Chapter 4 Chapter 4 First contact

Las Bonitas was the seat of the military governor who governed the valley of the Cora River.The town is located on the right bank of the Orinoco River, basically built on the former site where the Altagracia Mission in Spain lived.Missionaries were the real conquerors of this Spanish-speaking America.Seeing that the British, Germans and French also wanted to go to the interior to preach to the Indians, they felt very uncomfortable, and some conflicts arose from this. The military governor was in Las Bonitas at the time, and he was an old acquaintance with Miguel. He heard that Miguel was going to inspect the upper reaches of the Orinoco River, so he hurriedly boarded the boat as soon as it stopped.

Miguel introduced two of his friends to the Governor.Everyone exchanged pleasantries.Miguel and the others accepted the invitation to have lunch at the Government House the next day because Simon.The Bolivar will stop until one o'clock in the afternoon the next day, so there is plenty of time. If you leave at one o'clock, you will be able to arrive at Kaikara in the evening of the same day. Except for the passengers going to San Fernando and the towns in Apure Province, all passengers will disembark at Kaikara. The next day, August 15th, the three members of the Geographical Society were going to the Governor's Palace.Before them, however, Sergeant Martial had accepted Jean's proposal, and the two of them disembarked together and started strolling the streets of Las Bonitas.

In this part of Venezuela, so-called towns are about the size of villages, with a few huts scattered in the shade, surrounded by dense tropical rainforest, with clusters of lush trees here and there, showing the fertile chiapa soil The trunk of the Luo tree is twisted like an olive tree, and the thick and hard leaves exude a strong fragrance; Richal means swamp, for the tree is so good at absorbing water from the soil that the ground under it becomes wet and limp. There are also Kopefera trees, Sauran trees, and extremely tall acacia trees with dense branches, fine and smooth leaves, and delicate rose-colored flowers.

Jean and Martial walked through the natural plum-shaped palm forest. Under the forest were bushes, and large clusters of mimosa appeared from time to time in the bushes. The color was so pleasing to the eye. Groups of monkeys are jumping and jumping among the trees, flying around.Venezuela has a very large number of monkeys, at least sixteen species, and although they croak loudly, they don't hurt people.Among them is a kind of howler monkey. Its cry will scare people who are not familiar with the tropical rainforest. There are countless birds active among the branches, chirping like a chorus of birds.Loudest of all were the Troupia birds, whose nests hung from the ends of long green vines.The little rooster on the lagoon is elegant, docile and very cute.A large number of gualhalo birds are generally called imps, hiding in the caves, and only come out at night.They feed on fruit, and they always jump up the treetops suddenly, as if there is a spring in their body.

The two walked deeper into the woods, and Sergeant Martial said: I should have brought a gun Are you trying to kill monkeys?let ask. Not trying to kill monkeys but just in case there's any beast here Don't worry, uncle!The beast has to go far away from the residential area to meet, maybe we will meet in the future so what!Soldiers just shouldn't go out without a weapon, and I should be banned from the barracks! Sergeant Marshall will not be threatened by this breach of discipline.In fact, cats large and small, such as jaguars, tigers, lions, ocelots, feral cats, etc., prefer to move in the dense forests of the upper Orinoco River.Maybe they would meet a bear, but bears are good-natured foot animals that feed on fish and honey.As for the edentulous animal called bradypus tridactylus in Latin [Note: diphtheria three-toed sloth] there is no need to be afraid at all.

After this trip, Martial only saw some gentle rodents, such as capybaras, and a few pairs of Qiliqi who were good at diving but clumsy at running. Most of the residents in this place are of mixed race, and there are also some Indians. They prefer to stay in their huts and don't like to show their faces, especially women and children. The natives of the Orinoco that the uncle and nephew later met lived in the upper reaches, and they were still far away.Those people are extremely terrifying, and Martial will never forget to bring his gun again. The two walked around Las Bonitas for a full three hours. They were really tired, so they returned to Simon.The Bolivar came aboard for lunch.

