Chapter 18 Chapter 3 Two-day stay in Danaco

Two days ago, the outline of the mountain top appeared in the eastern sky. According to the captain of the boat, Pashaer and Valdes, it was Yapacana Mountain. They also said that there are gods active in this mountain. In March, the gods will set a fire on the top of the mountain, and the flames will go all the way to the sky, and the raging fire will illuminate the whole area. On the evening of October 11, the two boats sailed to the foot of the mountain, only to see the true face of the mountain. It is four kilometers long, one and a half kilometers wide, and about 1,200 meters high. In the three days since the departure from Calida, the boat has been catching up with the wind and sailing unimpeded, and quickly passed the island of Luna and crossed the river under the dense palm forest on both sides.The only rapids encountered was a short stretch of river called Devil's Crossing, and luckily the Devil didn't get in his way this time.

The plain on which the Yapacana lies extends east of the Orinoco River.According to Xia Fangrong, the shape of this mountain is very much like a big coffin. So, Germain.Paterna said, how could it not become a gathering place for all kinds of gods and ghosts in mythology? On the opposite side of the mountain, on the left bank of the river, after Maveira Island is the residence of the Venezuelan government commissioner.The Commissioner was a mixed race named Manuel.Asancon.He lives there with his wife, who is also of mixed race, and a couple of kids. It's a very interesting family in general.

It was dark when the two boats stopped at Danaco, so late because Garinetta had suffered a little damage.At that time, it was caught in the whirlpool, and Valdez tried his best to prevent it from hitting the corner of the rock.There was a hole in the boat, but it was very small, and it would be fine to plug it with hay.However, for the safety of navigation in the future, it should be completely repaired. The location of the ship repair is naturally Danaco. The passengers remained at the foot of the south shore of Mavila Island all night without informing the Commissioner of their arrival. At dawn the next day, the boat passed through the narrow waterway between the island bank and the river bank, and approached a cargo loading and unloading point similar to a trestle pier.

At this time, Danaco has developed from a simple pasture in Xia Fangrong's era to a village. To be more precise, Danaco's development started a few years ago and is now gaining momentum.This is all due to Manuel.Asancon's intelligence and ability.He originally served in Guachapana, not far from San Fernando. In order to avoid the requisition of the governor of San Fernando, he offered to work in Danaco.Here he has almost unfettered freedom of movement, and that freedom has yielded fruitful results. Early the next morning, Manuel learned of the arrival of the two ships.He led a few of his men to greet the visitors.

The tourists hurried ashore.According to his own ideas, Jean took out a letter from the Governor of San Fernando to the Commissioners of the Upper Orinoco River and handed it up. Manuel.Asançon took the letter, read it over, and said in a rather proud tone: Passengers who stopped at Danaco in the past did not show such a letter, but they were still well received by me. Foreigners, especially French, are always treated with courtesy in our Venezuelan village. We thank you, Mr. Manuel, Jacques.Ailoher says we've got something wrong with one of our boats and have to fix it here, so we'll be bugging you for maybe forty-eight hours

A week is all right, as you please, sir.The Frenchman Truçon, who is gracious to all the planters of the upper Orinoco, has a warm welcome to his countryman Danaco. We had known for a long time that we would be well received, Mr. Manuel.Let's talk. How did you know that, young friend? For five years ago one of our compatriots was treated by you on his way up to the source of the Orinoco, just as you treat us today. Mr. Xia Fangrong!The commissioner called out, it was him!A fearless explorer who made a wonderful impression on me, along with his companion Mr. Musso. The impression you left on Mr. Xia Fangrong is also good, Mr. Manuel, let me say that he mentioned all the help you provided him in his travel notes.

do you have that bookManuel asked very curiously. Yes, let me say, if you like, I can translate the passage that concerns you. That's great.The commissioner said, reaching out to the passengers. In addition to praising Manuel.Besides Asançon and his house at Danaco, there is also mention of M. Truçon, who won great honors for the French on the upper Orinoco. M. Truzon came to this part of the upper Orinoco about forty years ago.Before his arrival, the Indians did not know how to develop and utilize rubber forests.It wasn't until he came that he taught the local people the rubber tapping technology, which made these remote areas rich by relying on rubber mining.This is why Mr. Truçon's name is so famous and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the province where the rubber mining industry is the mainstay.

