ARRIVAL AT GROVE ISLAND--SEARCH FOR PROVISIONS--CAPTURE OF THE SLOTH--
SMOKED SLOTH--DEPARTURE FROM GROVE ISLAND--A FEARFUL ATTACK--UP AN
IGARAPE--THE INDIAN ENCAMPMENT.
The sun was just setting when we reached the clump of trees where we had
left our friends, and lowering our mast, we paddled on to the
landing-place. As might be supposed, they were very much surprised at
seeing us return, and naturally fancied that some accident had happened.
"What is the matter?" asked Arthur, who hurried down to meet us.
"Nothing the matter, my friends, only a foul wind has driven us back
into port," answered the skipper, laughing. "Ya, ya! we shall sail
again soon with a fair breeze, and we mean to complete our voyage the
next time."
We found that everything had been going on quietly during our absence.
My father had gradually recovered his strength, and Marian felt much
better from being able to take a walk on the platform. A hut had been
constructed for her of palm-leaves, at Arthur's suggestion. Arthur,
Tim, and the black had been successful in their hunting expeditions.
They had, wisely, not ventured again into the macawery, but had caught
in various parts of the grove several parrots and other birds. They had
again seen the sloth; but, as they did not require the creature for
food, they allowed it to enjoy its existence. Its chance of life,
however, with the increased numbers in the settlement, was very small;
for Kallolo and Maco undertook to capture the poor animal before dawn,
if they could find it. They said they could do so at that time much
more easily than in daylight, when it would be awake, and could scramble
off much faster than they could follow. Kallolo observed, that with a
blowpipe he could send a small dart into the body of the animal which
would deprive it of life in the course of a few minutes; but having only
spears and arrows, the business of catching it would take them a much
longer time. The danger of shooting the sloth was, that it might fall
into the water and be lost, should it be found on a bough overhanging
the river. Arthur suggested that we should try to get a rope round the
animal.
"We kill him first, and then make him fast," observed Kallolo. "He will
hold on with his claws till him quite dead."
As the skipper was especially anxious to have a good supply of food in
readiness for the voyage, it was finally decided that the sloth should
die before daylight. Arthur and I told Kallolo that we wished to assist
in its capture, and he promised to call us when it was time to set out
to look for the beast.
We all lay down as usual on the platform, our pillows consisting of
bundles of sticks, with no other covering than the roof overhead. I was
still sleeping soundly when I felt Kallolo's hand on my shoulder. "Get
up, now! Time to be off!" He had previously awaked Arthur. We were
immediately on our feet, and, led by the two natives, commenced our
scramble among the boughs and interlacing sepos. Arthur carried one
piece of rope, and I another. It was necessary to move with the
greatest caution, else we might easily have had an ugly fall. Our
guides moved noiselessly, for fear, as they said, of awaking their
intended victim. It would certainly have gone to the furthest extremity
of the grove--as far away as possible from the invaders of its native
domain. I should have supposed that they would have had great
difficulty in ascertaining in what direction it was to be found, had I
not observed that they stopped every now and then and examined the
leaves of some of the trees. At length we arrived at a large cecropia
tree. We observed that some of the branches were almost stripped of
their leaves, while those of others, a little further on, were only
partly nibbled.
"Him not far off," whispered Kallolo. "Stay here, me go see. Come when
I call." And he and his companion silently made their way along an
outspreading branch, holding their lances in their hands. The branch
could not be reached from below, but I saw that another of smaller
dimensions extended at no great distance above it. The Indians crept
along the larger branch. I knew that the sloth was to be found under,
not above, the branch, and therefore supposed that he was clinging to
the smaller of the two, though I could not make him out. Presently I
saw one of the natives spring up to the upper branch, and make his way
along it; then he again dropped down to the lower one, while the other
advanced as if to meet him. I could see their lances raised, and
presently, at the same moment, they darted them down, when Kallolo
shouted out, "Come on! come on!" and Arthur and I clambered along the
upper branch, and, directed by Kallolo, we dropped the noose of our
ropes, which he and Maco caught and passed round the lower bough,
handing them up to us again. They then told us to move a little further
on, and to draw the ropes tight and secure them. We did as they
desired.
"We got the sloth tight now," observed Kallolo. "Him not go away till
we come back in the morning." We found that the ropes had been passed
under the body of the sloth, which was thus tightly secured to the tree.
After this, we returned to the platform. At daylight we again set off
with Tim and Sambo, to bring down the body of the sloth. It was by this
time quite dead, and had it not been fastened, would probably have
fallen into the water. It was carried to the kitchen on the thick
branch, where it was skinned and cut up; and we now found ourselves in
possession of an ample supply of meat. I cannot say much in favour of
its flesh. It was rather tough and sinewy; but under our circumstances
we were very glad to get it. The only question was how it could be
preserved. The skipper suggested that we should try to smoke our meat.
