Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven: The Mooring at the Village of Artures

At ten o'clock in the morning on September 1st, the fleet finally left the dangerous waters.How many people have been killed here by the ferocious savages, and the passengers and crew have escaped death just now. According to Mr. Miguel's thinking, since the Congress has voted to eliminate these evil Kivas, let's take action as soon as possible! I deserve this arrow!Sergeant Marshall said, pulling out the arrow stuck in his shoulder. Compared with the physical wounds, what made him more distressed was his dereliction of duty during the night watch. He only cared about the past and forgot the task in front of him.Fortunately, this mistake was not too serious. A soldier who was attacked by the enemy while on guard would not be sentenced to death. Moreover, we hope that this injury will not endanger the life of the old man.

As soon as the Kiva boat disappeared from sight, Jean told Martial to lie flat in the cabin to check on his injuries.However, it is not enough to just have love for my uncle and enthusiasm for healing him.You must have a certain amount of medical knowledge to be able to help, and the child does not know medical skills. Fortunately, as a naturalist and botanist Germain.Paterna also dabbled in medicine and carried a medicine chest with him Germain.Paterna was more than happy to heal Sergeant Martial, and Jacques.Ai Luohe naturally wanted to help. In this case, when Garinetta started again, there were two more passengers, Jean.De.They were touched by Kellmer's deep love for the veterans.

Germain.Paterna checked the wound. It turned out that the end of the arrow pierced the shoulder socket with a depth of three centimeters, but the tendons and nerves were not touched, only the flesh was punctured.Anyway, as long as the arrows aren't poisoned, there's nothing to worry about. But the Indians of the Orinoco often rub their arrowheads with a venom called gulare, which is made from the sap of mavacarre, a vine similar to nuxynum, and a few drops of the venom of vipers. It is formulated to have a black color and a luster like licorice juice, and is widely used by the aborigines.Humboldt once mentioned that the Otoma Indians used to apply this poison to the nail of their index finger, and they were poisoned between shaking hands.

Whether or not Martial is the poisoned arrow will soon be known.Because the poisoned person will soon be unable to speak, and his limbs, chest and face will twitch non-stop, but he will maintain a sober attitude until death, which is even more cruel for the poisoned person who is sure to die. Now let's see if Martial will have the above symptoms within a few hours. Although Martial was very upset when he thought that the relationship between the two ships would become closer by taking this opportunity, but Germain.After Paterna finished bandaging him, he still expressed his thanks.Then he fell into a state of drowsiness, and his companions were involuntarily frightened.

The boy asked Germain.Paterna: Can you draw any conclusions about his state, sir? I'm not sure yet, Germain.Paterna replied, if the injury is really not serious, the wound will heal itself soon. If the arrow is not poisonous, wait for a while, and we will know the result immediately. My dear Jean, Jacques.Ailoher said, just be optimistic Sergeant Martial will recover, and soon, in my opinion, if the arrow had been stained with Gulare, the wound would have looked different. I think so too, Jacques, Germain.Paterna said everything will be clear when the bandages are changed your uncle I mean Sergeant Marshall

God help me not to lose him!The boy murmured with tears in his eyes. No, my dear Jean-Jacques.God will keep your care, says Elloher, our common care will restore the old soldier to health!I say it again, have faith! As he spoke, he held Jean.De.Kellmer's trembling hands. Fortunately, Sergeant Martial slept soundly. The three boats lined up in a column and moved forward with the northeast wind. Miguel, Felipe and Varinas soon learned of Martial's situation and sincerely hoped that he was safe and sound. It is true that the ziva often use gurare to poison their arrows and blowpipes; but not always, for the venom is prepared only by a specialist, if that word could be applied to a savage.And it is not easy to find these experts on the grassland.So the greatest possibility is that there is no poison on the arrow, and Martial will be safe and sound.

In case Martial's situation is not good and they need to rest for a few days in a better environment than Garineta, the village of Artures is 60 kilometers upstream from the mouth of the Meta River, and they can go there to rest for a while. In fact, this section of the Orinoco River is full of rapids. If their boat cannot pass, they may have to disembark and delay for a week. However, since the wind is now favorable, it is very likely that they will be able to reach Ature before dark the next day. It's gone. The sails are fully up, so that the speed of the ship reaches the maximum. As long as the wind does not stop, half of the journey can be completed by night.

