Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Three Ships Together

The sudden event that nearly destroyed the town of Urbana was over.But Miguel's departure was delayed for another day.For since the two French explorers also meant to trace back to San Fernando, wouldn't it be better to go with them?In order to give them some time to rest and make preparations, they decided to leave the next day. Miguel, Felipe and Varinas all felt it was necessary.Uncle and nephew Martial supposedly had no reason to disagree.Jacques.Alloch and Germain.Paterna has her own boat and will not be a burden or hindrance to anyone.No matter what Martial thinks, it is definitely safer to go with three boats.

Besides, don't forget that they are still our compatriots.Jean said to Martial. Too young!Martial shook his head and muttered. Their stories sure sound interesting.And when they learned that their uncle and nephew were also French or even Breton, they eagerly talked about their experiences. Jacques.Eloch is twenty-six years old and a native of Brest. He has successfully completed several detection missions.This time he was ordered by the Ministry of National Education to investigate the Orinoco River Basin.He had arrived in the delta of the river six weeks ago. The young man is worthy of being an excellent explorer, brave and prudent, his stamina and drive have been tested several times, with black hair, passionate eyes, ruddy face, tall stature, strong physique, elegant Manners, everything about him is so outstanding.His face is dignified and serious, and he smiles at any time, which makes people feel good at the first sight.He never tried to please people, put on a show or show off, but people always liked him naturally.

His companion Germain.Paterne, twenty-eight years old, also a Breton, was appointed by the Ministry of National Education as his assistant on this expedition.He came from a distinguished family at Rennes, the son of a magistrate of the Court of Appeal.Both of Paterna's parents are still alive, and there are two sisters. As the only child, Ai Luohe's parents have died, and he has inherited a considerable amount of inheritance, which allows him to concentrate on the career he loves without any worries. Germain.Paterna and Jacques.Ai Luohe is a middle school classmate, the two characters are very different, but both have a strong will.Wherever Eloch went, Paterna followed him without a word of complaint.He has a strong interest in natural history, and is even more fascinated by botany and photography. When he takes pictures, he remains unmoved even under the hail of bullets, and the lens is still held steady. He is not handsome. But it is not ugly by any means. How can a person with a bright face and a happy life all day long be ugly?He is shorter than Elloch, and his body is as strong as iron. He does not know what it means to be tired when he walks. His stomach is so good that he can digest even stones.After Eloch's mission, he offered to be his deputy, and Eloch knew him well.He knew that he could never find a more capable and reliable companion than him.There is no set time limit for this task. Until it is completed, not only the main branch of Orinoco must be inspected, but also its tributaries. Even the small tributaries that are not marked on the map must not be missed. The focus of the inspection is on the middle reaches. until the southernmost point reached by explorers, San Fernando.

Two French youths started from the many tributaries at the mouth of the Orinoco River, traced up to Bolivar City, and from Bolivar City all the way to Urbana. They left their boats and luggage in the town and went to the river. In the east area, one carries a scope, a Grina brand inner hammer, and a repeatable carbine with a casing ejector, and the other carries a collection box and a good gun of the same brand. A pistol was in a leather holster. Jacques.Alloch and Germain.Paterna left Urbana for the lesser known Matape plateau.A group of Mapoyu Indians followed them with simple camping tools.After more than three weeks, they stopped moving eastward. At this time, they were 300 kilometers away from the Orinoco River. During this period, they inspected the Suapre River in the south and the Tortuga River (also called Xia Fangrong River) in the north. , surveyed and mapped mountain records and hydrological maps, and collected many new plant specimens.Fifteen days ago they set off for Urbana.

A series of unexpected and dangerous incidents occurred on the way home. First, the two young men were attacked by a group of Bravo Indians who wandered inland in groups. When they finally repelled the Indians, they had to retreat back to the Matape Highlands. underfoot.There, their guide and native entourage fled with their belongings.The two of them had nothing but research tools and weapons left.When they were twenty miles from Urbana, they decided to return to the town, eat the game they had caught on the way, sleep under a big tree, and take turns keeping watch. Forty-eight hours ago, after a jolt, the incredible migration of tortoises had arrived where they had been.The other wild beasts were driven forward by the group of turtles, blocking the road, and the two of them were surrounded and could not get out.So they simply stepped on the shell, and it was safe and advantageous to let the tortoise carry them forward, for the tortoise was also going to the right bank of the Orinoco.At first there were only a few monkeys around them, but after daybreak, not a few miles from the river bank, some wild animals that fled in panic rushed into the turtle group.The situation has become critical, and we must be on guard against these lions, tigers, and leopards. Several ferocious beasts fell under the carbine, while the black tortoises, like the crowds of people on the streets of a big American city, kept rushing towards Ori. The Noco River approached, when Jacques.Alloch and Germain.When Paterna fired the last few bullets, through the curtain of fire that protected the town, several houses at the entrance of the town were already visible, and the adventure of the two Frenchmen was over, and they finally returned safe and sound. And Urbana was also spared the fate of being destroyed under the claws of the tortoise. It can be said that the ending of the whole incident is satisfactory.

