Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven From Povas to the Frontier

For the next few days the great raft sailed unharmed.The night was so beautiful that the big raft could go on without stopping.The banks of the delightful river seemed to be moving, like the ever-changing sets in a theatre.Because of the illusion produced by the eyes, it seemed to people that the raft was standing still, and not the banks of the river. Since the raft never stopped, Benito could not go to the shore to hunt.However, the rich products in the big river are enough to replace game. They caught all kinds of delicious fish: the meaty 'Paco', the 'Surupi', the 'Gamitana'; and hundreds of 'Duri Dari' rays , a fish with a rose-coloured belly, black back, and poisonous spines; they also caught thousands of "Gandilus," a small catfish, several of which were exceptionally small.When swimmers inadvertently enter their territory, they will gather immediately and bite off a lot of flesh on the swimmer's calf.

In the rich Amazon waters, there are many other aquatic animals.They can sometimes follow the large rafts sailing on the water for hours at a time. The unfavorable fish is the huge "pira-rugu", about three to four meters long, with a scarlet back covered with broad scales, and its flesh is eaten only by the natives.There is also a kind of beautiful dolphin, and the people on the raft do not catch them.Hundreds of dolphins frolicked in front of and behind the boat, and slapped the beams of the big raft with their tails, stirring up jets of water, which were as colorful as rainbows under the refraction of light.

On June 16, after successfully circumnavigating several shallows, the raft arrived near a large island named "San Pablo".In the evening of the next day, the big raft docked at the village of "Moro Moro" on the left bank of the Amazon River.Twenty-four hours later, after sailing through the mouths of the Atata Ali and Gausha rivers, and the "Furo" canal, which connects the right bank of the river with the "Gabero-Gausa" lake, the large raft stopped near the Gausha mission station . This is the territory of the Marayua Indians.All of these natives have long hair hanging loose, and palm branches about 18 centimeters long are decorated around their mouths, shaped like a fan.They look like cats. According to Paul Marquard's observation, they dress up like tigers because they appreciate the courage, strength and cunning of the king of the forest-tiger.Several women approached with the Marayuas, their cigars lit by the lit ends between their teeth.Like the lords of the forest in the Amazon, all these natives are nearly naked.

The Gossa mission was headed by a Franciscan friar who was going to visit Father Passana. Joam Galar received the monk very warmly and invited him to dinner. To be sure, this supper really did the Indian cook a great deal of credit. Dinner includes traditional coriander soup, empanadas (made of tapioca flour soaked in gravy and tomato sauce and often eaten in place of bread in Brazil), chicken bibimbap (topped with a layer of vinegar and " Malagueta” spicy sauce), and cold cakes sprinkled with cinnamon.This dinner was enough for the monk who lived a life of poverty in the parish every day.They insisted that he stay for dinner, and both Jaquita and daughter Mina did their best.However, since the monk was going to see a sick Indian that night, he had to decline the master's offer.As he left, he took with him a few gifts that the resident new converts were sure to appreciate.

For the past two days, the task of Navigator Aroruo has not been easy.Although the river bed is getting wider, the number of islands is increasing; the current is becoming more rapid.Therefore, one has to be extra careful when traveling between Gabalo-Gausa, Taraport and Gagao.The big raft had to stop quite often.Several times the raft nearly ran aground.So, everyone worked together to drag it out of danger.It was under such difficult conditions that the big raft finally arrived at Nuestella-Snora-de-Loreto on the evening of June 20. Loreto is the last Peruvian city on the left bank of the river.After passing through this city, you enter the border of Brazil.In fact, this is just an ordinary village, with more than 20 families living together on the gently rolling river beach.The raised part of the beach is mainly ocher and clay.

Jesuit priests established a mission here in 1770.The native "Tiguma" Indians living in this land in the north of the Great River have reddish complexion, thick hair, and patterns tattooed on their faces, just like the paint on a Chinese table.Both men and women had only a few strips of cotton cloth wrapped around their waists and chests.Now, there are less than 200 aborigines living on both sides of the Atagao Ali River.This powerful nation that was once ruled by a great chief now has only such a handful of people left! In Loreto lived a few Peruvian soldiers, and two or three Portuguese merchants dealing in cotton, salted fish, and sarsaparilla.

