Chapter 42 Forty-two Strange Lake Dobo

Before there are historical records, some caves collapsed in the middle of a piece of volcanic rock in the center of the island, thus forming an unfathomably deep pit forty kilometers long and thirty kilometers wide.The springs on the top of the surrounding mountains flowed into it and became the current Daobo Lake.This peculiar lake is more than 300 meters above sea level, surrounded by 800-meter high mountains.To the west are high cliffs; to the north there are several peaks far away, and the peaks are covered with small trees; It is dotted with many shining pumice stones; to the south is a forest, and beyond the forest are some conical volcanic heads.All this is surrounded by a piece of clear water, magnificent, and the rushing and roaring storm on the lake is no less than the hurricane in the Pacific Ocean.

This area is an infinite pot of boiling water. There is a burning flame under the pot. The ground is scorched by the ground fire and shakes constantly.There are cracks in the crust in many places, and hot mist seeps out of the cracks, just like baked biscuits.Clearly, the plateau would have sunk into a fiery furnace if the heat from the center of the earth had not found its way in the Tongariro Crater, twenty kilometers away. Looking north from the lake, the Tonggarilo volcano towers among many fire-breathing hills, and smoke clouds and flames are sprayed from the top of the mountain, like feathers adorning a human head.It is connected with a rather intricate mountain system.Behind this volcano, there is a Ruahu Peak isolated on the plain. The peak disappears in the clouds and mist of more than 3,000 meters. The secret of that crater.As for Tongjialiluo Volcano, it is different, it is easier to climb up.In the past twenty years, Bewell, Dixon and most recently Hauchett have come to measure it three times.

In another environment, in another atmosphere, the learned geographer would have told his traveling companions the legends of these volcanoes.He will definitely say that he used to be close neighbors and good friends with Mount Garilo and Mount Taranaki, and the two got along harmoniously.However, one day they quarreled over a woman.At that time, like Garilo and all volcanoes, he was so angry that he lost his temper and beat Taranaki with his hands.After Taranaki was beaten, he was ashamed and fled quietly from the Wanggani River Valley, leaving two small hills along the way. It fled to the coast of the East China Sea, where it stood alone, and was renamed Mount Egmon from then on.

Of course, geographers are not interested in telling stories at this time; even if they are told, the traveling companions are not in the mood to listen.They are now mud bodhisattvas crossing the river and cannot protect themselves, so they have to resign themselves to fate.They stared silently at the northeastern shore of Lake Dobo. The Maori chief sailed out of the Kukato River and into a small river, which seemed to be a funnel of the Kukato River.They rounded another sharp headland and stopped at the foot of the first few hills of Zhijia Mountain, 600 meters above sea level, by the sandy beach on the east side of the lake.There grows a great patch of Formion grass, which the natives call halakki, and it is a valuable cloth of the natives of New Zealand.This useful plant is full of treasures, and its flowers are a fine source of nectar; its stems have a jelly which can be used in place of wax or starch; Used as tinder, the torn ones can be twisted into ropes, made of cables, woven into fishnets, divided into fibers and can be woven into bedding, coats, mats or linen, especially this kind of linen, which can be dyed red or black for the noblest Maori. make clothes.

This precious formion grass can be found everywhere on the north and south islands of New Zealand, whether it is by the sea, river or lake.Wild formion grass flourished in the area where the captives had arrived.Their reddish-brown flowers, some shaped like agaves, protrude here and there from clusters of leaves.The leaves are narrow, long and sharp, densely forming a forest of swords.Many cute little birds are Formion's regular patrons. They are all working hard to collect honey, flying in groups, competing to suck the sweet juice from the flower heart. A large group of ducks are searching for food in the lake water. These ducks have light black feathers with gray-green patterns in the middle. They used to be wild, but now they are domestic animals.

After walking about a quarter of a kilometer, a castle appeared in front of it. It was built on a steep cliff. It was a Maori stronghold built on the basis of natural dangers. The captives were escorted off the boat and their hands and feet were not tied.The path leading to the city passes through many Formion fields and dense groves. In the bushes, there is a straw carda tree with evergreen leaves and red berries. .There are also balsamic trees that can be used as black dyes, many metallic pheasant pigeons, gray round-billed magpies, and countless red-crowned starlings all flew up when the natives approached.

Sir, Lady Helen and the other traveling companions made a big bend and finally arrived inside the castle. The outer wall of the city was a solid fence five meters high.The first line of defense is a row of wooden stakes, followed by a circle of wicker walls, all of which are pierced with gun holes, and then the inner city.The inner city is flat, with many Maori-style buildings and about forty straw sheds neatly arranged. When the captives entered the inner city, they couldn't help being horrified when they saw many skeletons hanging on wooden posts outside.Madam Helen and Miss Mary turned their faces away. They were not timid, but they really couldn't bear to watch.These skeletons are the booty of the natives. The head of the enemy leader, as for the body of the enemy, has long been the food and drink of the victor.