The operation at first seemed impossible; but under his directions a
large wickerwork basket was formed, which was thickly covered over with
palm-leaves. The meat was hung inside, and the basket was then placed
over the fire, which was well supplied with fresh twigs and leaves. By
continually replenishing the fuel, we kept up an ample volume of smoke,
in which we not only cured sloth meat, but a number of parrots and other
birds, and several fish, which we caught by allowing the log to drift
out into deep water, as far as the cable would admit.
The skipper was very anxious that the whole party should accompany him
on the next trip; and he asked my father to venture on board the log,
assuring him that he and his daughter would be perfectly safe, and that
we should thus be able to push into the interior to a spot where we
might build a vessel, and so avoid the necessity of coming back for him.
My father at length consented, and active preparations were made for
the voyage. Before starting, we had a grand hunt, during which we made
an onslaught on the macaws, which, frightened by our numbers, and by the
weapons with which we assailed them, took to flight after several had
been killed, leaving their young ones at our mercy. We caught a number
of other birds, and obtained a considerable supply of figs, plums, and
nuts. We had, also, a general washing of clothes; though, to be sure,
some of our party had but few garments which required cleansing. But
cleanliness we endeavoured to maintain; which tended much, I believe, to
keep us in health. Hitherto no one had suffered, except from fatigue;
and that, of course, was unavoidable.
Our provisions being carefully packed, and other arrangements made, we
only waited for a fair wind to recommence our voyage. We had an
abundance of food. Our saucepan afforded us the means of obtaining hot
water, and of boiling what required boiling. We had bows and arrows and
spears to obtain more food, hooks and lines for catching fish, and two
bottles of schiedam remaining; for the skipper, though very fond of it,
husbanded it carefully, and resisted the temptation he felt to drink it
himself. "We'll keep it, in case of the illness of any of the party,"
he remarked.
The wind still continued blowing down the river. It had the effect of
somewhat lowering the water. This we did not desire; for while it
remained at its height we could with greater ease penetrate into the
interior, and we knew that even long after it had subsided we should be
unable to travel over the country it had left, with any degree of
safety. Again it fell calm. We might perhaps have urged our log to the
westward by means of the oars; but our progress would necessarily have
been so slow that it would not have been worth while to make the
attempt. We waited another day, when, to the satisfaction of all hands,
a light breeze from the eastward sprang up soon after we had
breakfasted.
"On board now, my friends!" exclaimed the skipper; and we hastened down
to our landing-place, each of us loaded with as many packages as we
could carry. As before, Quacko clung to Kallolo's shoulders, while Ara
perched on the head of Maco. Everything we possessed was placed in the
centre of the log. Once more Uncle Paul ascended and took a glance
round the platform, to see that nothing had been left behind. "And now,
my friends," he said, "before we push off, let us offer up a prayer for
protection against the dangers, foreseen and unforeseen, which we may
have to encounter." Kneeling down and taking off his hat, Uncle Paul
prayed in a firm, manly tone, all joining him in a hearty "Amen."
Rising from our knees, the oars were got out, the painter cast off; and
we paddled clear of the trees: then the mast was stepped and set up with
shrouds and stays, wedges being driven in to secure it more firmly. The
sail was hoisted and rigged out with a boom, and away we glided up the
stream. Great care had been taken, in trimming the log, to prevent the
risk of its upsetting. To each person was assigned his own proper
place, from which he was on no account to move, unless directed by Uncle
Paul or Captain van Dunk. Further to secure the log, outriggers had
been fitted on either side; which gave it more stability without
impeding its progress. All had been done, indeed, which good sense and
forethought could suggest for securing a safe voyage in our, at the
best, unwieldy craft. The extreme buoyancy of the cedar wood made it
far more suitable for our purpose than that of any other tree. From its
natural shape, also, which was flat on the upper side, and rounded at
the bottom, it nearly resembled a vessel; and could we have hollowed it
out, it might have been formed into a craft suitable for the navigation
of a smooth river. We had, however, to make the best of it as it was.
We had, I should have said, erected a small shed in the afterpart for
Marian's accommodation, which served as her sleeping-place at night, and
sheltered her somewhat from the heat of the sun by day.
As before, we sailed on night and day. The craft was somewhat less
buoyant than it had been; but as we had a fresh breeze, we made good
progress, and in two days we reached the point where we had turned back.