Benito went ashore.If possible, he would like to buy a few packs of sarsaparilla, a commodity that is very popular in Amazonian markets.Joam Galar did not go ashore, he was busy with his writing.Yaquita, Mina, and Manoel also remained on the raft and did not go ashore.That's because Loreto's mosquitoes have long been famous.Tourists who don't want to feed these fearsome dipteran insects with their own blood are afraid to come here. As it happened, Manoel had just been talking about this insect, of course, so that no one would get bitten. "It is said," he added, "that the village of Loreto alone is home to the nine species of mosquitoes that plague the banks of the Amazon! I believe it, but I do not wish to prove it myself. There, dear Mina , you can meet all kinds of mosquitoes: gray ones, hairy ones, white-legged ones, tiny ones, those that scream like a brass pipe or a piccolo, those that cause hives, the clown mosquitoes, the big black mosquitoes, the red-brown mosquitoes Mosquitoes, etc. Or rather, they'll target you, and when you come back from shore, we won't recognize you! In my opinion, these vicious mosquitoes are actually better than those soldiers. They are defending the border of Brazil! Look at those poor soldiers, they are all so pale and thin!"

"But," Mina asked, "if everything in nature is useful, what is the use of mosquitoes?" "They will bring happiness to entomologists," replied Manoel, "and that is probably the best explanation I can give you!" Manoel's anecdote about the Loreto mosquito does not appear to be sensational.When Benito returned to the boat after shopping, he was stung with more than a thousand red envelopes on his face and hands!Not to mention the fleas, which got into his toes in spite of his leather boots. "Let's sail! Let's sail!" cried Benito, "or these damned creatures will come and attack us! Then the raft will be uninhabitable!"

"Then we'll have to take them to Pala!" said Manoel, "and there are already too many mosquitoes!" The raft did not even spend the night here, but left the shore and re-entered the channel. Starting from Loreto, the Amazon River begins to bend slightly to the southeast, flowing between the islands of Álava, Guyari, and Urugata.Large rafts navigate the black waters of the Gajaro mixed with the white waters of the Amazon. On the night of June 23, after passing the Gayaru, a tributary on the left bank of the river, the raft drifted peacefully along a large island called Yauma.

The setting sun in the sea of ​​mist in the sky heralds another good night.And this kind of tropical beautiful night is not found in the temperate zone. A breeze blows, and the heat suddenly disappears.The moon will soon appear in the starry sky for a few hours, and it will replace the twilight that is absent in lower latitudes.In the darker period before the moon rose, the stars were already twinkling in the sky, their light was extremely bright.The vast Amazon plain stretches as far as the eye can see, like an ocean. At the end of the eight-trillion-kilometer-long axis of the sky, the northern region is the unique diamond-like North Star, and the south is shining with the four bright stars of the Southern Cross.