Jacques.Alloch and Germain.Paterna visited Martial several times in the morning. The wounded breathed evenly and slept deeply and peacefully. At one o'clock in the afternoon, Sergeant Marshall woke up, opened his eyes and saw Jean beside him, and smiled at the child.But when he saw the other two Frenchmen, he couldn't help showing an unnatural expression. Don't you feel more uncomfortable?Germain.Paterna asked. My husband, Martial, seems to be irritated by this question, and I don't feel bad at all!Isn't it just scratched the skin, what a joke!Don't you think my skin is as delicate as a woman's!It will be all right tomorrow.If you like, I can carry you up!besides, i was remembering

No you have to lie down, Sergeant, Jacques.Elloch yells, it's a doctor's order Uncle, the boy said, listen to the doctor and you will recover quickly, and then you will be grateful for the care of the gentlemen Just do it!Mr. Martial grunted like a big dog shrinking from a puppy. Germain.Paterna changed Martial to a new bandage, and the wound showed no signs of infection. If the arrow was really poisonous, the poison should have occurred long ago. Partially paralyzed. In a few days, you will be cured!Jacques.Elloch said. The two French youths returned to the ship parallel to the Garineta.

Now it's all set!Martial muttered, they are going to follow us, these two Frenchmen What do you want, Uncle, let's try to calm him down, why are you hurt? Of course, you're right, I shouldn't have been hurt, but these are all my faults and I can only blame myself. I behaved like a brat who just enlisted in the army, who can't even stand guard! When darkness began to darken on both sides, the fleet reached Vivola Island and stayed overnight.The sound of rolling waves in the rapids of Artures has been faintly heard from a distance. In order to guard against the re-invasion of the Kiwa people, everyone has taken strict precautions.Valdes first appointed a few night watchmen from the crew before allowing the others to sleep.Martus and Pashaer also arranged shifts for their subordinates.All the guns, whether carbines or pistols, were loaded and ready to fire.

