Chapter 41 Forty-one fell into the hands of the bone gnawer

At dawn the next day, there was a thick fog on the river.The saturated water vapor in the air condenses when it condenses, covering the water surface with a thick layer of clouds.Soon, the sun came out, and the clouds and mists quickly dissipated.The scenery of the river bank emerges from the thick fog, and the Kumakato River reveals its beauty in the morning light. A long, narrow peninsula stretching between the two rivers, covered with shrubs, sharpens as it goes further away, and finally disappears at the confluence. The rapid flow of the Kampa River blocks the way of the Kumakato River a quarter of a kilometer before it joins the Kumakato River.But the powerful and calm river finally subdued the rampant river and dragged it smoothly into the Pacific Ocean.

A boat was going upstream in the Kuma Kato River. It was 20 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter deep. Its bow was as high as a traffic boat in Venice.The boat was carved out of the trunk of a Kashikati tree, and the bottom of the boat was covered with a layer of dried ferns.The eight oars make the boat fly on the water, and a person sits in the stern, holding a long oar in his hand to control the course of the boat. This man was a big native, about forty or fifty years old, with a broad chest, muscular limbs, and strong hands and feet.The protruding forehead covered with rough wrinkles, the vicious eyes, and the fierce look on the face are very terrifying.

It was a Maori chief with a high status, as he knew from the thin and dense tattoos carved all over his body.Two black spirals ran from either side of his aquiline nose, went around eye sockets with yellow eyeballs, crossed on his forehead, and disappeared into thick clumps of hair.His white-fanged mouth and his chin were buried in a regular pattern of colour, in which elegant swirling moires intertwined and continued to reach the erect breast. Tattoos, also known as ink carvings in New Zealand, are the highest symbol of honor. Only warriors who have participated in several battles have the right to wear this kind of glorious pattern. Slaves and civilians are not qualified to have tattoos.Famous chiefs often have animal images tattooed on their bodies, and their identities can be known just by looking at the nature and fineness of the patterns.Some chiefs endured this painful mokh as many as five times.In the country of New Zealand, the higher the status, the more tattoos on the body.

It is said that Ju Mengjuweier introduced many interesting stories about this custom of tattooing flowers.He vividly compared this ink engraving to the ethnic emblem that many aristocratic families in Europe are proud of.It's just that there is a little difference between the two signs.The family emblem of Europeans usually only shows the meritorious deeds established by the person, as for the inheritance of descendants, it has no meaning of meritorious deeds, while the ink engraving of New Zealanders is a personal mark. Who wants to have the right to wear this kind of badge? The insignia must have once demonstrated extraordinary valor, without the possibility of counterfeit inheritance.

In addition, in addition to showing personal dignity, tattoos also have a practical purpose: it can thicken the skin and resist weather changes and mosquito bites. As for the chief who drove the boat, the Maori gardener had already pierced his face five times with thick and deep lines with the needles of the albatross' bones.He showed a proud air. He wore a broad shirt of Formion linen with dog skins on it, and around his waist was a short skirt still stained with blood from recent battles.There are green jade earrings hanging on the earlobe, and several layers of puna wood bead rings shaking around the neck. Puna wood is a kind of sacred jade, crystal clear and bright.He also wore a British-made long gun and a two-sided bus axe, forty centimeters long and emerald green.

Beside him were nine lower-level warriors, all of whom were armed and fierce-looking. Several of them had been wounded not long ago.There were also three vicious dogs crouching at their feet.The eight sailors in the front of the ship seemed to be the servants of the chief. They rowed vigorously, and the speed of the boat upstream was very fast. On this small boat, there were ten other European captives tightly packed together, their feet were chained, and they could not move. They were Jazz and his party. It turned out that last night, the traveling companions sneaked into the natives' nest and camped by mistake.In the middle of the night, they were caught in the boat in their sleep, but they were not ill-treated, and they planned to resist, because resistance was useless, and all the weapons and ammunition fell into the hands of the natives.If you resist, you have to die first to save yourself.