On the left bank of the big river and on the island of "Yauma", clusters of trees shrouded in night can be faintly seen.One can recognize these trees only by their vague outlines.There is the tall Cuban balsam tree, whose crown resembles a parasol; As long as there is a slight breeze, the "Vinatiko" tree with a height of more than 20 meters will tremble slightly in the wind.Yes, we can rightly praise the Amazon forest "What a hymn!" Or we could add, "What a hymn this beautiful tropical night!" Listen, the birds are singing their last evening song. The "Pontivy" bird hangs its nest on the reeds on the bank; a partridge called "Nianbu" can sing four tones, and its melodious singing is often imitated by other birds; "The song of the bird is sad and sweet, and the chirp of the kingfisher is like a signal to respond to the last call of its kind; the call of the "Ganand" bird is loud, like a bugle; "Among the leaves, in the night, its bright feathers looked a little dim. On the big raft, everyone began to rest.Only the navigator was still standing at the bow, and his tall figure was faintly visible in the night.The oarsmen on duty carrying wormwood on their shoulders are reminiscent of a Tatar cavalry camp.The Brazilian flag hangs on the top of the flagpole at the front of the raft, but the gentle evening wind can no longer blow the tulle. At eight o'clock in the evening three bells for Vespers were heard from the bell tower of the chapel, and then the second and third sets of bells rang.Then people ended the study of Hail Mary amidst more rapid bells. The whole family is still sitting on the porch breathing in the fresh air after a long day in June.This is how they spend every night.As for Joam Galar, he listened in silence to what was said, while the young men chattered cheerfully till they went to bed. "Oh! Our beautiful river! Our magnificent Amazon!" exclaimed Mina.Her passion for this beautiful river has never waned. "Yes, it is an incomparable river!" echoed Manoel, "at last I have seen it in all its beauty! We are now like Ohrana and Lagondamina centuries ago. Down the stream. I shall never again be amazed at the marvelous descriptions they make!" "But some are fabricated!" retorted Benito. "Brother!" Mina said seriously, "You are not allowed to speak ill of our Amazon River!" "This is not slander, my little sister, it's just a reminder that the Amazon has its own legends!" "Yes, it's true. It has a legend, but it's a very beautiful legend!" Mina replied. "What legends?" asked Manoel. "I must confess that they haven't come down to Pala! Or, at least, I haven't heard of them." "So, what did you learn in middle school in Belem?" Mina asked with a smile. "I started to realize that I didn't learn anything there!" replied Manoel. "What!" the lovely Mina went on with a very serious look, "Sir, haven't you heard of such a legend? There is a giant snake named 'Minogao', which comes to visit from time to time. Just look at the Amazon. As it comes and goes, the volume of the Amazon increases or decreases. Because it's so big!" "But have you ever come across this extraordinary serpent?" asked Manoel. "Unfortunately! No." Lina replied. "What a pity!" Fragoso thought he should add. "There is also a legend about 'Medaga'." Mina went on to say, "This is a beautiful and terrifying woman. Her gaze can suck all those daredevils who stare at her to the bottom of the river!" "Ah! Medagar is a real person!" cried innocent Lina. "People even say that she often appears on the shore! However, she is like a water god, as soon as people approach her, she disappears! " "Well then, Lina," said Benito, "the next time you see her, come and let me know!" "Let her catch you and drag you to the bottom? Oh, never! Donor Benito!" "Only Lina would believe it!" Mina sighed. "Then there are still many people who believe in the legend about the trunk of 'Manao'!" Fragoso interjected.He was always ready to step in to help Lina. "The trunk of Manao?" Manoel asked. "And what kind of legend is this?" "Monsieur Manoel," replied Fragoso, with comic seriousness, "the trunk of a 'Turuma' tree, to be exact, once, at the same time of year, Regularly descending the Rio Negro, stopping at Manao for a few days before going to Pala. It stops at all the ports, and the local Indians religiously adorn it with small flags. Arrival After Belem, it rested for a while, then returned along the road, went up the Amazon River, then reached the Negro River, and finally returned to the mysterious forest where it started. One day, people want to drag it to land Come up. Then the angry river began to rise, and the people had to give up the idea. Another time, a captain caught it and tried to drag it away. This time, the angry river broke the boat's cable, and the trunk Once again miraculously escaped!" "And what happened to it?" asked the young mulatto girl. "Miss Lina," replied Fragoso, "during his last voyage, he seems to have lost his way, and instead of going up the Rio Negro, he went all the way down the Amazon, and from then on people Never saw it again!" "Oh! If only we could touch it!" cried Lina. "If we meet," Benito said, "we will let you sit on it and let it take you to the mysterious forest, and then you too can become the legendary water god!" "Why not?" replied the mad Lina. "So many legends!" Manoel took up the topic, "I have to admit that your great river is indeed worthy of