Chapter 21 Chapter 6 Extreme Panic

The dancing flames atop Mount Duido have long been regarded by the Barai people of the region as an ominous omen, a harbinger of disaster to come. However, in the eyes of the Marikitare people, this phenomenon is an auspicious omen, indicating that good luck is coming. Both tribes believe that Mount Duido has the magical power of prophecy, but their interpretation of this prophecy is diametrically opposed.Regardless of which side is right, one thing is certain, that is, the village of Esmeralda, which is adjacent to the mountain, has not been lucky for this. In the plains of the Orinoco, it is difficult to find a more favorable location, better pastures for grazing, and a milder climate than Esmeralda, and yet the village is a dilapidated and dire scene.The houses built by the Spanish colonists are now only a small church and five or six thatched cottages, and they are only inhabited during the hunting and fishing season.

There was not a single other ship in the small harbor when Garineta and Moriche reached the village entrance. Who drove the Indians away?It was the infestation of mosquitoes, which made the place uninhabitable, and the mass of insects, which would not be enough to put all the flames on Mount Duido to extermination of this odious race. The two ships were bombarded by mosquitoes indiscriminately, and the mosquito nets were far from enough. Passengers and crew were all swollen and sore from bites, even Sergeant Martial's nephew was no exception. Charles and Valdes set out without waiting for daylight, paddling away before the wind picked up.

The wind did not pick up until six o'clock, and two hours later the boat crossed the mouth of the Iguapo, a tributary on the right bank. Like when he crossed the Gonugunuma and the Casiquiare, Jacques.Eloch had no intention of exploring the Iguapo River.Germain.Paterna said nothing about it, not even jokingly. Moreover, for Sergeant Martial and Jacques.For Ailoher, there was a new cause for concern. Let Na.De.Although Kellmer is so strong, so hard-working and energetic, and has withstood the fatigue along the way, he may not be able to stand the harsh local climate at present.In the swamp area, there is an epidemic of endemic fever, which can infect people at any time.Jacques.Alloch, Germain.Paterna and Martial have not been affected due to their strong physique.The crew members have long been used to this and are immune to it, but for a few days, the girl has been feeling unwell all over, and it seems to be getting worse.

Germain.Paterna diagnosed Jeanne.De.Kellmer was suffering from malaria.She was weak all over and had no appetite. From the day she became ill, she was too lazy to move. She lay in the cabin for a long time. She tried her best to hold on. When she thought that her traveling companions were more and more worried about her, she was very sad. . Now I can only hope that this discomfort is only temporary, maybe Germain.Paterna wrong diagnosis?Besides, Jeanne is so strong-willed and so healthy, maybe she is her own best doctor, and maybe youth is the most effective medicine. Anyway, when JacquesAs Elloch and his companions continued upstream, their apprehensions grew.

The boat stopped at night at the mouth of the Gabirima River, a tributary of the left bank.The passengers have not yet met the Barai people that Xia Fangrong called.This is not a bad thing, because when Xia Fangrong came to Gabrielma, there were only two small houses here, one for murder and one for robbery, and one of them was the village chief of Esmeralda.No one knows whether these people are still running amok or have become good citizens.Either way, they've moved on anyway, so I can't get any news of Alphaniz's gang here. The next day the boat set out again, laden with the venison, capybaras and wild boars hunted the day before.The weather was very bad, it rained heavily from time to time, and the cloudy weather made Jeanne.De.Kellmer was getting more and more uncomfortable.Although her traveling companions took good care of her, her condition did not improve, and her persistent high fever even worsened.

The turn of the river brought the boat to a stretch of river that was only 200 meters wide and densely covered with rocks. On this day, the boat stopped when it reached Jarno Island.This was the last island they passed upstream. The next day, October 21, a rapids between steep and high ridges made navigation somewhat difficult, and in the evening, driven by a light breeze, Moriche and Garineta anchored on the Padamo River. The girl's fever continued, and she became weaker and weaker. She could only lie in the tent, unable to move a step. The veteran scolded himself mercilessly for agreeing to the trip!All of this is all his fault!How to do it?How can I stop a high fever and how can I prevent it from coming back?Although the medicine prescribed by Moriche is also effective, but for the sake of safety, shouldn't he go back?If you go down the river, you will be back in San Fernando in a few days.