Manuel.Asancon is about sixty years old, and still looks strong, with dark skin, intelligent face, and warm eyes. He is good at commanding and always making others obey him, but he has a kind heart and is very considerate and caring for the Indian workers in the plantation. The workers all belong to the Mariquitare tribe, one of the best tribes among Venezuelan indigenous peoples.The villages built around the plantations were also inhabited entirely by Mariquitare Indians. Immediately after the travelers had been allowed by the Commissioner to stay in the village, the order to repair the Garine Tower was given.The boat needs to be unloaded, towed to the sandy shore, and turned upside down to repair the bottom of the boat. The commissioner proposed to send a few workers for Valdes to use. With their help, the problem can be solved in two days.

seven o'clock in the morning.It is cloudy, but the clouds are high, there will be no rain, and the temperature is relatively suitable, not exceeding 27°C. A group of people walked through the thick foliage and walked towards the village about 500 meters away from the left bank. Manuel.Asanson, Jacques.Eloch and Jean went first, followed by Sergeant Martial and Germain.Paterna.The road under their feet was wide and well maintained. While walking, the commissioner showed the tourists the rich products of the plantation.Mango trees, lemon trees, banana trees, cocoa trees, and axe palms, which Marshall thought was aptly named, stretched all the way to the river bank.In the past, there are large areas of high-yielding banana orchards, corn fields, cassava fields, sugarcane forests and tobacco fields.Of course, we must not forget the rubber trees of the Euphorbiaceae family, the protagonists of the plantation, and the dunca bean dwarf, which bears fruits called sarapia.

Mr. Manuel said more than once: If your countryman were to visit here again, he would see how much Danako Plantation has changed, and our village has become one of the largest in the region. Bigger than Esmeralda?Jacques.Elloch asked.Esmeralda is a place further upriver. Of course, that town is abandoned, replied the Commissioner, and Danaco is thriving, and you will judge for yourself when you get to Esmeralda.Moreover, the Marikitare Indians are industrious and dexterous, as you will know by seeing them, and their houses are much more comfortable than those of the Mapoyu and Piaroa of the middle Orinoco.