Jacques.Ailoher's narration is as above, and he does not intend to change the original route.He wants to and Germain.Paterna boarded a small boat together and continued his investigation of the Orinoco River until San Fernando on the Atabab River. Until San Fernando?Sergeant Martial frowned. Then don't go any further.Jacques.Elloch replied. ah! Martial's voice was more annoyed than satisfied. let.De.Kellmer's surrogate uncle is getting more and more unkind! Jean also told his own story, needless to say, Jacques.Eloch took a keen interest in Jean.A child as young as seventeen dares to embark on such a dangerous journey.Neither Eloch nor Paterne knew Colonel Kellmer, but they had heard of his disappearance in Brittany, and fate brought them together with the boy in search of his father. Man.Paterna knew a little about the Kellmer family, and he tried his best to remember something.

Mr. Jean, after the story is over, JacquesElloch said, we are very happy to meet you, since we are also going to San Fernando, let's go together.I hope you will find out the whereabouts of Colonel Kellmer in San Fernando.If you need our help, just say yes. The boy expressed his gratitude to his compatriots, while Martial muttered in his heart: There were already three geography people, and two Frenchmen came!hell!They too want to help us too!Be careful we must be careful! In the afternoon, the preparations are ready, of course this refers to the third boat, because the other two have been ready to go since the morning.The newly joined boat is called Moriche, the boss of the boat is a Baniwa Indian named Pashall, and the nine Indian crew members are also very good.The two re-acquired objects, Jacques.Elloch's heart aches when he thinks of the camping equipment stolen by guides in Matape Heights.And to Germain.As far as Paterna is concerned, it is enough to keep his full specimen box, and he has nothing else to ask for.

At dawn the next day, August 28, the three boats bid farewell to the generous mayor, Monsieur Marchar, and the inhabitants of Urbana. The venerable old man hugged the boy again. He hoped that when the boy and his father, Colonel Kellmer, passed by the Tigra Ranch on their way home, he could visit him and stay at his house for a few days. The old man kissed boy's cheek, said: Come on, my good boy, my blessings are with you, may God guide you the way! Three ships set sail one after another.The wind that blows gently facilitates the navigation of the ship, and has a tendency to increase gradually, and the speed of the ship can be further improved.The boat hoists its sails, says goodbye to Urbana one last time, and glides along the right bank where the current is gentler.

From Urbana to San Fernando, the Orinoco runs almost in a straight line from north to south.The two towns are located on two major bends in the river, and the longitudes of the two towns are similar.So the voyage will be swift, if the ship is continually caught up with the favorable wind. The three ships sail together at the same speed, and when the channel is narrow they file like barges on the Loire, and when the channel is wide enough they go hand in hand. The Orinoco is not too wide, but in the upper reaches of Urbana, large sand piles block the channel.This season, due to the rise of the river, most of the sand piles are submerged in the water, only the tallest piece in the middle is exposed, with green weeds growing, and it becomes small islands in the water. At this time, the boat can only circumvent them carefully. The sand island divides the river into four waterways, and in the dry season, only two waterways are navigable.

Whenever the distance between the two ships was a few meters, the passengers of the two ships would strike up a conversation, asking questions to be answered. The most talked about was the search for Colonel Kellmer, and the possibility of success, Jacques.Ai Luohe couldn't help cheering up the boy. Germain.Paterna set up his camera on the bow of Moriche's boat early on, and took quick-shot photography as soon as he found a scene worth taking pictures. The conversation was not just between Moriche and Garineta. The two French youths were also very interested in the investigation work of Miguel, Felipe and Varinas.From time to time they heard the lively discussions of the three geographers, not to mention the excitement when they observed new phenomena on the way and thought they would strengthen their arguments. Noticing the differences in the personalities of the three scholars, it is not unreasonable to think that Mr. Miguel is the most kind and trustworthy.Generally speaking, the members of this small group get along very harmoniously. For Martial's temper of a veteran who loves to complain and whine, Jacques.Ailoher even offered an understanding.