Nothing happened all night, Martial slept until dawn.Germain.When Paterna changed the bandage again, he saw that the wound was already healing, and the scab would form in a few days.The possibility of poisoning has been completely ruled out. The weather was fine, with a fresh wind always in the direction of the boat.On both sides of the torrential Artures, the outlines of distant mountains are outlined in the sky. In addition, the river was split in two by Vivola Island, and the current was turbulent.Generally speaking, during the dry season, the rocks in the river are exposed, and the boat can only be unloaded and carried to the other end of the island. Fortunately, there is no need to make such a big effort now, and the three boats are pulled forward along the shore of the island with fiber ropes, passing Vivola Island.This saves hours from carrying the boat away.When the sun rose above the hills of Cataniapo on the right bank, the boat went on the waves again. In the morning, the fleet slid smoothly along the river bank under the hill, and stopped at Porto at noon.Rea Village [Note: It means Port Royal in Spanish.Translator's Note].The name of this small river port sounds good, but it is quite deserted, with only a few unremarkable huts and a small population. The village of Artures is five kilometers upstream.When the ship cannot sail, it is usually in Porto.Leah Village unloaded the boat and carried it there.The Guaibu Indians living in the village are happy to engage in this work to increase their income. After the two parties negotiated, the natives carried the things on their backs, and the passengers followed behind. As for towing the boat in the rapids The arduous task is left to the crew to do it. This section of the channel seems to be a narrow path cut between the steep peaks, about ten kilometers long. Due to the steep slope and narrow riverbed, the water flow is particularly fast.In addition to being narrow in width, the river bed is also layered according to Humboldt's words, and the large undulations of the terrain have formed waterfalls in the river.There are many reefs on the water surface, covered with green plants, and the stones are all spherical. Seeing them staying firmly in the river, people almost doubt the principle of balance.The drop between the upstream and downstream ends of this section of water is nine meters, and it is impossible to pass easily. The boat must be dragged forward step by step with a cable, so that it can pass through the reef and slide across the shallows that may change its position at any time.It is really not an easy task to stretch the fiber through the granite pass. If the weather is not good, it will not know how long it will be delayed and how much effort will be spent. Needless to say, the first thing to do is to unload the ship, otherwise no one can guarantee the safety of the items on board when the ship is towed.What's more, even if it is an empty ship, even if the crew is very skilled, very few can survive the rapids without any damage, and most of them sink to the bottom or are smashed out of shape. All the things on the three boats were removed, and they found the Guaibu people and asked them to transport them to the village of Artures.As for the remuneration, it was paid, as usual, in cloth, trinkets, cigars, and brandy.In addition, they wanted a few more coins, and the passengers granted their request. Of course, after entrusting their things to the Indians, the Fangkes would not go ahead boldly and go to the village of Artures to wait to meet them.The Guaibu people are not trustworthy to such an extent that it is far from worthy, so it is better not to test them.Usually they are not allowed to act alone, but as companions of passengers, and this time is no exception. Porto.The distance between Rea Village and Artures Village is only five kilometers. Even with a lot of luggage, they can walk there within a few hours.Luggage includes daily utensils, bedding, bags, clothes, weapons, ammunition, Jacques.Ai Luohe's observer, Germain.Paterna's herbarium and photographic equipment.But these are not a problem, the key is whether Sergeant Martial can walk on the ground at present?Is it because his injuries are not fully healed and he has to be carried all the way on a stretcher? . No!This former non-commissioned officer, as he kept saying, was not a delicate woman, and the bandage around her shoulders did not hinder her from walking.He said that the wound has no feeling, when Jacques.When Elloch reached out to help him, he said: Thank you, sir, I can walk very quickly without help. The boy gave Jacques.Ai Luohe gave a wink, which means that it is better not to make the old man angry, even if it is out of good intentions. Passengers bid farewell to the crew who stayed behind to tow the boat through the rapids.Valdez, Martus, and Pashare assured them that they would not delay for a moment, and everyone could absolutely trust the enthusiasm and drive of the ship bosses. At 11:30 in the morning, the passenger detachment departed from Bodo.Leah village set off. In fact, there is no need to go as fast as Martial is going to do, Jacques.Ai Luohe and the others had already had lunch before they set off, so there was no need to walk in such a hurry, just follow the normal speed, and they would definitely be able to reach Artures Village before dinner. The road, or both, the trail, runs on the right bank of the river.The village of Artures is also on the right bank, so just keep going straight without crossing the river.The left bank is a steep hill that continues upriver in the rapids.Sometimes the road is so narrow that only one person can barely pass through, and everyone will line up in a single file. The Guaibu people took the lead, followed by Miguel and the three of them a few steps behind, and then Jacques.Alloch, Jean.De.Kellmer and Martial, Germain.Queen Paterna. When the road on the river bank is wide enough, everyone walks side by side in twos and threes.Junior, Martial and Jacques.That's exactly what Elloch is doing at the moment. There is no doubt that Jacques and Jean have become a pair of good friends.No one, apart from the stubborn, nagging