Let Na.De.Kellmer heard that Martial was talking to Jacques.Eloch discussed the matter, exhausted, she said in a weak voice: no no!Don't go back to San Fernando, I'm going to the mission, I'm going to find my father, go to Santa Juana, go to Santa Juana! These words cost her a lot of effort, and she fell down and lost consciousness as soon as she finished speaking. Jacques.Eloch couldn't make up his mind.If Martial's suggestion is followed, wouldn't the girl be heartbroken when she finds out that the boat has turned around?Maybe it makes more sense to move on, wait until Santa Juana, and get as good medical care as San Fernando.

Jacques.Elloch found Germain.Paterna: How can you be so powerless!He cried in despair, can't you find a medicine to bring down her fever, she will burn to death!Don't you see the poor child dying day by day? Germain.Paterna didn't know how to answer, or what else to do besides what he had already done.I carried a large amount of cinchona sulfate in the medicine chest, but even though I used a large dose, I still couldn't stop the fever. When Martial and Jacques.Elloch kept asking, and when pleading, Germain.Paterna could only answer: Unfortunately cinchona sulphate didn't work for her!Perhaps herbs, bark, must be obtained in the immediate area.But who will tell us where it is, and how can we find it?

When questioned, Valdez and Paschal's statements echoed those of Germain.Paterna agrees that in San Fernando, people generally use indigenous antipyretics, which are really effective for high fevers caused by swamp plagues that harm many locals and foreigners during the hot season. Often, Valdez said, the bark of cinchona trees, especially mahogany, is used to reduce fevers. Do you recognize these plants?Jacques.Elloch asked. I don’t know each other, Valdez said, we are just running boats, and we are on the river all year round, so we should go to the plain people, there are so many people on both sides of the river!

Germain.Paterna knew that mahogany bark really had a good curative effect on malaria, and if Jeanne could take a few doses of the juice made from mahogany bark, it would definitely reduce the fever.But unfortunately, as a naturalist, he has not yet found this shrub in the coastal grassland. Because of Jeanna.De.Kellmer's express will, the traveling companions resolved to proceed without further delay. This fever-reducing herb must be available in Santa Juana, but the ship is still 200 kilometers away from Santa Juana. How many days will it take to complete this journey? The boat set out at dawn the next day.The heavy rain was approaching, there was thunder rolling in the distance, and the wind was favorable, so Valdez and Pashaer stepped up and sailed.The kind-hearted crew sympathized with the pain of the passengers. They all liked the young man, and seeing him weaken day by day made them feel bad. There was only one person who didn't seem to care much, and that was the Spaniard Horace. .From time to time he cast his eyes over the plain on the right bank.While the rest of the crew slept at the foot of the mast, he often went up to the bow of the Garineta by himself, avoiding suspicion, Valdès noticed him once or twice, and his demeanor would have been that of Jacques.Ai Luohe will definitely have doubts when he sees it, but the latter has no time to take care of it at present.His mind is not on this.Whenever the two boats sailed side by side, he would sit on the hatch for a long time, looking at Jeanne, who tried to smile at him to thank him for his care.