However, Jacques.When we were in Urbana, Elroch said, we met a gentleman named Mirabal. I know I know!Manuel.Asanson said that he is the owner of the Tigra Ranch, a very intelligent person, and I have heard many praises for him.But in any case, his ranch will never develop into a town, and the village of Danako, which we are about to reach, will one day become a town. Perhaps, the Commissioner was a little jealous of Mr. Mirabal. What is there to be jealous of?Jacques.Alloch thought to himself. No wonder Manuel.Asançon spoke so proudly of the village of Danaco, but he was telling the truth.At this time there were about fifty houses in the village, to which the customary name of the Indian dwelling, the cottage, was evidently inappropriate. The houses are all in the shape of conical cylinders. The roof is paved with thick layers of palm leaves, and a pointed pendant decoration is made on the top. The walls of the house are tightly intertwined with branches and then painted with mortar After drying, it cracked one by one, as if the house was made of bricks. A door opened to the front and back of the house; instead of just one large room inside, there was a daily living room in the middle, with bedrooms on either side for the family members.This is really a big improvement for a family of Indians who live together with men, women and children.The same is true for the furnishings. Although they are still basic items such as wardrobes, tables, benches, baskets, and hammocks, they have begun to pursue comfort as much as possible. Travelers made their way through the village, observing the men and women of Danako, for the women and children here do not run away when strangers approach them. The men are handsome and physically strong. Compared with the previous attire with only a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist, their current appearance seems to lack a lot of local color.The same goes for the women, who formerly wore nothing more than an apron beaded with glass beads and fastened loosely at the hips with a beaded belt.Now, the attire of the villagers is no different from that of mixed-race or civilized Indians, and it will no longer make people feel undignified.Most of the men wore cloaks, and the women were also tightly wrapped, with only a string of bracelets on their arms and legs showing their gender. After walking about a hundred steps into the village, the commissioner led the guests to turn left, and after two minutes, they stopped in front of the largest house in Danaco. This is a house that is twice the size of an ordinary house, or in other words, a residence formed by connecting two ordinary houses side by side.It was built tall, with doors and windows.A hedge of sticks was built round the house, and a ring of palisades surrounded it, forming a small courtyard in front of the house.The trees on both sides of the house are shaded, and a row of thatched sheds are built on each side to store farm tools or serve as corrals.This is the case with the whole house. The guests were ushered into the first room of one of the houses.Manuel.Asançon's wife also came out to greet her. She was a Brazilian Indian mixed with a black woman.There were also the master's two sons, a twenty-five and a thirty-year-old, lighter-skinned than their parents, strong and cheerful. Jacques.Ailoch and his companions received a warm reception.The entire host family speaks Spanish, so conversation is effortless. Because the Garine Tower will take two days to repair and the sergeant and his nephew will be staying at our house, Manuel said to his wife, you get them a room, or two, depending on what they want. Two, if you have it handy.Sergeant Marshall said. Two, yes, said the Commissioner, if Mr. Elloher and his friends would like to live here too. Thank you very much, Mr. Manuel, Germain.Paterna replied, Our ship, Moriche, is in very good condition, we don't want to trouble you, we will go back to sleep on board tonight. As you please, gentlemen, the Commissioner said, we are not inconvenienced by your presence here, but we fully respect your own wishes. Then he said to his son: Call some of our best workers and go help the crew. We go with them.said the eldest son. When he said this, he bowed respectfully towards his parents, which is common etiquette in Venezuelan families. The lunch was very rich, with game, fruit and vegetables.After the meal, the commissioner inquired about the purpose of the guests' trip.Few before them came up the Orinoco, except a few merchants who went to Casiquiare, above Danaco, beyond which there was no business to do, No one but explorers would ever want to go to the headwaters of the Orinoco. The commissioner was amazed when Jean explained his motivation for the trip and why the two compatriots had joined him. So you are looking for your father?Manuel asked quite moved, and his wife and sons were also moved. Yes, Mr. Manuel, we hope to have his whereabouts in Santa Juana. Have you never heard of Colonel Kellmer?Jacques.Eloch asked Manuel. Never heard the name. However, Germain.Paterna said, twelve years ago, you were already in Danaco. No, we were still in Guachapana then, but as far as we know, no one named Colonel Kellmer has ever been here. However, Sergeant Martial also joined in, and he understood most of today's conversation. From San Fernando to Santa Juana, there is no other way to go, but to go along the Ordinoco River. The waterway is the safest and the shortest. Manuel replied that a traveler would not choose to go inland because there are often Indians there and it is not safe enough.Even if Colonel Kellmer went to the headwaters of the Orinoco, he must have gone upriver like all of you. Of course, when Manuel said this, the evidence was not entirely certain.It is indeed a strange thing that Colonel Kellmer sailed from San Fernando up the Orinoco to Santa Juana without leaving a trace! Mr. Manuel, Jacques.Elloch asked, have you ever been to a missionary site? No, the farthest east I've been is the mouth of the Casiquiare estuary. Has anyone ever told you about Santa Juana? Yes, it's doing well there, and their leader is always working with self-absorption. Don't you know Father Esperante? Yes, I met him once, about three years ago, when he went downstream for missionary affairs and stayed in Danaco for a day. What did the missionary look like?Sergeant Marshall asked. The image of Father Esperante described by the Commissioner is exactly in line with that of the Spaniard Horace.It seems that Holles is not lying, he did meet missionaries in Caracas. After Father Esperante left Danaco, Jean asked, you have no contact with him? No contact, Manuel said, but I have heard several times from the Indian population from the east that the Santa Juana Mission has new developments every year.What a wonderful thing this missionary has done, to the credit of all mankind. Yes, Mr. Commissioner, Jacques.Elloch also raised his voice excitedly, and credit to the country