old Martial, thought it was a bad thing. Germain.Paterna slung his precious herbarium over his shoulders, and whenever a plant caught his curiosity, he stopped to take a closer look.The companions walking in front shouted at him from time to time to urge him to leave quickly, but he never finished watching. Walking up about a hundred feet from the narrow mountain road, it can be called a hunter's paradise. Miguel seized the opportunity and shot a howler monkey. The first monkey he was lucky enough to hit, Miguel was overjoyed. Congratulations, Mr. Miguel, warm congratulations!Jacques.Ai Luohe shouted, at this time, a Guaibu man ran out from the team to pick up the monkey. I accept your congratulations, Mr. Eloch, and I assure you that the skin of this monkey will be brought back by me to be exhibited in the Natural History Museum, with the following inscription: Captured by: Mr. Miguel, Geographical Society of Ciudad Bolivar member. As it should be, Felipe agreed. poor guy!Jean looked at the monkey lying on the ground, his heart was pierced by a bullet. It's pathetic, but it tastes delicious. That's what people say about Germain.Paterna said. It is indeed true, sir, Varinas said with certainty, everyone can verify it when we arrive in Artures tonight.This monkey will be the main course for dinner We're sort of cannibalizing Jacques.Alloch said jokingly. Oh, Mr Alloch!Let's just say, monkeys are far from humans No!I see nothing wrong, my dear Jean!Don't you, Sergeant? Yes, both can make faces!Martial replied, and Ai Luohe's expression at the moment really verified this sentence. There are more birds and animals.Wild ducks, wild pigeons, a host of other waterfowl, and especially a large powwa.It's a pity that it's easy to hit and hard to pick up, and most of them will fall into the rapids. The Artures rapids are probably the longest and most dangerous of the Orinoco, and constitute a natural wonder.We can imagine that the sound of the rumbling waterfall is deafening, the water mist is lingering on it, the rushing torrent pulls down the roots of the trees near the shore, washes away, bumps back and forth on the reefs out of the water, and the river bank is sometimes washed away A section, cutting off the narrow passage extending thereon.It is unbelievable that a ship can be towed from such a place without losing a few cladding, and indeed, the passengers of Garineta, Moriche and Maripare could only watch their respective ships arrive. That moment in Puerto Artures can really put your mind at ease. The passenger team traveled quite smoothly and arrived at Artures just after two o'clock in the afternoon. Artures at this time is no different from the Artures that Xia Fangrong saw five years ago, and according to Elisai.According to Lecluse's prophecy, these villages in the middle reaches of the Orinoco will not change for many years.There are no major towns along the way until San Fernando is reached.And beyond San Fernando it's almost all wilderness, even the vast Negro and Amazon basins. There are only seven or eight huts and about thirty residents in the whole village.The local aborigines still raise livestock, but looking upstream, there is no pasture for grazing.Whenever it came time to move the herd to graze elsewhere, only a few horned animals were seen. Miguel and three others, Martial and Jean, Jacques.Alloch and Germain.Paterna could only be divided into three groups, and each of them found a relatively better hut and barely settled down. Although the conditions in the small village are poor, it is not as comfortable as living on a boat, but it has a rare advantage that there are no mosquitoes!Why don't the all-pervasive mosquitoes come here?I don't know, even Germain.Paterna couldn't explain the phenomenon either, since Sergeant Martial didn't have to bother wrapping up his nephew when night fell. But while there were no mosquitoes, Nigua was surprisingly plentiful of a type of tropical flea.Harassing the Indians on both sides of the strait. Aborigines have always walked barefoot, and this kind of flea bite is very painful. The place where the bite will be swollen and high, you have to pierce it with a sharp thorn to reduce the swelling. This is not only painful, but also may happen Danger. Needless to say, for dinner, the meeting place was under a bush where the monkey that Miguel had killed was roasted over a low fire and shared as a main course Hey, cried Felipe, isn't it top-notch BBQ? It's delicious, and this four-handed animal, Miguel also boasted, can definitely become a famous dish on the European table! As I thought, Jacques.Elloch says we should be sending dozens to restaurants in Paris The meat of these monkeys is as fragrant as beef and mutton, which is not surprising, because they only eat plants, and the plants they eat have a strong aroma The hard part, though, Varinas said, is getting close to them, where you can hit them. We've had more or less experience, said Miguel, because, I repeat, this is only the first We'll get the second one, Monsieur Miguel, Jacques.Since we're going to be in the village for a few days, let's hunt the monkeys, said Elloch.You'll be there too, won't you, my dear Jean? I think my marksmanship is too poor compared to yours, the young man made a thank you gesture, besides, my uncle would not agree, at least not without his company Of course not, I don't agree!Martial exclaimed that he was glad his nephew had given him a chance to reject the Frenchman. why?Jacques.Elloch asked, is there any danger in hunting monkeys? Going into the woods in this area is itself an imprudent move, because it seems to me that there are more than just monkeys in there. Indeed, sometimes, I will meet the bear Felipe said. oh!The bears here are very docile, Germain.In addition, Paterna said, there are anteaters that only eat ants and honey and never hurt people! What about tigers, lions, and leopard cats? Do they only eat honey?Marshall didn't let up. This kind of beast is very rare here, Miguel said, even if there are, they don't come around the village, and only monkeys like to romp around in human settlements. In fact, Varinas said, in villages along the Orinoco there is