One day, the girl said to Jacques: Monsieur Jacques, I would like you to promise me one thing. Speak, go ahead, Mademoiselle Jeanne.I will say yes to anything. Monsieur Jacques, perhaps I am too ill to continue our search, and when we get to the mission, I may have to stay there to recuperate.So, if the time comes to find out the whereabouts of my father, would you like to Do everything possible to find him!Yes, Jeanne, my dear Jeanne.Yes!I will set out again, on the road to find Colonel Kellmer, I will find him, and I will bring him to my daughter. Thank you, Monsieur Jacques, thank you!As the girl spoke, she lowered her head that had been raised just now. The estuary of the Padamo is much wider than its bed, and it feeds the Orinoco with plenty of clear water.This is another river that rivals Guaviare and Atabab! Upriver, the current was faster, and the banks became steeper, covered with patches of dense forest, only the edges of which could be seen from the boat.The two boats sometimes sail and sometimes oars. Once across the Okamo River, the width of the river drops to fifty meters. The patient had another severe attack, and his condition was extremely poor.If Germain.If Paterna does not find the only effective herbal medicine quickly, it is believed that a tragic end is inevitable. How can I describe the grief of the passengers on board!Sergeant Martial was so hopeless that one feared he would go mad.The crew on the Garine Tower kept an eye on him in case he lost his mind and jumped into the river. Jacques.Eloch stood by Jeanna, who was extremely thirsty, and Jacques fed her with water, listening to her every vague word and every faint gasp.He loves the girl so deeply and so purely that he would rather die a hundred times for her. Could it be that he can't save her? At this time, JacquesElloch thought, maybe he should have ignored the girl's insistence and ordered the boat to sail back to San Fernando.In the present circumstances, it seemed absurd to go to the headwaters of the Orinoco.Even when you get to the source, you don't get straight to Santa Juana.If there is no river connection between the Orinoco and the mission, it will have to go overland, braving the sweltering heat into the boundless forest. However, whenever Jeanne.De.Kellmer's fever has subsided slightly, and when he wakes up from his lethargy, he always asks anxiously: Monsieur Jacques, we are always moving forward.Is it right? right!Jeanne, yes!he answered. I can't stop thinking about my poor father!I dreamed that we found him!He thanked you for everything you did for me and for him Jacques.Ai Luohe turned his face away to prevent the other party from seeing his tears, yes!He wept, this strong man, because he saw that Jeanne's illness was getting worse, and his beloved girl was about to be snatched away by death, but he himself could do nothing! In the evening, the boat stopped at Pedra Mapaya, and went on the road early the next morning, sailing when there was wind, and paddling when there was no wind.The water level had dropped significantly and the boat almost ran aground on the sandy bottom several times. The day was laborious and the boat entered the Mora Mountains, whose first undulations were already visible on the right bank. In the afternoon, another violent fit seemed to kill the patient.Everyone thought she was dying.Martial was insanely anxious. In order not to let Jeanne hear his shouts, Germain.Paterna asked someone to lift him up to Moriche, a hundred feet away from Garinetta in front of him, and the cinchona sulfate was completely ineffective. Germain!Germain!Jacques.Elloch pulls his companions to the bow of the Garineta, and Jeanne is dying! Don't despair, Jacques! I told you she was going to die!Even if you get through this time, you won't be able to survive the next time. There is no doubt about this.Germain.Paterna lowered his head. There is nothing we can do!Can't do anything!he sighed. At three o'clock in the afternoon, a heavy rain fell from the sky, and the dark and stagnant air was slightly refreshed.The rain fell at the right time, and the layers of gray clouds in the sky turned into swollen water in the river, and the many tributaries on the left and right banks were also filled, which facilitated the navigation of ships. At four o'clock, after rounding a densely wooded plateau, the towering Mount Anami appeared on the left bank.Here the Orinoco makes a sharp bend, followed by the narrow mouth of the Mahuaca. The wind stopped completely, and Valdez and Pashaer sailed to a small village where five or six Mariquitare families lived in a few thatched huts. Jacques.Ailoch said to Moriche's captain: Come here, Pashaer.He was the first to jump ashore. Where is he going? He is going to the village chief's house. What does he want to do? He wants to take Jeanna back from the hands of death! The house of the village head is the same as that of the general Marikitare people, which is more comfortable.This is an Indian in his forties, smart and kind, and entertains the two guests hospitable. In Jacques.At Ai Luohe's insistence, Pashaer asked about the mahogany as soon as he entered the door. Does the village chief know this plant?Does this shrub exist in the Mahuaka area? Yes, replied the Indian, and we use it for fevers. Does it work? It does work. This dialogue is conducted in Indian language, Jacques.Eloch couldn't understand, but as soon as Pashaer translated the village chief's answer for him, he immediately yelled: Let this Indian get us some of this bark, and I'll give him what he