He even thought of a problem that even Miguel and the others didn't realize, and asked Germain.Paterna said: Don't you think it's strange that this grumbling old man is little Kelmer's uncle? Is there something wrong, maybe the father of the child is brother-in-law with the old man? That's possible, but you have to admit that their achievements are very different, one is a colonel, the other is just a sergeant This is true, Jacques is also like this now, and I am afraid it will not change in the future Well, Germain!In the final analysis, it is their own business that they are willing to be uncles and nephews. Jacques.Ai Luohe really saw it quite accurately, and felt that something was wrong. In his opinion, the relationship between the two was lied about for the convenience of travel. In the morning, the small flotilla crossed the mouth of the Kapanaparo River and its tributary, the Indabaro River. Needless to say, Miguel and Jacques.Elloch, the two archers, will not let any prey go unnoticed.Well-cooked wild duck and pigeon greatly enriched the cured and canned recipes. The scene on the left bank is quite novel. The rocky cliffs indicate that it has reached the foot of the Balaguan Heights, where the river is still 1,800 meters wide.Going up until the mouth of the Mina River becomes narrower and narrower, and the current becomes more and more turbulent, which may bring some difficulties to sailing. Fortunately, the wind was blowing, and even the crooked masts, which were actually the trunks with the bark scraped, were pulled low by the full sails.Generally speaking, the voyage was smooth, and at three o'clock in the afternoon, the fleet arrived in front of Mr. Marshall's Tigra Ranch. If the old man is at home, no matter whether he likes it or not, of course everyone wants to stay at least one day. When Ai Luohe and Paterna left here, they promised Mr. Marshall to come back later. If the old man is here, he will be determined keep theirs. While travelers don't stop here, they're eager to replicate the picturesque beauty of Tigra Ranch with them.Germain.Paterna took a very successful photo. From then on, the sailing was not as smooth as before. Fortunately, there was a tailwind and the wind was quite strong, so the boat was able to advance against the rapids. Otherwise, it would be difficult to take a step. The river with seven bends and eight turns is even more blocked and difficult to navigate. Thanks to the superb skills of the crew these difficulties were overcome and the boat sailed across the Kalipo River and arrived at the mouth of the Sinaruko River at 5:30 pm for the night. Not far away is Macupina Island, where the trees are dense, and the undergrowth is so tight that it is impossible to enter.Among the trees, there is a kind of palm on the prairie. A leaf is four or five meters long. When the aborigines build some temporary huts during the fishing season, they use this leaf to pave the roof. There are several families of Mapoyu Indians living on the island, Miguel and Jacques.Elloch chatted with them, and as soon as the boat landed, the two of them ran down to hunt for the game, hoping to find something. It is a local custom that women run away as soon as outsiders come.When they reappeared, they were already wearing long shirts, which can be said to be more decent. Just like the men, they only wore a piece of cloth around their waists, and their upper bodies were only slightly covered by their long hair.Among the many tribes in central Venezuela, this group of Indians is relatively outstanding. They are strong and muscular.It can be called the embodiment of strength and health. The two hunters worked together and finally got into the dense forest at the mouth of the Sinaruko River. After two gunshots, two huge American wild boars fell to the ground, and the hunters also called them Capuchin monks to a group of capuchin monkeys. Sent monks are the same word.Translator's Note] Several shots were fired, but none were hit. These monkeys, Jacques.Not as easy to pour as a piece of paper, says Elloch! 【Note】 [Note] capucins de cartes is a kind of children's game. Arrange the folded pieces of paper upright, push the last one, that is to say, they fall down one by one. Therefore, there is a saying in French, tomber comue des capncins de cartes, that is, one by one Falling to the ground, this passage is a play on words, all due to the polysemy of capucin.Translator's note Four-handed animals like monkeys are really hard to catch, Miguel said, I wasted a lot on gunpowder and lead bullets!never hit a monkey oh!That's a pity, Monsieur Miguel, the monkey meat is very satisfying when it's cooked! According to Rang, Xia Fangrong also mentioned this matter in the book: hollow out the monkey's internal organs, burn them on the fire, and then roast them with a slow fire according to the Indian method. It's even more delicious in your mouth. There will be no monkey meat tonight.The passengers of the three ships ate wild boar, Jacques.Ai Luohe sent a point to his uncle and nephew. Martial was unwilling to accept it, but Jean accepted it and expressed his gratitude to the other party. Our compatriot Xia Fangrong not only admired roasted monkey meat, but