so many legends. In addition, there are many true stories about the great river. I only know one, and this is a very sad one. story. I thought, if it wasn't for your heartache, I'd tell you!" "Oh! Tell it! Monsieur Manoel!" cried Lina. "I love stories that make you cry!" "You will cry, Lina," said Benito. "Yes, Mr. Benito! But I will laugh and cry!" "Well then! Tell us the story, Manoel." "This is the story of a French woman. In the eighteenth century, her story has been circulated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait." "We'll listen to you," Mina said. "Okay, let me start," said Manoel. "In 1741, two French scholars, Burgo and Lagondamina, were sent here to measure the latitude and longitude of an area south of the equator. There is also a very outstanding astronomer, Gordon Dawney. Gordon did not come to this new land alone.He was accompanied by his young wife, children, father-in-law and brother-in-law. When they arrived at Keto, everyone was still in good health.But it was from here that Mrs. Downey experienced a series of misfortunes: within a few months, she lost several children. At the end of 1759, when Gordon Dawney had completed his task, he had to leave Kitto to work in Cayenne.After he settled down, he very much hoped that his family could also come to Cayena.But at this moment, war broke out.Therefore, he could only apply to the Portuguese government to issue a pass to Mrs. Donnay and her family. Will people believe him?Several years have passed, but the pass has not yet been issued. In 1765, a desperate Mr. Gordon Daizao decided to travel up the Amazon River and return to Quito to find his wife.However, just as he was about to leave, he suddenly fell ill.As a result, he will not be able to put his plan into action. However, all the efforts were not in vain.One day, Mrs. Donnai finally learned that the King of Portugal not only granted her a pass, but also prepared a boat for her so that she could go down the river to reunite with her husband.In addition, the king sent a team to wait for her at the mission station in the upper Amazon. Mrs. Downey was a woman of extraordinary courage.You'll find out after a while.Despite the dangers of this journey across the continent, she set off without hesitation. " "It's her duty as a wife, Manoel," said Jaquita, "and I would do it like her!" Manoel went on to say, "Mrs. Donnay, the representative, took her cousin, her children, and a French doctor to the Bamba River south of Quito. They had to reach the mission station on the Brazilian border because the boat and escorts are there. At first, the trip went relatively smoothly.They sailed in a small boat on a tributary of the Amazon River.When they reached an area endemic to smallpox, however, the difficulties increased with the danger and fatigue.At the beginning, there were several guides who showed them the way, but they all left after a few days.And the last faithful guide drowned in the Bobonazza River trying to save the French doctor. Soon, the boat was also damaged by rocks and drifting tree trunks in the river, and could not be used anymore.So, everyone had to go back to the land, and at the edge of an inaccessible forest, they made do with a few thatched huts.The doctor proposes to go with a black man (who has been faithfully following Mrs. Donnay the substitute) to scout the way.Everyone waited for them for days...but it was in vain! ...they never came back. However, the food was all gone.Those who remained tried unsuccessfully to travel down the Poponazza on a raft.They had to go back to the forest.Now, they can only walk through these almost impassable dense forests! It was exhausting for these poor souls!One by one, they fell ill despite the loving care of the brave Mrs. Donnay.A few days later, the children, several relatives, and the servants all died one after another! " "Oh! Poor woman!" Lina sighed. "Now there is only Mrs. Donnay left alone," continued Manoel, "and she is four thousand kilometers away from the waters that must be reached! She is no longer a person who continues on the road." The mother died...she lost her children and buried them with her own hands!...now she is just a wife who wants to be reunited with her husband! She traveled day and night.Finally one day, she found Bobona and the river again!There she was welcomed by well-meaning Indians.They were the ones who took her to the mission station where the escort was waiting! However, she got there alone.How many graves have been left along the way! Afterwards Mrs. Donnay came to Loreto, a place we passed just the other day.She traveled down the Amazon from this tiny Peruvian village, just like we do now.Finally, after nineteen years of separation, she finally saw her husband again! " "Poor woman!" Mina sighed. "She's a poor mother!" Yaquita said. At this time, the navigator Aroruo came to the stern and reported: "Mr. Joam Gallard, we have arrived at Rund Island! We are about to cross the border!" "Border!" murmured Joam. He stood up, walked to the edge of the big raft, and gazed for a long time at the isle of Rund.The current lapped the island.Then, he put his hand on his forehead, as if trying to banish some memory. "National border!" He couldn't help but lower his head and mutter to himself. After a while, he raised his head again, with a resolute expression on his face, like a person who has decided to do his duty to the end.