Workers have cleared half a mile of forest.Now, all they have to do is to weave these century-old trees lying across the shore into rafts.
It's an easy job, really!Under the command of Joam Gallal, the Indians of the estate were about to display their incomparable skill.These Indians were undoubtedly excellent workers when it came to building houses or boats.Although each of them had only an ax and a saw, and the trees in the forest were hard enough to split their tools; , or sawing trees into boards of different thicknesses, they can operate freely without a chainsaw, because they are born with a pair of dexterous and agile hands.
In the beginning, these felled trees were not pushed into the Amazon River.Joam Galar was accustomed to another method: he directed the workers to place the pile of wood evenly on a wide and flat beach.This low-lying beach is located at the confluence of the Amazon and Nanai rivers.The big raft is about to be built here.It is also in this place that, when the time comes, the Amazon will float the great raft and carry it to its destination.
Here, an explanation of the geographical position of this unparalleled expanse of water is required, and, incidentally, a strange phenomenon witnessed by the inhabitants of its coasts.
Two rivers may be longer than this great artery in Brazil, the Nile and the Missouri-Mississippi.The Nile River flows through the continent of Africa from south to north, while the Mississippi River runs through North America from north to south.Both rivers flow through regions of different latitudes, so they are also affected by different climates.
On the contrary, from the point where the Amazon begins—that is, at the junction of the two countries, Ecuador and Peru—it begins to turn eastward, and has been flowing between the two and four degrees south latitude.So the great river has been subjected to the same climatic influences throughout its course.
In this region, there are only two distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry season.The interval between two rainy seasons is six months.In northern Brazil, the rainy season begins in September.In contrast, in southern Brazil, the rainy season begins in March.Therefore, the water level of the tributaries on the left and right banks of the river rises alternately, with an interval of half a year.Thus, after reaching its highest point in June, the water level of the Amazon River begins to drop until October.
This is exactly what Joam Galar has observed empirically.He planned to use the river water to float the raft after he built it on the bank of the Amazon River.The water level of the Amazon River can reach as high as twelve meters above mean water level and as low as ten meters below mean water level.In this way, it will be much more convenient for the manor owner to act.
Work started soon.On the vast sandy beach, workers arrange the tree trunks on the vast sandy beach according to the thickness of the trunks and the size of the buoyancy (this is a factor that must be considered).Some of the wood in these heavy and hard trunks is almost as dense as water.
When building the lowest floor of a large raft, the trunks cannot be stacked side by side one by one.Between the trunks, a certain interval should be left, connected with small beams, so as to ensure the solidity of the whole raft.Workers use "piasaba" cables to connect the trunks.Ropes of this texture are as strong as those made of hemp.The material is made from the fibers of a palm tree that abounds along the banks of the great river.Because the "Pia Saba" cable not only has buoyancy, but also is not afraid of seawater erosion, in addition, its manufacturing cost is very low.As a result, this material has become a precious commodity, entering the world of trade too.
On the two layers of tree trunks and girders, workers laid planks of different thicknesses to form the deck of the large raft, which is about 0.8 meters away from the waterline. The amount of wood used in the large raft is astonishing.If we do the calculations, it is not difficult to find that this huge raft is 300 meters long, 18 meters wide, and has an area of about 5,400 square meters.This is really a whole forest that is going to float on the Amazon River.
The construction of the raft was mainly carried out under the command of Joam Galar, but once the raft was built, the interior decoration of the raft, which was already on the schedule, was to be discussed by everyone.Of course, the opinion of the righteous and good Fragoso was also sought.
Incidentally, here is the question of Fragoso's status in the estate.
Fragoso has lived happily ever since he was accepted into this hospitable family.Joam Galal invited him to Palla with him.For, according to his account, he too was on his way to Pala when the vine hung from his neck and prevented his progress.Fragoso gratefully accepted the invitation.From then on, in order to repay the Galar family, he tried his best to serve them.He is a very clever young man. Not only can he do everything with his skillful hands, but he can also do everything very well.He is as lively, cheerful and eloquent as Lina, and he is also a person who sings all day long, and everyone quickly likes him.