asks, and I'll give him all my money! The village chief was not as impulsive as the other party. He walked up to one of the baskets, reached out and took out a few small sticks from it, and handed them to Pashar. A moment later, Jacques.Ai Luohe and the ship boss returned to Garineta. Germain!Germain!mahogany!mahogany! Jacques.Ai Luohe was so excited that he could only say this. Come on, Jacques!Germain.Paterna said, there has been no recurrence, it is time, we will cure her, my friend, we will revive her! Germain.Paterna to boil medicine, Jacques.Ai Luohe stayed by Jeanna's side to comfort her. This medicine can cure any fever, and the words of the village chief Mahuaka can be trusted. The poor sick man, eyes wide open, cheeks waxy pale, had a fever of forty degrees.Hearing Jacques' words, she smiled with difficulty. I'm already feeling better, she said, even though I haven't taken my medicine yet. Jeanne, my dear Jeanne!Jacques.Eloch murmured and knelt down. Germain.In a few minutes, Paterna cooked the mahogany bark decoction, which was prepared by Jacques.Elohue handed it to the girl's lips. She drank the potion dry: Thanks!She said and closed her eyes. Now she has to be left alone for a while.Germain.Paterna pulled out Yakla who didn't want to leave.The two sat on the bow, neither of them spoke. The crew were ordered to stop the ship in order to ensure absolute silence and not to disturb Jeanne's sleep. Sergeant Martial already knew that the antipyretic had been found, and Jeanne had taken it.He jumped ashore from Moriche and ran to Garinetta. Germain.Paterna gestured him to stop. The poor man obeyed, and leaned against a stone with tears in his eyes. According to Germain.Paterna's idea, if Jeanna's illness doesn't continue to attack, it will prove that the red wood bark has curative effects.It will be known in two hours.After two hours, it will be known and even determined whether there is any hope of saving the girl. In what panic are all waiting!Everyone listened to whether Jeanne was sighing or calling for someone.No!She didn't make any sound. Jacques.Eloch approached the canopy slowly. Jeanne fell asleep, she slept very peacefully, without restlessness, without any signs of discomfort. She was saved!saved!Jacques in Germain.Said in Paterna's ear. I hope!I believe!well!The mahogany skin is really good!It's a pity that there is a lack of apothecaries on the upper Orinoco! Time has passed, the fever has not come back, it will not come back. In the afternoon, Jeanne woke up, and this time she turned to Jacques.Eloch stretched out his hand and murmured: I feel better, yes!I feel much better! Sergeant Martial was also allowed to visit her on Garinetta: I'm fine, my uncle!She smiled at the old man and wiped the tears from the corners of the old man's eyes with her hand. Everyone watched over her at night.I decocted and swallowed several decoctions for her.She slept soundly, and when she awoke the next day, no one doubted that she would be cured.The joy of the passengers, and the crews of both ships! Needless to say, despite repeated refusals by the mayor of Mahuaka, the well-meaning man was taken to Moriche and left to choose what he wanted for himself and his family.The kind-hearted village chief showed some restraint, and only exchanged his mahogany skin for a few knives, a hatchet, a piece of cloth, a few small mirrors, some glass beads and six or seven cigars. The ship was about to set off when it was discovered that Horace was missing from the Garine Tower, and had probably been missing since the previous night. On his return he was greeted by Jacques.Elloch's cross-examination.He said that after ordering the crew to stop the ship, he went to sleep in the woods.I can only believe this explanation. Although it cannot be verified, it cannot be said that it is impossible. For the next four days, the two boats traveled up the Orinoco River with considerable difficulty, and they could only cover eleven or twelve kilometers a day.But it doesn't matter!Jeanne recovered quickly, Germain.Paterna cooked food for her with special care, and her strength recovered quickly.Jacques.Elloch was by her side all day, and Sergeant Marshall, to tell the truth, was so used to it that it was perfectly normal. It was meant to be!The old man often thought to himself, but God, what will my colonel say then? From the second day after leaving Mahuaka, from twelve o'clock to two o'clock every day, let Nadu go outside the boat tent to stay for a while.Wrapped in a thin quilt, she lay on a single frame made of hay in the stern, breathing in the fresh, healthy air of the prairie. The width of this section of the river is always below 30 meters.Most of the time, they are supported by poles or pulled by ropes to move forward.Encountered a few rather sad small rapids, and the water was too shallow in some places.Looks like it's going to be unloaded. Fortunately, this toss was avoided in the end.The crew all went into the water, and the weight lost by unloading the boat was almost the same. At least the boat passed the rapids, such as Maniweche, Yamaraquin, and the rapids at the foot of Bokang Mountain, which is more than 800 meters high. Every night, Jacques.Both Elloch and Martial went hunting in the rich woods on the shore, and brought back flocks of crested pheasants or powwows.There is no doubt that in the southern provinces of Venezuela, as long as you like to eat game, the source of food is absolutely not a problem.The game here is of high quality, as well as fish, which are all over the rivers and