Since the natives also spoke English, they soon learned that these people were remnants of the defeated army, most likely dead, and retreating to the upper reaches of the Kuma Katuo River.Most of the chief's subordinates were slaughtered by the 42nd Brigade of the British Army. He returned to prepare to recruit soldiers along the river, and then went to fight with William.Sampson joined forces and prepared to fight again.This Maori chief has a terrible name called Bone Cracker, which means someone who gnaws the limbs of the enemy in the local language.He was brave and daring, and in his hands ordinary enemies had no hope of mercy.His name is known to the British soldiers.Recently, the governor of New Zealand offered a reward for his capture.

The long-desired Auckland is now in sight, but unfortunately, it is plundered on board a pirate ship. What a heavy blow to the traveling companions!However, Jazz's face is calm and unhurried, and he always pretends to be indifferent whenever he encounters a catastrophe.He felt that as a husband and the captain of the caravan, he should set an example for everyone, and he should be the first to sacrifice when necessary.He was deeply influenced by religion, and he believed that divine actions would always move God to uphold justice.Despite the hardships of the journey, he never regretted the generous enthusiasm that had brought him to this savage place.

The traveling companions also lived up to Sir's expectations, and others could hardly believe that they were in danger when they saw his calm and proud demeanor.They put on an air of arrogance and indifference in front of the natives, to make the uncivilized natives stand in awe.In general, natives also have a strong sense of self-esteem.Whoever earns the respect of others with poise and courage, they will respect him.Sir knew that by doing so he could save his traveling companions and himself from some needless abuse. Those natives were not talkative by nature, and they hardly spoke a few words to each other since they left the camp.The jazz was very anxious, and decided to ask the chief what he was going to do with them.

He turned to the bone gnawer and said to him in a fearless tone: Where are you taking us, Chief? The bone gnawer gave him a cold look, but didn't answer. What are you going to do with us?Jazz asked again. The chief's eyes flashed like lightning, and he answered in a rough voice: If your people over there want you, we'll exchange them; if not, we'll kill you. With the bottom line in his mind, Jazz stopped asking any more questions.To be sure, Maori chiefs also fell to the British, who wanted to get them back in exchange. Therefore, the traveling companions still have the possibility of survival, and they are not completely desperate.