However, he always felt that he owed a deep debt of gratitude to the young mixed-race girl, and he often said:
"Miss Lina, thanks for that brilliant idea of 'following the vine'. Really, it's a really fun game. Although one doesn't always find a poor barber at the end of the vine!"
"Monsieur Fragoso, I assure you that it was only by chance and you owe me nothing!" Lina replied with a smile.
"Oh! You can't say that! You saved my life, and I even hope that my life will be extended for another hundred years, so that I can thank you for a long time! You know, I am not born willing Hanged himself. But at the time it was out of helplessness. After careful consideration, I thought it would be better to die like this than to starve to death or be eaten by wild animals! Therefore, this long vine should be regarded as a bond between us. Ties, so, you just couldn’t say…”
Such conversations are generally light-hearted and pleasant.In fact, Fragoso is really grateful that the half-race girl came up with this idea first, otherwise he would not be saved.As for Lina, she was not indifferent to the gratitude of this honest young man who was as open, frank, and agreeable as herself.Their friendship, then, was bound to invite some good-natured jests from Benito, old Siebel, and others.
Without further ado, let's get back to the big raft.After some discussion, it was decided that the raft should be furnished as comfortably and as well as a manor house, since after all the journey would last for several months!The Galar family, including the manor couple, Mina, Benito, Manoel, and their servants Siebel and Lina, needed a separate residence.To this, add the quarters of the forty Indians, forty negroes, Fragoso and the navigator of the great raft.
Such a large number of personnel is just enough for the needs of a large raft.Because the big raft not only has to sail in the rapids of the Amazon River, but also shuttles among hundreds of large and small islands.Though the water of the Amazon powered the great raft, it could not pilot it.Eighty men, therefore, with one hundred and sixty arms to paddle, were required to keep this gigantic raft halfway between the banks.
First, the master's quarters were to be built at the rear of the raft, which consisted of five bedrooms and a large dining room.Joam Gallard and his wife, Lina and Siebel, Benito and Manoel share a room each, while Mina has a room to herself, which will be the most comfortably furnished. of.
The wood panels used to build the master room are carefully arranged in shingles.Since the planks are soaked in hot resin, they are impermeable and extremely airtight.Side and front windows make the room very bright.The front door opens to the front of the raft, leading to the living room.On the slender bamboo poles, there is a light balcony, which can avoid direct sunlight from entering the interior of the house.The whole house is painted in a light ochre, a color that not only does not absorb heat, but also reflects it, keeping the room temperature at a pleasant temperature.
When the "main work" on Joam Galal's schedule was completed, Mina said to Joam:
"Dad, you helped us build the house, but you left us to furnish the interior. The exterior design of the room belongs to you and the interior design belongs to us. Mom and I, we want to furnish the room like The same as in the estate. This way, when you travel, you will feel as if you have not left the Iquitos estate!"
"Do as you please, Mina!" said Joam Galar, smiling.It was, however, a sad smile, which appeared now and then on Joam's face.
"awesome!"
"I trust your taste! My dear daughter!"
"Father! It will do us good!" replied Mina. "We should do it for the country we are going to, and that country is ours. You are going back there after so many years!"
"Yes! Mina, yes!" said Joam Galar, "it is as if we were going back after being exiled, a voluntary exile! Do what you can! My daughter! I now fully agree with everything you are about to do!"
In addition to Mina and Lina, Manoel and Fragoso volunteered to decorate the interior of the room.Imaginative and artistically inspired, they're sure to decorate a room beautifully!