rivers. Jeanne has recovered completely, and she hasn't had a fever since taking the mahogany bark.It seems that there is no need to worry about the recurrence of the disease, just let her young body slowly recover by itself. On the 25th, a series of mountains appeared on the right bank. The map said they were called the Guanayo Mountains. On the 26th, the ship went through the Marches rapids with exhaustion and exhaustion. Several times, Jacques.Ailoch, Valdez, and Paschal all felt that the Right Bank was not as desolate as it seemed at first glance.Sometimes there seemed to be shadowy people walking among the bushes and behind the thorns.If it is a Guaharibi, there is nothing to be afraid of, because the people of these tribes are very gentle. When Xia Fangrong inspected this area, his men were on guard against the attacks of the natives every day.Things have changed. But it is worth mentioning that every time Jacques.Eloch and Martial felt they saw someone at the edge of the forest, and when they wanted to go up to talk, they couldn't see them, and couldn't find them. If these aborigines are not Guaharibs, but Kivas, or more precisely, the Kiwas under Alphaniz, then their appearance is undoubtedly the most serious threat.Therefore, Pashaer and Valdes vigilantly watched the movements on both sides of the strait, and prevented the crew from going ashore again.There was nothing suspicious about Holles' behavior, and he never expressed any intention of going ashore.After seven or eight stops, the boat will fail because the river is too shallow.The Orinoco will become a trickle from the Palima plateau, and its three hundred tributaries will form the waterway artery of South America. At that time, we have to abandon the waterway and walk fifty kilometers in the big forest on the right bank to reach Santa Juana.Yes, that is the destination, and it is the hope of getting there as soon as possible that sustains travelers. The 27th and 28th days can be regarded as the most difficult two days of the itinerary after the departure of Kecara. It was only thanks to the dedication and dedication of the crew and the command of the boss that the Guaharibu rapids crossed the Orinoco River. The first explorer Diaz.De.La Fuente came here in 1760, Germain.Paterna said without reason: If the Indians named Guaharib were not scary, the rapids named Guaharib were quite different. It would be a miracle if we could get across without bumping into each other!Valdes said. Now that God has performed a miracle and saved our dear Jean, Jacques.Elloch said, then he will show up again, bless the boat!Miracles are really good deeds, for the all-knowing and omnipotent God who created the heaven and the earth Amen!Sergeant Marshall read with a very serious expression. To tell the truth, it would be a miracle if the boat suffered only minor injuries and a few small cuts after exiting the rapids.Minor damage can be repaired during the voyage without much trouble. Readers can imagine that several reservoirs are connected from high to low over a length of ten to twelve kilometers. This arrangement is reminiscent of a series of locks on the Gossa Canal in Sweden.The difference is that the canal connecting Stockholm and Gothenburg is equipped with lock chambers and doors to open and close the lock chambers to facilitate the entry and exit of ships, while in the rapids of Guaharib, there are neither locks nor lock chambers, and the water under the boat is only It was enough to wet the bottom of the boat, and it was full of big stones, so it could only be dragged on the stones.The crew members are all involved in this work, hanging the rope on the tree or rock, and then pulling the rope to make the boat move forward. If there is a delay of several days to get here, the drought will be worse, and the boat will definitely not be able to move a step. This statement is absolutely true.When Xia Fangrong was here, he was forced to abandon the original boat and drove a canoe to the source of the Orinoco River. Early in the morning, the boat started again, and the river was only fifteen to twenty meters wide.The boat encountered several rapids at the foot of the Guahariba Heights, one of which was called the Frenchman Rapids.Several times the boat could not float due to lack of water, and had to be towed by manpower, leaving deep marks on the sandy riverbed where it passed. In the evening, Pashaer and Valdes docked the boat on the right bank. On the opposite bank stands a dark mountain peak, which must be the Monument Peak that Xia Fangrong called.Monoy was the secretary-general of the Paris Geographical Society during Xia Fangrong's time. Xia Fangrong named this mountain after him to pay tribute to him. Perhaps, the vigilance of the night will be relaxed due to fatigue.Indeed, as soon as supper was over, the only thought left for everyone was to go to bed.Passengers and crew soon fell into a deep sleep. There was no attack that night, neither harassment by the Bravo Indians nor attack by Alphaniz's gang. At dawn the next day, the two boat bosses woke up, and when they opened their eyes, they let out a long and dejected sigh at the same time. The water level dropped by half a meter overnight, and the boat ran aground completely.On the bed of the Orinoco there flowed only a few turbid streams. For ships, the dry season, which will last for a whole dry season, has arrived. When all the crew gathered at the bow of the ship to roll their names, it was discovered that one person was missing. Holles is gone, and this time will not return.