At the same time, Miguel, Felipe and Varinas were in the Governor's Palace and were also sitting at the table. Although the food is not rich, of course, to be honest, we can't expect a governor to treat guests with the same specifications as the President of the Republic of Venezuela. The guests were still very warmly entertained.During the meeting, the three geographers naturally talked about the goals set for themselves. The cautious governor was still reluctant to say which one he supported among the three rivers of Orinoco, Guaviare and Atabab. .It was important not to allow the conversation to develop into an argument, so on several occasions he diverted the discussion to another topic in good time.

When the voices of Felipe and Varinas got higher and higher, full of provocation, the governor quickly interjected and said: Gentlemen, do you know that in Simon.Did any of the passengers on the Bolivar want to go upriver to the Orinoco? We don't know, Miguel said, but it looks like most of the passengers either disembarked at Kekara or traveled up the Apure River to some place in Colombia The two Frenchmen were probably going up the Orinoco.Varinas said. Two Frenchmen?asked the governor. Yes, said Felipe, the old and the young, on the boat from Bolivar. Where are they going? Nobody knows, said Miguel, they're not the ones to tell, you try to talk to the young one and the old one blows his beard and stares, he looks like he's from the army.If you don't leave, he will send the young man back to his room without any ceremony.The two of them seem to be uncles and nephews.

I feel sorry for the boy, who is under the supervision of the old man.Varinas said, it is too much for such a strict child, I have seen him cry more than once. Yes, sharp-eyed Varinus was right!But the reason why Jean's eyes were moist was because he thought of the future, the goal he pursued, and the disappointment that might be waiting for him, not because Martial was rude to him.But it's easy to get it wrong from an outsider's perspective. In any case, said Miguel, tonight we will know for sure whether the two Frenchmen intend to go up the Orinoco.I wouldn't be surprised if it was, because the young man has been reading the book written by his compatriot, who had been to Heyuan a few years ago

If the source of the river is here, in the Palima Heights Felipe suddenly cried out, as a supporter of the Atabab River, he was eager to express reservations. If the source is not in the Andes?Varinas also cries, not where the important tributary Guaviare arises The governor knew that the debate was about to start again, and it would be more violent. Gentlemen, he said to his guests, I am very interested in this uncle and nephew you speak of.If they don't disembark at Kaicara, or go to San Fernando or Nutrias on Apure, in a word, if they intend to go on up the Orinoco, I'd like to know where they come from. For what purpose, the French are adventurous, I admit it, they are bold explorers, but they have lost more than one life in South America Companion Francois.Birbon died in Moitako, and now he can't even find the grave. Xia Fangrong has indeed reached the source of the Orinoco River.