The bonechewer's mansion is located deep in the castle, sandwiched between some rough thatched huts.Behind the mansion is an open-air square, which is used for gatherings and martial arts.The walls of his house were woven of stakes and branches, and the walls were covered with Formion mats for warmth.His mansion is not very big, about 1,000 square meters, which is enough for such a chief. There is a gap in the house facing south, and a thick straw curtain hangs on it, which can be tilted back and forth, which is regarded as the door.The roof extends outward like the cornices of ancient Roman houses.The rafters are decorated with various graphic patterns. On the wall outside the door is the so-called welcome wall in modern times. There are also many strange flower figures carved for guests to appreciate. All of them are made by skilled Maori craftsmen.

In the low house, the ground is very flat, five centimeters above the ground.A low bed covered with a reed mat covered with a long mat made of soft cattail leaves.There is a stone hole in the middle, which is the stove.There was a gap in the roof that served as a chimney.Because the smoke doesn't come out of the chimney until it's thick enough, the walls are black and shiny. There is also a warehouse next to the bone eater's mansion, which stores the chief's food and supplies, including the formion grass, yams, callas, and fern grass roots he harvested, as well as the stove.There are a few yards further away, where some pigs and sheep are raised. These livestock were introduced by Captain Cook back then, and they are not bred much now.In addition, there are some dogs that run around looking for food.In short, the livestock available for Maori food is not very well raised.

The Jazz and his party are waiting for the chief's fate, and at the same time they are enduring the abuse of a group of old women.These vicious women gesticulated and stretched out their fists, and the few English words that came out of their mouths could be understood from time to time. Obviously, they wanted to avenge their dead relatives. Surrounded by insults and threats, the traveling companions reacted differently.Mrs. Helen was calm on the surface, pretending to be calm, but in fact she was very panicked.She tried desperately to control her emotions in order to comfort her husband.Poor Miss Mary was nearly fainted with fright, but Captain Munger was holding her up and preparing to defend her with all his might.The major didn't care about the dung-like insults.The geographer, on the other hand, gritted his teeth in anger.