also praised the taste of wild pork. He even said that pork was the most delicious in the whole trip. He was right, Monsieur Jean Jacques.Elloch said, but since there is no monkey meat We'll eat crows!Martial took it and said it, and used it as a thank you to the visitor. To be honest, the wild boar called Boqiluo in the native language tastes really good, and Martial has to admit it, but he still told Jean that he plans to only eat what he brought in from now on. But, Uncle, I can't resist Mr. Alloch's enthusiasm. Too much zeal, my nephew!Besides, there is me!Let me meet a wild boar within range, and I can knock it down, no worse than that Eloch! The boy couldn't help smiling, and stretched out his hand to caress the brave Uncle Hunter. Thank goodness, the old man murmured again, this uneasy attention will be over in San Fernando.It's a pity that I have to endure it for a while! Early the next morning, the ship started while the passengers were still asleep in the canopy, and the wind continued to blow from the north. The three captains, Valdez, Martus and Pashaer, set off so early in the hope that they would be able to catch the wind in the evening of the same day. Rush to Caliban, about forty kilometers downstream from the mouth of the Meta River. The day's sailing was fairly smooth, the water level was high and the reef was mostly submerged, but the protruding tops sometimes formed branches, especially around a small island of the same name in the upper right-bank tributary of the Palguacha River.However, they do not pose much of a threat to ships. If it was in the dry season, this section of the waterway would be a rather difficult to pass rapids area, but its length is still relatively short compared to the Artures rapids section that the fleet will encounter in another 30 miles. The fleet sailed all the way past.There is no need to unload the supplies and carry the boat away, which saves energy and time. The landscape on the right bank is also different from the past areas. It is no longer an endless plain and hazy distant mountains. The terrain in this area has a lot of ups and downs, forming isolated round hills and strangely shaped Bangko. This terrain extends eastward. , until the foot of the mountain range, which is very different from the plain on the left bank. The line along the river on the right bank is like a small mountainous area. In this low hill, the Karishana hill is quite prominent, with strange peaks and rocks standing among the lush forests all around. middle. In the afternoon, the right bank leveled off again.The fleet moved to the left bank, because the only navigable channel in this section is the Caliban waterway on the left bank. The east of the river is a large area of ​​reefs and beaches, which used to be the habitat of turtles. The busy scene is no less than the banks of the Urbana River. However, due to lack of management, the local indigenous people are too greedy, and they hunt turtles and crack eggs indefinitely, resulting in a sudden increase in the number of turtles. At present, it is certain that the turtles will no longer come to lay eggs on the beach in this area.Caliban, located not far downstream from the mouth of the great tributary, the Meta River, has also been deserted.It has not developed into a prosperous town, but is just a small village. I am afraid that it will be difficult to do anything in the future, and it can only disappear among the dilapidated villages in the middle reaches of the Orinoco River. When the fleet sailed along the shore of an island called Tiger Rock, the passengers saw the famous music rock in Venezuela. When the boats lined up to the granite island shore, a string of clear notes came to my ears, which continued continuously until they became a beautiful piece of music.I only heard Martial standing on the bow of the Garinetta shout: Ouch!Which musician is conducting such a beautiful serenade for us? While the place is as Spanish as Castile and Andalusia, it's not serenading you now.The travelers seem to have come to Thebes, under the statue of Memenon. [Note] Memenon: A character in the myth of Troy, who was killed by Achilles.In the temple built by the Greeks for Amenophis III in Thebes, two colossal statues, including Memenon, were sculpted. In the 27th B.C. earthquake, the Colossus of Memenon was shattered. Every day when the sun rises, the statue will make music, which is called the singing of Memenon, and later the Roman emperor Septim.Sewell repaired the colossus, and the music ceased.Translator's note Miguel quickly explained this common acoustic phenomenon in Venezuela: When the sun rises, he said, the music we hear now will be louder. The principle is that these rocks contain a large number of mica sheets. When the sun shines, the air is heated and expands, and escapes from the cracks in the rocks. Then he moved the mica piece and made a sound. Hey!Jacques.Elloch said that the sun is still a good performer! Not as good as our Breton bagpipes!Marshall said. Probably not as good as the bagpipes, Germain.But it's pretty nice to hear the natural organ sound in the wild, says Paterna. It’s just that too many people listen to it!Martial couldn't help muttering.