The boat rowed quickly upstream on the river.The mood of the geographer suddenly became brighter. He thought that they would send them to the British defense line without any effort, which was really a big advantage.So he sat quietly with his head buried in his map, his eyes following the Kukato River through the plains and valleys of the province.Mrs. Helen and Miss Mary suppressed the panic in their hearts and talked to Sir in a low voice, even the most sensitive interviewer couldn't see the anxiety in their hearts. The Kukato is New Zealand's national river, and the Maori are as proud of it as the Germans are to the Rhine and the Slavs are to the Danube.This river has a total length of 320 kilometers and irrigates the most fertile land on the North Island.The tribes on both sides of the river are named after the river, called Kuma Katuo tribe.This is an indomitable nation, no one has made them submit, and now they are rising to resist the invasion of invaders. Almost no ships from other countries have sailed on this river, only ships from the island have cut the waves in it.Even if a daring adventurer comes to take risks in this sacred river, it is extremely accidental.It seems that the upper reaches of the Kuma Kato River do not allow outsiders to enter. Geographers know how much the natives reverence the artery.But where will the bone gnawers take them?He couldn't guess.Then, in the conversation between the chief and the soldiers, he heard the name Dobo, which immediately caught his attention. He checked the map and knew that Daupou is a famous lake in New Zealand, located in the mountainous area at the southern tip of Auckland Province in the North Island, and the Kukato River flows through the lake. From the inlet to the outlet, it is about 70 kilometers in total. The geographer spoke to Menger in French and asked him to estimate the speed of the ship.Menger said about two kilometers per hour. Well, geographers say that if you only travel during the day, it will take about four days to reach Daobo Lake. The important thing is where is the British line of defense?Sir asked. Who knows!Paganel replied, however, that the fighting had now spread to the province of Tarana, and it was probable that the British troops were stationed behind the hills along the lake, since that was a guerrilla zone. I hope so!said Mrs. Helen. It made him sad to think of his young wife and Miss Mary being sent to a deserted country, and left at the mercy of the natives.But he sensed that the Bonegnawer was watching him, so he suppressed his sadness as best he could, and looked across the bank with indifference. The former residence of King Batatuo is half a kilometer upstream of the confluence. The boat passed by the former residence without stopping.There are no other ships on the river except this small boat.The several thatched huts on both sides of the bank are far apart from each other. From the fragmented appearance, it can be seen that they have been devastated by war recently.The fields by the river seemed to be uninhabited, and there was no one on the river bank.A few water birds of different kinds brought a little life to the desolate land.Sometimes a tabalumba, a wading bird with black wings, a white belly, and a red beak, dragged along on its long legs.Sometimes the gray Matugu and the big Ketugu with white hair, yellow beak and black feet watched leisurely as the native boats flew by.At some depth in the water on the banks of the sloping river, kingfishers, or kotale in the Maori, preyed on the eels, which swam in schools in large groups.On a small island emerging from the middle of the river, there are many imposing field mallards, crakes and Sudanese chickens, combing their morning makeup in the soft sunshine.These little elves enjoy the joy of life quietly, and no one disturbs them, because the residents on both sides of the strait have fled and died in this war. The first section of the Kuma Kato River is very wide and flows gently on the vast plain.But the terrain becomes more and more uneven as you go. First there are hills, then there are high mountains, and finally it flows through valleys, becoming extremely narrow.Six kilometers from the river's confluence, on the left side of the river, Paganel's map marks the high bank of Chiliroa.The Bonechewer anchored his ship in this forbidding place, and had the food taken from his fellow-travelers brought to them.As for his soldiers and rowers, they ate the natives' own food: the roasted fern root, which biologists call the edible fern; It is a type of potato that is found everywhere in New Zealand.They were not accustomed to eating meat, and the dry meat eaten by the captives did not interest them in the least. At three o'clock, I passed several high mountains on the right bank of the river, like a row of ruined fortresses. This is the Pokaroa Mountains. On some cliffs, there are still some remaining castles. These are the old Maori. The fortifications built by the engineers out of natural dangers are, one might say, gigantic eagle's nests. As the sun was setting, the boat touched a river bank, which was piled with light and porous pumice stones, a kind of volcanic rock in the water. Because the Kukato River originated in a volcanic area, these pumice stones were washed out with the rapids and scattered along the river. Everywhere.There were a few trees on the bank of the river, under which they camped.The chief told the captives to disembark. The hands of the men were tied, but the hands of the women were not tied.Jazz and his party were detained in the center of the camp, and a raging fire was burning in front of the camp, forming an insurmountable barrier. Before the chief told his traveling companions that they were going to exchange captives, the knight and the captain had discussed the way of regaining freedom.That is to sneak away quietly while the group of defeated soldiers camped at night. But since Jazz talked with the bone gnawer, everyone felt that this method was inappropriate.The safest way is to endure it and let the natives exchange themselves for prisoners, so that the hope of survival is relatively high.Because it was too risky to run away in this strange place, and he