Glenarvan was afraid that the shrews would beat up his wife, so he went up to the bone eater, pointed at the ugly monsters, and asked the chief to stop their rude behavior. The chief stared at him, did not answer, just waved his hand, and those ugly women obediently walked away.Sir nodded his thanks, and went back to his fellow travelers.At this time, hundreds of people gathered in the martial arts field, including old men, children, young people, men, and women. Some of them were silent and sad, waiting for the leader to issue an order, while others wept bitterly. Runny nose, mourning the death of a loved one or friend recently. It turned out that among all the chiefs who responded to Sampson's call to resist the British aggression, only the bone gnawer survived.He first reported to his people how the uprising had failed in the lower plains of the Kukato River.There were more than 200 soldiers from his subordinates who went to defend the country, most of them did not return, some of them were captured, but most of them died on the battlefield and could never return to their homeland. This is why the villagers were so sad when the bone gnawer arrived.Originally, no one knew about this defeat, but at this time, the unfortunate news spread quickly. The natives of New Zealand, after the death of relatives and friends, always express their inner grief in the body, especially women. They use sharp shells to cut their face and shoulders. The deeper the wound, the more unbearable the grief.Blood and tears are flowing at the same time, which is a suffocating scene.Especially those unfortunate women, dripping with blood, like lunatics, are terrifying. Even more saddening to the natives, there is another reason, which they take very seriously.The relatives they were crying for not only died, but even their bones were not taken back and buried in their ancestral graves.The Maori are quite superstitious, and they believe that the preservation of the remains is related to the fate of the afterlife.Naturally, what they want to preserve is not rotten muscle, but bone.They carefully collected the bones, washed them, scraped them, even painted them with a layer of paint, and finally put them in the udoba, which means the house of glory in the local language.This kind of udoba is decorated with the wooden head of the deceased, and the pattern tattooed on the body by the deceased is still painted on the image.Now, these martyrs died in battle, the tombs have to be empty, and due religious ceremonies cannot be held.Even if the bones of the martyrs are not eaten by wild dogs, they will be exposed in the wild. Thinking of this, the natives were furious.No sooner had the women insulted the knight and his party than the men began to curse ferociously again, waving their arms, and probably shouted to strike at their traveling companions. Fearing that he could not control the behavior of those radicals, the chief ordered the prisoners to be escorted to a sacred and inviolable place.This place is at the other end of the walled city, on a high hill with steep walls.It was a large shed, and behind the shed was a rock a hundred feet higher than the shed, and outside it was a rather steep slope, where this side of the walled city ended.This shed is a place for the gods, and the natives call it Walledus.The priests, that is, the Alijis, often preach to New Zealanders the truth of the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in this shed. The captives finally avoided the tense situation temporarily, and they all lay down on the Formion straw mat to rest.Mrs. Helen was so exhausted that she couldn't support her physically and mentally, so she fell into her husband's arms involuntarily. Sir embraced her tightly and kept saying: Take courage, my dear Helen! As soon as Robert was in the shed, he stood on Wilson's shoulders and poked his head out of the gap between the wall and the eaves.He could see the whole view of the castle, and saw the chief's mansion at a glance. They're in a meeting around the bone gnawer, Robert Jr. whispers, they're gesticulating, they're yelling, the chief is going to talk After a moment's silence, Robert continued: The savages are quiet now they are all listening to the chief Evidently, said McNabbs, the chief protected us in order to exchange us for his chiefs!Don't know if his subordinates agreed to do this? It seems that he agreed, and Robert said that now, some of his subordinates have returned to their sheds, and some have left the castle. Really?asked the major. True!Robert replied that now, only a few people escorting us stay in the chief's room.ah!A man is coming towards us. Come down, Robert!Sir said. At this time, Mrs. Helen stood up and grabbed her husband's hand nervously.Edward, Mary and I must not fall into the hands of the natives!Lady Helene said timidly. After Madam Helen finished speaking, she handed her husband a loaded pistol. Why do you still have weapons!Jazz was surprised, and there was a gleam of light in his eyes. I brought it with me, because the Maori do not search the bodies of female captives.In case it fails, this gun is for my own use and not for hitting them Sir!The major said, put the gun away quickly, and don't expose it unless it is necessary. Glenarvan had just hidden the gun when the straw curtain covering the door of the shed was thrown back and a soldier entered. He gestured to the prisoner to follow him.The traveling companions gave each other a wink, walked through the path in the castle, and arrived in front of the chief. Around the Bonechewer gathered his men, and among them was the chieftain who had met him in a boat at the mouth of the Bohavenna.The chief was about forty years old, with a strong physique and a fierce appearance. His name was Karatet, which means easy to lose his temper in the local language.There are delicate patterns tattooed on his face, which shows that he has a high status in the tribe.But the bone gnawer was quite perfunctory to him.An observant person would guess at a glance that there must be a contradiction between them.Indeed, the power of Karatet is called Bonechewer, and they jointly command the tribes in the Kukato District, and they are equal in strength.Therefore, when the two of them talked, although the corners of their mouths smiled reluctantly, there was hidden hostility in their hearts. The Bonechewer started asking the Jazz questions. Are you British?he asks. It's British!Glenarvan replied decisively, knowing that this nationality could make the prisoner exchange work go smoothly. Where's your traveling companion? My traveling companion is the same as me.We are travellers, we are on this island after our ship sank, we did not take part in the war, we are innocent. Does anyone know if you participated?Karate shouted roughly, all British are our enemies!You have invaded our homeland!You burned down our village! They are not doing it right!Glenarvan said solemnly, to be honest, I am also very sad, but not because I am in your hands at this moment. Listen to me, said the bone gnawer, our Tuhongan slave clothes.The high priest of the head, fell into the hands of your brothers, he became a captive of your Europeans, he asked us to redeem him.If he had not commanded me, I would have plucked out your hearts to appease the gods of the dead, and hang your heads forever on the stakes of the fence! The bone gnawer was originally very calm, but when he said this, he trembled with anger, his face full of anger. Then, after a moment of silence, he said: Do you believe that you British soldiers are willing to exchange our Tohonga? Glenarvan hesitated for a moment, paying attention to the chief's expression. have no idea!Sir was silent for a while before speaking. In my opinion, your life is worth the life of my priest! It's not worth it, I am neither the leader nor the priest in this group of people! The geographer was stunned by this answer, and looked at Glenarvan with great astonishment. So, are you not sure?the Chief asked again. Yes! Don't the British want to trade with our Tohonga? It won't work if I change it by myself.If you want to change, take us to change together. We Maori are one for another! Otherwise, you can exchange those two women first!Glenarvan said, pointing to Lady Helene and Miss Mary. Lady Helene really wanted to run to her husband, but the major grabbed her. These two women, the knight continued, bowing to them with great respect and grace, are of high social standing in England. The chief watched each prisoner calmly, with a sinister smile on his lips. Suddenly, the smile froze, and he said in a furious voice: You bloody European, are you trying to lie to me about the bone gnawer?Do you think I can't read your mind? Having said that, he pointed at Mrs. Helen. She is your wife!He said. It's not his, it's mine.Karate laughed lewdly. Then, Karate pushed the male prisoner away and put his hand on Mrs. Helen's shoulder. When Mrs. Helen touched his hand, her face turned pale with fright. Edward!The unhappy young woman cried out in alarm. Glenarvan, fuming with rage, raised his pistol, and with a bang, Karatet fell dead. The gunshot alarmed the entire castle, and the natives poured out of the house like a tide, and the martial arts field was crowded with people. They raised their hands and shouted, demanding that the murderer be severely punished.Greenarvan's pistol was of course taken from him. The Bonechewer gave Jazz a sideways look, then, with one hand, covered the body of the chieftain's killer, while with the other he shielded the enraged running men. Finally, with a solemn voice, he finally suppressed the uproar: God forbid!God forbid!he cried. When the natives heard this, they all stopped in front of the captives.Finally, under the protection of the superhuman authority of the chief, they did not suffer the immediate loss. After a while, the prisoners were escorted back to the temporary prison.But Robert Jr. and the geographer were gone.