First of all, naturally, the most beautiful furniture in the manor should be displayed here.Once in Pala, it's just a matter of finding a boat on the Amazon River to bring them back.These furniture include: tables, bamboo chairs, rattan chairs, carved display racks... All the pleasing furniture needed to decorate a tropical room have been tastefully placed in this water villa by a few young people.You can feel that in the process of furnishing the furniture, the two men are just collaborators, and it is the skillful hands of the two ladies who really play a leading role.Is it possible to leave the walls bare?No!no way!The walls will be adorned with the most beautiful wall hangings, made of the bark of a precious tree called tuturi, like the softest and most varied brocades used for upholstery in modern times, This bark also has wide folds.On the floor of the room, there are well-striped leopard skins and thick ape skins, which are very soft and comfortable for the feet to step on.On the windows, there are soft orange-red silk curtains, which are made of "Suma Yuma".There are mosquito nets on every bed, and the pillows, mattresses, and cushions on the beds are all stuffed with the cool and springy "pumba" grass of the Upper Amazon River.
On the trinket shelf and on the table against the wall, there are some pretty knickknacks.These things are especially precious to Mina because they were brought by Manoel from Rio de Janeiro or Belem.And what could be more delightful than a small gift from these friends?Although they are silent, they seem to be telling you something.
In a few days, the interior of the room has been completely decorated, giving people the feeling that they are in a room in the manor.There is no better place to live, under a few beautiful trees, on the bank of a mighty river.As the great raft travels down between the banks of the great river, it never overshadows the scenery on both banks.
One more thing to add is that the outside of this home is just as charming as the inside.Because several young people competed to display their imagination and aesthetic ability in the exterior decoration.
The entire exterior of the house is covered with greenery from the basement to the last patterns on the roof.In the green bushes, there are blooming orchids, monocots and climbing plants, and they are nourished by several boxes of good soil.Never had the branches of the acacia and fig trees been adorned with such splendid "tropical" ornaments!On the corbels supporting the ridge, on the arched beams of the roof, and on the lintels of the rooms, there are slender and lovely shoots, golden grape vines, beautiful colorful bouquets and intertwined long creepers everywhere. stem.These plants only need to be picked in the forest near the manor.A long vine that circles around the house connects these parasitic plants: sometimes it appears in every corner, sometimes it decorates the protruding part of the room, sometimes it diverges and diverts to form a new branch, sometimes it The wayward extension of its branches and vines makes it impossible for people to see the house from the outside.The house seems to have been submerged in a sea of flowers.
It is not difficult for us to guess who made such an ingenious arrangement: the end flowers of this cypress vine are in full bloom, straight to Lina's window, like a bouquet sent by a long arm to a half-race girl through the blinds, which is always fresh flowers.
All in all, everything is so charming.As long as Yaquita, Mina and Rina are satisfied, that's enough.
"If you want, we can plant some trees on the raft," suggested Benito.
"Oh! Plant trees!" cried Mina.
"Why not?" Manoel went on, "just move some good soil to a firm deck, and I'm sure the big trees will grow just as well. Because we don't have to worry about climate change, the Amazon Always flows at the same latitude!"
"Besides," continued Benito, "doesn't the great river wash away every day some small islands full of green plants? These plants also join the island's bushes, thorn bushes, rocks and grasses, which flow into the island from here. The Atlantic Ocean, more than three thousand kilometers away? So, why not turn our big raft into a water garden?"
"Miss Lina! Do you want a forest?" asked the very confident Fragoso.
"Oh! yes, I want a forest!" cried the young half-breed girl, "a forest with birds and monkeys!"
"And snakes and jaguars! . . . " added Benito.
"And the Indians and their nomadic tribes!" said Manoel.
"There are even natives who eat people!"
"Hey! Fragoso, where are you going?" Seeing the agile Fragoso climb up the slope of the bank, Mina couldn't help crying.
"Go to the forest!" replied Fragoso.
Mina smiled and said:
"No, my friend. Manoel has sent me a batch of saplings, and I am very satisfied." Then, pointing to the house submerged in the flowers, she said, "Yes, he has hidden our house in the His engagement flowers are in!"
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