, while Felipe maintains that the Atababu River is the later Orinoco River .They each have several supporters who will help them when necessary.

Don't think that Mr. Miguel and his two colleagues are stubborn old pedants with bald head and white beard who spend all day in the pile of books.no!The three of them are very knowledgeable and enjoy a certain reputation at home and abroad.Mr. Miguel, at forty-five, was the oldest of the three. The other two were a few years younger, and they were both dynamic and passionate men, marked by Basque blood.The great Bolivar is Basque, and most of the white people in Venezuela are also Basque, sometimes Basque mixed with Corsican or Indian, but they never marry blacks. The three geographers meet every day in the library of the University of Ciudad Bolivar.Varinas and Felipe were determined not to bother with that topic before they met each time, but they couldn't help arguing soon after they met. The French Xia Fangrong's investigation seemed to be conclusive, but the two still insisted Own opinion, defending their Atabab or Guaviare.

At the beginning of this story, we have already experienced the confrontation between the two. The dispute is still going on and has the potential to escalate. Miguel is really powerless to calm down the quarrel between the two colleagues. Miguel is tall, with aristocratic facial features, a brown beard mixed with a few silver strands, and a tall horn-shaped hat like the one worn by Bolivar, the father of South American independence.All this makes him look authoritative. At this time, he kept saying in a full, calm, and penetrating voice: Don't get mad, my friends!Whether it comes from the east or the west, it is always our Venezuelan river, our mother river

Now it's not about whose mother it is, Varinas snapped back, but to find out who is its mother, the Palima Highlands or the Colombian Andes Andes Andes!cried Felipe, shrugging his shoulders. Obviously, on the issue of the source of the Orinoco River, it is impossible for two people with different opinions to make concessions to each other. I said, dear colleagues, Miguel, who was trying to mediate, said, let's take a look at this map and find out: If the Orinoco River flows from the east as it is drawn now, what a beautiful arc it flows through , exactly a semicircle; if it really came from the Atabab or Guaviare rivers, it would be crooked and ugly

cough!It doesn't matter if it looks good or not!cried Felipe. As long as it faithfully reflects the original route of the process, it is enough!Varinas also said. Indeed, it doesn't matter whether the arcs that flow through are beautiful or not. It is not an art but a purely geographical issue. Miguel's argument is untenable, and he knows it well.At this time, an idea flashed in his mind, that is to add another point of view to their discussion.Of course, it is certainly impossible to bring the two opponents to an agreement, but when you lead two hounds away from their original path, they may jointly pursue a third wild boar.