an easy way to catch monkeys that doesn't require chasing or even stepping outside the house. any solution?let ask. Varinus said: Take a few gourds and fix them firmly on the ground at the edge of the forest. Make a small hole in each gourd. Can't get it out.Put a fruit they like to eat into the gourd. After seeing or smelling it, the monkeys can't help but run to it, poke their paws in from the hole, and grab the fruit.At this time, it was neither willing to give up the delicious food it got, nor could it free its claws to hold the fruit, so it could only grab it obediently. What, Martial exclaimed in amazement, can the animal come out without thinking of letting go? No it can't think of that.Varinas said. Isn't everyone saying that monkeys are very smart and good at coming up with ideas? Maybe, but their greed outweighs their intelligence.Felipe said. Stupid beast! It is not too much to call those monkeys who have been tricked.In the forests along the Orinoco River, the method Varinas said is indeed very common and effective. There must be something to do while waiting until the ship arrives.The boy told everyone that six years ago his compatriot Xia Fangrong stayed in Artures Village for eleven days and it took him eleven days to drag his boat out of the rapids.Their water level was higher this time, and their boats departed from Porto early in the morning.Leah set off, maybe it would take a little less time than Xia Fangrong did back then. In the next few days, the three Venezuelans and two French youths did go hunting in the plains around the village. Jean.De.Sergeants Kellmer and Martial did not go with them after all.The hunters did not encounter any beasts, at least they were not attacked by them.Only one tapir tried to get close, but Jacques was beaten.Elloch shot once, and before the second shot knocked him down, he fled quickly. Wild boars, deer and capybaras are easy to catch for hunters. If they harvest too much, they will be made into bacon or bacon according to the Indian method, which is enough for the next journey. Meanwhile, Miguel and the other five went to the caves in the Artures area to have a look.First to Monte Puenta, then to Cuculitare Island, where the unfortunate Dr. Criveau had been, and finally to Monte Los Muerto, where the shore cave was used as a burial place by the Piaroa Indians. .Miguel and his companions even traveled more than ten kilometers to the southeast to see the Stone Painting Mountain.This is a porphyry mountain, about 250 meters high. On the rock surface on the mountainside, there are huge texts and pictures carved by the indigenous people. There are a centipede, a man, a bird and a 300-foot-long snake. Originally, Germain.Paterna was full of hope to find some rare plants at the foot of the Stone Painting Mountain, which he thought was actually called the Stone Carving Mountain, but unfortunately he never got anything in this regard. It is needless to say that the travelers were exhausted by the many excursions.The sweltering heat was overwhelming, and although there were occasional torrential rains, it did not ease in the slightest. Such is life for travelers in the village of Artures.Daily lunch and dinner routinely bring everyone together and tell each other about their day's activities.Jean always listened to Jacques with relish.Elloch talked about hunting, and the latter was always trying to hold the boy's attention, so that he wouldn't worry and grieve about the future.How Elloch hoped that the exact whereabouts of Colonel Kellmer could be found out in San Fernando, and there was no need to continue to venture further afield! Every night, Jean would read aloud several paragraphs of Xia Fangrong's travel notes, especially the part about the village of Artures and its surrounding areas.What amazed Miguel and other geographers was that the Frenchman was very knowledgeable about the hydrology of the Orinoco River, the customs and local products of the Indian tribes along the banks, and the customs of the grasslands he came into contact with. The descriptions of explorers are so precise, detailed and detailed. Yes, if in case let.De.If Kellmer had to extend his quest all the way to the source of the Orinoco, the accurate information given in this book would be of great help to him. At noon on September 9th, Germain, who was collecting plants on the river bank in front of the village entrance.Paterna ran back to the village calling his companion's name all the way. There was no travel plan for this day, and everyone gathered in the largest hut in the village and waited for lunch. Jacques.Eloch rushed out as soon as he heard the shout. The others followed suit, all worried about Germain.What happened to Paterna, was it entangled by a beast, or encountered the Cuevas who were active near Artures? I saw Germain.Paterna, carrying the specimen box on his back, ran over by himself, waving his hands vigorously. Hey!What's wrong?Jacques.Elloch yelled at him. Our ship, friends! our ship?Miguel said. Already here?Felipe yelled. Not half a mile from here. Upon hearing this, all the people ran down to the left bank, turned a corner, and saw their boatman pulling the boat along the river bank with a rope. The bosses of the boats stood at the sterns of their respective boats, controlling the direction of the boats to prevent the boats from swaying left and right due to the uncoordinated efforts of the fiber pullers.After a while, the passengers will be able to talk to the boss of the ship shouting. Is that you Valdes?cried Sergeant Marshall. It's me sergeant, look, my guys are here too Nothing happened to the boat?Miguel asked. Nothing major went wrong, Valdez said, but it still took us a while! Fortunately, you finally arrived at Jacques.Ai Luohe said to Moriche's boat boss. Yes, it took only seven days to pass the Artures rapids, which is really rare. What Pashaer said was right, it had to be admitted that the Baniwa were indeed excellent crew members.The honest crew were all the more touched by the compliments of the passengers on their skill and energy, especially when, in addition to the verbal compliments, the passengers paid them a few copper coins as a reward.