had lost his weapon and could not defend himself.Of course, there may be accidents, accidents that delay or hinder the exchange, but after all, that possibility is unlikely.Otherwise, it would be difficult for a dozen or so unarmed men to defeat thirty well-armed men.In fact, Jazz's conjecture is correct.An important leader of the Bonezer tribe has been taken prisoner, and they're desperate to get him back. The next day the boat continued upriver, faster than before.At ten o'clock there was a pause at the mouth of the Bohavena, a tributary which winds its way from the plain on the right bank into the river. At the mouth of the river, there was another small boat in which ten natives were riding.After the boat met the chief's boat, the soldiers greeted each other and said: Ail.MERA That means you've come here safe and sound.Then the two boats advanced side by side.These newcomers were also defeated soldiers, their clothes were in tatters, their weapons were stained with blood, and some of them were still bleeding from wounds, but they were taciturn people.With that air of indifference typical of savages, they paid no attention to the European captives. At noon, the many peaks of Mongattali appeared to the west, and the valley began to narrow.The violent river flows very fast in the gorge, splashing layers of waves.The natives sang while paddling, and the singing echoed the sound of the oars. Their singing was beautiful, and their strength doubled, and the boat galloped on the white waves.After the torrent passed, turning every mile, the river became tame and calm, flowing slowly forward. In the evening, the bone gnawer moored the boat at the foot of the mountain, and the first few side peaks of this mountain fell straight to the narrow river bank, forming a row of steep cliffs.There were twenty natives, who also came by boat, and were making arrangements for the night.A great bonfire was burning under the trees.A leader with the same status as the bone gnawer walked over steadily, hugged and kissed each other, greeted each other cordially, and said: See you.They still put the captives in the center of the camp and sent people to guard them closely. The next morning, still going upstream, many small boats came out of the tributaries of the Kukato River.There were about sixty or seventy soldiers. They had suffered from the British soldiers and retreated from the front line, preparing to go back to the mountains.Sometimes a song rang out from the chain of boats yonder.A native sang the mystical patriotic song of the Maori: Barbara Tivati ​​Raises the Enemy Edonggane This is the national anthem calling on the Maori to dedicate themselves to the War of Independence. The singer's singing is clear and loud, causing echoes in the mountains. A majestic battle song.In this way, the sailors rowed more vigorously.The boat galloped through the waves. During this day's voyage, a strange phenomenon attracted the captives.At four o'clock in the afternoon, the chief took control of the boat and slipped into a narrow lane as if nothing had happened.The waves crazily crashed against the small islands in the river. The number of small islands was astonishing, and it was extremely easy to capsize.And during this journey, it is especially important not to capsize.Otherwise, there is no way to escape, and anyone who steps on the hot mudflats by the river will die. It turns out that this section of river water comes from the famous underground boiling springs, which have always aroused the surprise of explorers.Rust has dyed the mud on both sides of the river bright red, and it is difficult to find even a piece of clean land.The air is filled with the pungent sulfur smell.The natives were used to the stench from the cracks in the soil and the gas from the swollen mud, but the captives found it unbearable.Although their noses were not accustomed to the smell of this evaporation, their eyes could not help but appreciate the spectacle. The small boats scrambled in the steam cloud.The thick mist is hazy, forming a large dome on the river.There are countless boiling springs on both sides of the river, some of which are emitting large groups of steam, and some of which are spraying water jets one by one, which are uneven, like fountains and waterfalls specially arranged here by humans. There are mechanics arbitrarily adjusting these springs, making them spray or stop, one after another.Water and steam mingled in the air, giving off colorful iridescence in the sunlight. The reason why there are peculiar landscapes here is related to the special geological structure here.Due to frequent volcanic activity, the ground fire is constantly burning, so the river is constantly boiling.Not far from here, on the side of Lake Rotorua, to the east, there are many hot springs and two hot water waterfalls, Rotomahana and Tetarata. It is said that several daring travelers once visited There the first expedition work was made.There are too many boiling springs, water spouts and sulfur gas pits here.At present, there are two active volcanoes in New Zealand, Galileo and Wachangli, because the two venting pistons are not enough to discharge the underground heat, so the excessive gas cannot find a way out in the two craters, so it has to be vented here . Several small boats of the natives walked through the three-kilometer-long layer of hot vapor. After a while, the sulfur smoke suddenly dissipated, and the rapid air flow brought a fresh air, and people felt a burst of coolness on their panting chests. Finally walked over. Before dark, the natives paddled vigorously and crossed the two rapids of Shiba Baba and Tamateke.They have traveled more than 100 kilometers so far.In the evening, we still camped according to the previous rules. The next day, Mr. Paganel, a geographer, looked at the map and knew that the high mountain on the right bank that towered into the sky was called Mount Tobara, with an altitude of 1,000 meters. At noon, all the boats headed east the same way, turned south again, and sailed into Daobo Lake.There was a thatched hut by the lake, and a piece of cloth fluttered in the wind on the roof, and the natives raised their hands to pay tribute to it.This is their flag.