Come on, said Miguel, let's discuss this in a different way.You, Felipe, firmly believe that the Atabab is the true source of the Orinoco and not just a tributary, as is commonly believed That's how I see it. You, Varinas, insist that the Guaviare was the later Orinoco My point is this. Well, Miguel said, pointing to the Orinoco River on the map, maybe you two got it wrong? Both are wrong?cried Felipe. Only one person was wrong, Varinus asserted, and it wasn't me! Listen to me, Miguel said, before you speak.In addition to the Guaviare River and the Atabab River, the Orinoco River has several other tributaries, which are not small in terms of length and flow, such as the Cora River in the north, which comes from the west. The Apure and Meta rivers, the Casiquiare to the south, and the Iguapo.It's all on the map, have you seen it?Dear Varinas, you believe that the Guaviare River is the true source of the Orinoco, and you, dear Felipe, believe that the Atababo River is.Then I want to ask you two, why is it impossible for one of the rivers mentioned just now to be the real source of the Orinoco River? This is the first time this kind of statement has been put forward, and it is not difficult to imagine that the two people on the other side listened to him in silence.From now on, the source is not limited to Atabab and Guaviare. Several possibilities emerged from the mouths of their colleagues. What should I do? forget it!Varinas said, this is a joke, Mr. Miguel, you don't really think so, do you? I am serious, very serious, and I think this view is natural, reasonable, and tenable, and it is entirely possible that one of the other tributaries is the true source of the Orinoco You are not joking!Felipe interrupted him. I never joke about geography, and Miguel's expression became very serious. On the right bank of the upper Orinoco, there is the Padamo River. Your padamo is but a brook compared with my Guaviare!Varinas said disdainfully. In the eyes of geographers, this so-called creek is as important as the Orinoco, Miguel said, and on the upper left bank there is the Casiquiare Compared with my Atabab, your Casigiare is but a ditch!Felipe spoke. But it is this small ditch that connects Venezuela and the Amazon Basin!Meta River at best a tap But the water that flows from this spigot, in the eyes of economists, is the way of the future connecting Europe and Colombia. Miguel's knowledge is too great for anyone to refute him.He went on to say: On the left bank, there is also the Apure River, a river in the plain, and boats can go upstream for more than 500 kilometers. Felipe and Varinas were unable to refute this assertion because Miguel's composure had silenced them. Finally, Miguel said that on the right bank there are also the Guqiviro, the Kaura, the Caroni Wait until you finish counting the names of the rivers in the basin, said Felipe. We start talking, and Varinas takes the conversation, arms folded, waiting for Miguel to finish. I'm done, Miguel said, if you ask me my personal opinion Is there any need to ask?Varinas said in an arrogant and mocking tone. I don't think it's necessary.Felipe said. But let me say, my dear colleagues, that none of these tributaries is the proper source of the river named Orinoco.So it seems to me that the Atabab, which my friend Felipe loves, is not the source You are wrong!Felipe cried out immediately. The Guaviare River that my other good friend Varinas pictured is not the source either Strange talk!Varinas yelled. My conclusion, Miguel went on, is that the name Orinoco applies only to the upper part of this great river that rises from the Palima Highlands.Its entire river is in Venezuela and does not flow through any other country.Neither the Guaviare nor the Atabab are but tributaries of it, which is perfectly acceptable from a geographical point of view I don't accept it!cried Felipe. I also refuse!Varinas echoed. The only result of Miguel's intervention was that the disputants changed from two parties to three parties, and Orinoco was inserted in addition to the original Guaviare and Atabab.The three of them quarreled noisily for another hour, and when they didn't know when it would end, Felipe and Varinas suddenly said at the same time: "Okay, let's go." Walk?Miguel hadn't expected to make such a suggestion. right!Felipe said, let’s go to San Fernando right now, and I’ll show you if Atababu is Orinoco, and convince you I, said Varinas, I will prove to you 100% that Guaviare is the real Orinoco And I, said Miguel, I will prove to you that Orinoco is Orinoco, if you don't believe me! It is under these circumstances that our three protagonists decide to go on an expedition.Assuming that none of their previous explorations had accurately determined the flow of the Orinoco, it is hoped that their expedition will finally solve this problem. And the destination they expected at the time was only the small town of San Fernando, Guaviare and Atabab all emptied into the Orinoco at this bend, and their mouths were only a few kilometers apart.If it turns out that both rivers are really just tributaries, Miguel is right and the Orinoco is restored for what it is. The decision, which was born in a heated quarrel, was immediately put into practice.It is not difficult to understand the sensation caused by this move in the academic circles and the upper class of Ciudad Bolivar, and the Venezuelan people are all excited about it. There are some people who are always hesitant and groping before choosing a permanent residence, and the same is true for some cities, such as the capital of Guyana Province.The province is located on the right bank of the Orinoco River and was established in 1576 with the capital at the mouth of the Caroni River under the name Santo Tomé.Ten years later the capital was moved fifteen leagues down the Orinoco.After being won by the British star Wolfe.After Raleigh was burned down, in 1764 it