that has produced such outstanding figures!I'm sure we'll be warmly received by Father Esperante. Don't worry, Manuel said that he will treat you like his own compatriots. If Mr. Xia Fangrong had been to Santa Juana that year, he would also be warmly received by the priest. Besides, Jean added, the priest will tell us where our father is! In the afternoon, the commissioner’s guests visited the farm, where the fields are well cultivated, the fruit trees grow vigorously, the dense forests are often infested by monkeys, and Manuel’s two sons often have to fight wits with them, and there is also a vast pasture , the herd is grazing leisurely. This is the tapping period, and this year's rubber matures ahead of schedule. Usually, the tapping period starts in November and lasts until the end of March of the following year. Mr Manuel said: If you are interested, gentlemen, I can take you tomorrow to see what rubber tapping is all about. We would love to see it, Germain.I'll learn a lot from it, Paterna said But the condition is that you have to get up early in the morning. The commissioner said that my rubber tappers always start working as early as dawn. We will not keep them waiting, don't worry, Germain.Paterna said, can you do it, Jacques? I'll be up on time, Jacques.Elloch assured me, and you, my dear Jean? I won't miss this great opportunity, Jean said, if my uncle is still asleep by then. Then wake me up, nephew, wake me up, I told you!Martial replied that since we have come to the land of rubber, we should at least know how people pick it.Well, take that Elastic glue, sergeant, elastic glue!Germain.Paterna continued. This visit lasted one afternoon, and then people returned to the commissioner's house. The guests were seated again, and the conversation was chiefly about the trip, and the incidents since the departure from Kekara, such as the invasion of the turtle colony, and the chubas that had endangered the safety of the ship and the lives of the passengers. Ke Dafeng. Yes, says Manuel, chubasco, very powerful, quite common on the upper Orinoco.As for the invasion of turtles, we don't have to worry about it here, because there is no sandy beach suitable for laying eggs, and turtles are rare here, only a few sporadic ones. Don't speak ill of them!Germain.According to Paterna, well-cooked turtle meat sancho chu is extremely delicious, and who wouldn't dream of turtle and roasted monkey meat?You don’t have to worry about not having a tooth sacrifice on your river! That's true, said the Commissioner, but when it comes to Tubasco, you've got to be on your guard, gentlemen, they're always coming at their word, both up and down San Fernando, and with great violence, Mr. Jean, Don't let Mr. Elloher try to get you out of the water again. OK OK!Martial doesn't like this topic Hurry up and stop, we will be careful of Chobasco, we will be careful, Mr. Commissioner! Germain.Paterna said: And what about our other traveling companions, have we forgotten them if we haven't mentioned them to M. Manuel? Oh yes, let's say, the excellent Mr. Miguel, Mr. Felipe and Mr. Varinas. Who are these gentlemen you speak of?the Commissioner asked. It was three Venezuelans who traveled with us from Ciudad Bolivar to San Fernando. Are you a tourist?Manuel asked. Also a scholar.Germain.Paterna said. What do they know, these scholars? You're better off asking what they don't know.Jacques.Elloch said. What don't they know? They don't know if the stream irrigating your farm is the Orinoco. What, cried Manuel, how dare they question the question? One of the scholars, Mr. Felipe, believed that the true source of the Orinoco was the Atabab, while the other, Mr. Varinas, believed that it was the Guaviare. What audacity!cried the commissioner, what they call the Orinoco is no longer the Orinoco! Dear Manuel.Mr. Asançon was really angry.His wife and two sons were also depressed and angry, their self-esteem was hurt, and what they cherished most was insulted, which was the Orinoco River, whose name means great water in the Tamanac dialect. , more meaning the king of all rivers! So the passengers explained in detail what Miguel and his two colleagues were going to do when they arrived in San Fernando. So, this Mr. Miguel, what does he think?the Commissioner asked. Monsieur Miguel, he thinks that the Orinoco is the river we crossed from San Fernando to Danaco, Germain.Paterna said. It originates from the Palima Heights!The Commissioner announced loudly that he would like Mr. Miguel to come and see us, he would be warmly welcomed!Those two don't expect to stop at the farm because we'll throw them in the river and keep them well fed and then they'll know if it's the Orinoco they're drinking water! The way Mr. Manuel uttered this threat with impassioned enthusiasm was lovable.Although he is exaggerating, the farmer has a genuine love for his river, and every drop of water in the river is precious to him. Ten o'clock in the evening, Jacques.Elloch and his companions said goodbye to the Asançon family, said good night to Martial and Yi, and went back to their ship. I don't know whether it was unintentional or driven by some kind of premonition, Jacques.Ai Luohe suddenly thought of Horace.There was no doubt that the Spaniard had seen Father Esperante, in Caracas or elsewhere, because the description of the priest's appearance was consistent with that of Manuel.In this way, Holles did not fabricate a lie that he had met the priest in order to win the trust of the group of tourists going to Santa Juana. But on the other hand.The Indian, Barley, affirmed that Holles had gone up the Orinoco before that, at least to the Carida farm.Although the Spaniards repeatedly denied it, the Indians always insisted on their own statement.Not enough people have come to southern Venezuela to know who is who.If a native was involved, he might be confused with another native who looked like him, but how could this Spaniard have such a special appearance that he could be confused with another face? But then again, if Horace had really been to Calida and the other villages up and down from it, why should he deny it?Why doesn't he want people to know?The people who went to Santa Juana with him would not think badly of him even if they knew about it! After all, maybe it was Barre who made a mistake, like two people, one said: I saw you here.One said: You can't possibly see me here because I've never been here before.If there is a mistake in this, it is obvious that the former is wrong. But this thing always makes Jacques.Eloch is concerned.It was not for himself that he was worried; everything concerning the itinerary of Colonel Kellmer's daughter, everything that might delay or prevent her from finding her father, worried Jacques.Ailoher felt worried, anxious and insecure, though he sometimes hated to admit it. He fell asleep very late that night.The next day, when the sun jumped out of the horizon, it was Germain.Paterna patted him awake affectionately.