Who knew if that was the Orinoco!Varinas will not let this argument go without a strong rebuttal. Yes, if it is indeed the Orinoco, said the Governor, and when you have completed this journey, gentlemen, the question of geography will be completely settled.What I was talking about just now is that although Xia Fangrong was able to return safely, he still risked being killed more than once like those explorers before him.To be honest, it seems that our magnificent river in Venezuela is very attractive to them French, let alone Simon.Frenchman among the passengers on the Bolivar Yes, that's right, Miguel went on to say that a few weeks ago two indomitable Frenchmen went on an expedition in the steppe, east of the Orinoco River. As Mr. Miguel said, the governor said, I met them here, both of them were young, about twenty-five to thirty years old, one named Jacques.Ai Luohe, explorer, one named Germain.Paterna, one of those naturalists who risk their lives to find a new herb You haven't heard from them since then?Felipe asked. No news, gentlemen.All I know is that they got into a canoe at Kecara, that they were seen at Buenavista, and that they went to Urbana, and from there they went along a fork on the right bank of the Orinoco. superior.But after that stop, no one heard from them again, and what people were worried about might have happened! Hopefully, said Miguel, the two explorers did not fall into the hands of the Kivas, who were rapacious and murderous.The Colombian authorities have driven all their tribes to Venezuela. It is said that their current leader is Alfaniz, who escaped from the prison of Cayenne convicts. Is this true?Felipe asked. There seems to be no doubt, I hope none of you will run into the Kivas, gentlemen, said the Governor, and after all, the two Frenchmen may not have fallen into any trap, and their journey, though adventurous, has gone well. All right, maybe one day they will come back from a certain village on the right bank.May they be as successful as their compatriot Xia Fangrong!There is also often mentioned a missionary who went farther east, a Spaniard, Father Esperante, who stopped briefly at San Fernando before resolutely heading towards the Biorinoco River. Advance farther from the source That's not the real Orinoco!Felipe and Varinas shouted at the same time. Then the two looked at their colleagues challengingly, and Miguel nodded slightly and said: If you say no, then no, dear guys! Miguel then said to the governor: I seem to have heard that this missionary has formed a missionary base Yes Santa.Juana's mission, in the area around Roraima, is said to be developing very well. What a mission Miguel said. In particular, the governor said, their subjects were the most savage of the Indian tribes that roam the South-East, the Guaharib.It can be said to be the lowest member of the human family!It is no easy task to indoctrinate them, convert them to Catholicism, in a word, regenerate them!To accomplish such a humanitarian feat, the courage, patience and dedication required are unimaginable.It is necessary to have the virtues of a saint. In the first few years when Father Esperante went to preach, no one heard of him. In 1888, when the Frenchman Xia Fangrong went to the source to investigate, no one heard of him. In fact, Santa.Mission Juana is located near the source The Governor did not say near the headwaters of the Orinoco, so as not to provoke controversy. However, he went on to say that he was known about his whereabouts in San Fernando two years ago and that, according to his own account, he was doing very well as a missionary among the Guaharib people. Until the end of the lunch, the topic was related to the area where the middle reaches of the Orinoco River flowed. There was no dispute about the middle reaches. People talked about the status quo of the Indians. Some were initially tamed, and some completely obeyed the rule. , that is, naturalized civilization.The governor of the Kaura River region provided details about these natives, although Miguel was already so knowledgeable in geography, these details were unknown to him.In short, the conversation did not turn into a quarrel, and Felipe and Varinas were always calm. When it was almost noon, the guests left the table and returned to Simon.The Bolivar will leave again at one o'clock in the afternoon. Martial's uncle and nephew have not disembarked since they returned to the ship for dinner. Martial was smoking a pipe at the back of the upper deck, and saw Miguel and his party walking towards the steamboat from a distance. The Governor was among them, and wishing to say goodbye to his friends one more time before the steamer weighed anchor, he boarded with them and went out onto the light deck. Martial said to Jean: This governor is at least a general, although he is not wearing a uniform but a waistcoat, and a straw hat instead of a two-cornered hat, and there is no medal on his chest. It's possible what you said, Uncle. A general who has no soldiers under him, there are so many such generals in South American countries! He seems to have a brain.said the boy. Maybe, but his curiosity was more obvious, Martial said, because the way he looked at us made me not like that much, to be honest, not at all! Indeed, the Viceroy stared intently at the two Frenchmen whom he had been told about during the dinner. It wasn't the two men who took Simon's ride that aroused the governor's curiosity.He did not want to know the motives for the Bolivar's trip, whether they would stay in Kekara or continue along the Apure or Orinoco.The problem was that river expeditions were usually done by adults, like the two men who had been to Las Bonitas a few weeks earlier and hadn't heard from Urbana since.As for the two people in front of me, one is a boy in his sixteenth or seventeenth year, and the