was relocated 150 kilometers upstream, where the width of the river was less than 400 tuises. Equivalent to 1.949 meters.Translator's Note], the city is also named Angostura, which means narrow.It was later renamed City of Bolivar in honor of Bolivar. The city of Bolivar lies about a hundred leagues from the Orinoco Delta.In the middle of the Orinoco River stands a large rock called the water level stone, which is used to measure the water level.Here is the dry season from January to May, and compared with the rainy season, the difference in water level is quite large. According to the latest census results, the population of Ciudad Bolivar is between 11,000 and 13,000.It forms a whole with the town of Soleda on the left bank of the Orinoco River, stretching from the Alameda Plaza to the dry dog ​​area, which has such a strange name because the terrain of this area is lower than other areas, often Flooded by the sudden high tide of the Orinoco River. There is an avenue that runs through the city, lined with public buildings, shops and covered corridors.A small shale hill overlooks the urban area, and houses are built on the hill.The farmhouses are scattered under the lush trees. Due to the change of the water level and the ebb and flow of the tide, some small lakes have been formed in the upstream and downstream.The wharf is bustling with sailboats and steamboats coming and going, showing the development of the river here, and the land transportation is not inferior.All of this is dizzying and pleasing to the eye. The town of Soreda has a railway linking the city of Bolivar with Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.This greatly facilitated the development of the export of cowhide, buckskin, coffee, cotton, indigo, cocoa and tobacco.This is another great progress in the export industry after the discovery and mining of gold-bearing quartz deposits in the Yuluauri Valley in 1840. Therefore, the news that three experts from the Venezuelan Geographical Society will go to investigate the Orinoco River and its two southwestern tributaries caused a sensation throughout the country.Venezuelans are naturally extroverted, lively and enthusiastic, and highly impulsive.Newspapers got involved too, and the three rivers each had supporters.The enthusiasm of the masses was also ignited.It seems that if justice is not sought for these rivers, they will divert and flow to other countries! Was this voyage against the current dangerous?Yes, there are dangers for the isolated traveler.This crucial issue seems to be a matter for the government to take the initiative to resolve.Venezuela has 250,000 troops, and never more than one-tenth of them have been actually used. Isn't it high time that a 6,000-man army should be allocated to the explorers, and at its headquarters light There are 7,000 generals.Not counting senior officers.Anyway, in Elisabeth, who is famous for introducing the cultural customs of various countries.That's what it says in Lecluse's geography book. But Miguel, Felipe and Varinas did not make these demands.They paid for the expedition themselves, and their traveling companions went to meet local farmers, plainsmen, crews, and guides along both banks.They will act exactly like previous explorers.What's more, their destination is San Fernando, the confluence of Atabab and Guaviare. They will not go any further when they reach San Fernando, so they don't have to worry too much about being attacked by the Indians, because the range of activities of the Indians Also go further upstream.The Indian tribes were independent and extremely rebellious, and it is not unreasonable that they are blamed for some of the massacres and looting in the area, as this did not happen when the Caribs lived here. Downstream from San Fernando, near the mouth of the Meta River, may they not encounter the unlawful Guaibs, nor fall into the hands of the Cuevas, whose ferocity is well known, a series of Notorious for their assassinations, they fled to the Orinoco. A month ago, two Frenchmen set off from the city of Bolivar. They traveled up the Orinoco River, passed through the mouth of the Meta River, and entered the territory of the Cuevas and Guaibos. They have not been heard from them since. The whereabouts of the people in Bolivar City are sweating for them. The upper Orinoco region is truly dire.The Venezuelan government is beyond the reach of such a remote area. There is no commercial activity in the area, and it is dominated by indigenous tribes.The Indians to the west and north of the river lived on agriculture and lived a settled life. For a living, take pleasure in plundering. Is it possible to control these wild and unruly races someday in the future?Will what does not work for the wild beasts of the plain work for the inhabitants of the plains of the upper Orinoco?Some brave missionaries have tried, but with little success. Among them was a Frenchman, a former member of a mission abroad, who had been upriver for several years.Has his courage and faith been rewarded?Has he converted these savage masses to Catholicism?No effort had been made to move their recalcitrant heads before, and is there any reason to believe that Santa.Had the heroic missionary of Juana's mission drawn these Indians to his side? On the whole, Miguel and his two colleagues would not have ventured so far up the Roraima Plateau blindly.But if the cause of geography required them, they would not hesitate to go on to the source of Orinoco, Guaviare, or Atabab.Their friends, of course, hoped that the problem of the source would be settled at the confluence of the three rivers, lest they risk further.And most people think that such an expedition is helpful to understand the Orinoco River. It receives water from 300 tributaries along the way, and the journey is 2,500 kilometers. At the mouth of the river, the mighty river flows from 50 A tributary flows into the Atlantic Ocean.