other is a veteran in his sixties. It is hard to imagine that their trip is for scientific research. In any case, even in Venezuela, a small and weak country, a governor should have the right to question the motives and purposes of those who come to the land under his jurisdiction, to ask the necessary questions, at least informally. So the governor walked towards the rear of the light deck while talking with Miguel.Both Varinas and Felipe were busy in their respective rooms, and only Miguel was with the Governor. Sergeant Marshall immediately understood the other party's intentions. Notice!He said if the general wanted to contact us, he would definitely ask who we are and why we are here and where we are going Well then, my good Martial, we don't have to hide it from him.let answer. I don't want anyone to meddle in my business, I'm going to send him away Are you trying to get us into trouble, uncle?The boy grabbed him and asked. I don't want people to talk to you, I don't want to see people around you As for me, I don't want to see our trip ruined because you're so dumb!Jean resolutely said that if the Governor of the Kaura River District asked me anything, I would not refuse to answer it, and I even wanted to get some information from him. Sergeant Marshall muttered, took a few puffs of his pipe, and walked towards his nephew. The governor had already spoken, and he asked in Spanish: Are you French? Yes, Mr. Governor.Hats off to Jean, who is fluent in Spanish. Where is your companion? My uncle is French like me, a retired non-commissioned officer. Although Martial's Spanish is not very good, he can tell that he is speaking himself.He straightened up immediately, thinking that a sergeant ranked seventy-second in the ranks was on the same level as a Venezuelan general, even if the general was the governor of a certain region. Permit me to ask, my young friend, said the governor again, whether your destination is farther than Kekara? Yes, farther, Mr. Governor.let answer. Do you go Orinoco or Apure? Go to Orinoco. All the way to San Fernando at the mouth of the Atabab? As far as San Fernando, Mr. Governor, we will inquire about some things there, and if necessary, we will go upriver. Both the governor and Mr. Miguel were amazed by the boy's calm and clear speech, and both of them obviously had a good impression of the boy. But Sergeant Marshall couldn't bear such an obvious favor, and he also opposed it.He couldn't allow people to look at his nephew so closely, no matter whether they were strangers or acquaintances, he didn't want to see people being fascinated by his nephew's innate charm. What annoyed him even more was that Miguel I made no secret of my love for the boy.That's all for the governor, he had to stay in Las Bonitas anyway, and Miguel was Simon.Passengers on the Bolivar, and more than that, he will go all the way back to San Fernando. If he gets to know Jean, it will be difficult to stop their further exchanges in the future. Traveling companions on a long journey will inevitably become familiar with each other . As for why this doesn't work, you have to ask Sergeant Martial. There are certain dangers in sailing on the Orinoco River. The two uncles and nephews make friends with a few influential people, so what's wrong with helping them when the time comes?Isn't this human nature? That is to say, but if you ask Martial why he wants to avoid close relationships with these people, he will just say something rudely, because I am not happy!That's it, I won't say anything else, and I can't ask it. At present, there is no way to drive out the governor, so he can only let the boy continue the conversation. The governor was very interested in the purpose of the trip of the uncle and nephew. Are you going to San Fernando?he asks. Yes, Mr. Governor. why go there? To find out the news. News about whom? About Colonel Kellmer. Colonel Kellmer?The governor said, this is the first time I have heard this name, since Mr. Xia Fangrong passed by San Fernando, I have not heard of any French people who have been there Colonel Kellmer had also been to San Fernando, some years ago.said the boy. How can you be so sure of this?asked the governor. Because so says the colonel in his last letter to France, signed in the colonel's own name, addressed to a friend of his at Nantes Do you mean, my dear boy, that Colonel Kellmer was in San Fernando some years ago, said the Governor? Certainly, since his letter was dated April 12, 1879. This is strange! Why, Mr. Governor? Because I was the governor of Atabab at the time, I was in San Fernando, and if a Frenchman like Colonel Kellmer went there, I would go and find out, but I don't remember that there was such a thing I have no impression of anything The governor's clear answer shocked the boy greatly.The excited expression he had just talked to disappeared suddenly.His face was pale and pale, his eyes were moist, and it took a lot of effort not to cry. Thank you, Mr. Governor, he said, my uncle and I thank you for your concern. Although you have never heard of Colonel Kelmer, he did go to San Fernando in 1879 because he sent The last letter to France was sent from there. So what was he doing in San Fernando?Before the governor asked, Miguel spoke first. As soon as this remark came out, the respected member of the Geographical Society was met with angry eyes from Sergeant Marshall, and the old man muttered: What are you asking!What does this have to do with him?It's fine if the governor asks, but the common people But Jean immediately answered the common man's question: I don't know what the colonel wants to do, sir, it's a secret.If God will let us find the Colonel, we will uncover this secret What is your relationship with Colonel Kellmer?asked the governor. He is my father, replied Jean, and I have come to Venezuela to find my father!