Marian was grateful for the care taken of her, and was in fair spirits;
and even our poor father became more cheerful than he had been. Soon
after we had doubled the point, the wind shifted a little to the
northward, blowing directly up the stream we had now entered. As in the
Orinoco, the trees, with the water many feet above their roots, bounded
our prospect on either side.
Day after day we sailed on, a sharp lookout being kept ahead for any
danger which might appear. The chief risk was from submerged trees or
floating logs; which might have quickly upset her, had our craft struck
one of them. Happily we escaped all these dangers; and though we
frequently passed very near floating logs, we did not receive any damage
from them.
At length we found the river narrowing considerably; but still no dry
ground had appeared on either side,--which showed how perfectly level
must be the region through which we were sailing. The wind, though it
continued favourable, had fallen, and we found it necessary to keep
close in by the shore, to avoid the current which we could no longer
stem. Still, by keeping our paddles moving, we went ahead. So narrow
had the stream become, that we thought we must be approaching its
source, when suddenly we found ourselves entering a broad lakelike
expanse, the opposite shore being scarcely visible. Captain van Dunk
being unwilling, for fear of being caught in a gale, to stand across the
lake, kept still coasting along, in the hope, he said, of discovering
either a piece of firm ground or else another stream up which we might
run.
During the next night the wind was very light, and we made slower
progress than we had hitherto done. I awoke just at daylight, and was
sitting with Kallolo at the bow of our strange craft, over the stem of
which the tack was made fast. He was employed in looking out ahead.
Quacko, his constant companion, was in his arms, and I was amusing
myself by talking to the monkey. "He no understand your lingo, Massa
Guy," observed Kallolo. "Talkee as I do, and he know what you say." On
this he uttered what seemed to me to be nothing but gibberish; but
Quacko, in great delight, replied in what was evidently an imitation of
his master's voice. Suddenly I saw the creature gaze into the water,
and then, chattering louder than ever, it threw its arms around
Kallolo's neck.
"He see something!" exclaimed the native, gazing on the smooth surface.
"Oh! what can it be?" I exclaimed.
The native did not reply. At that instant, a long shining head rose
above the surface, and came on with fearful rapidity towards the log.
The Indian sat, it seemed to me, paralysed with terror. Beyond the head
appeared a long thin body; and I now saw that it was an enormous
snake--"a huge anaconda." To my horror the creature, reaching the log,
began to climb it, exhibiting the folds of its huge body; while its
mouth was open wide enough to swallow either of us at a gulp, though it
might possibly have been contented with poor Quacko, had Kallolo been
willing to sacrifice his favourite.
"Fly, Massa Guy! fly!" he shouted, springing back himself, with Quacko
in his arms. Our shouts aroused our sleeping companions, who sprang to
their feet, Maco being the first to seize a lance and come to our
assistance. The bravest man might well have been excused for not facing
the hideous monster unarmed. The first impulse of everyone was to
spring to the afterpart of our craft, as far as possible from its huge
fangs. Our cries, and the row of bristling lances presented to the
anaconda, made it hesitate to spring on us. Indeed, it had not as yet,
I suspect, got firm hold of the log with its tail, which would have
enabled it to do so. While the rest of us were presenting our lances,
Maco seized a bow and sent an arrow directly down the creature's throat!
With a loud hiss of rage and pain it drew back, when we all rushed
forward, not without some risk of upsetting the log, which rocked
fearfully from side to side. Had we been thrown into the water, the
creature would have had us at its mercy; though, with an arrow in its
mouth, it would not have been able to swallow even Quacko. A second
arrow, sent from Maco's unerring bow, made it uncoil its huge body and
slip off into the water, when, to our infinite satisfaction, it
disappeared beneath the surface. Poor Quacko still trembled all over;
for his instinct told him how quickly the anaconda would have gobbled
him up. We speedily recovered our equanimity. "I wish he would come on
again," cried our undaunted skipper. "If he do, we shall quickly have
his head off, and cook some slices of his body for dinner." I don't
think he exactly meant what he said; at all events, I must have been
excessively hungry before I could have eaten any of the hideous
creature, though its flesh might possibly not be poisonous. I believe,
indeed, that even the natives, who eat nearly everything, would not have
been inclined to feed on its rank flesh.
As we had no wish to remain in the neighbourhood, we got out the oars
and rowed lustily forward; and a fresh breeze springing up at about
noon, we ran on at a good rate, though not even at the fastest did we
ever make more than four knots an hour. Our average was perhaps about
two, which gave twenty-four miles in the day. This, considering all
things, was not bad progress.
We sailed on till nightfall, in vain looking for a landing-place, while
between the trees we could distinguish nothing but water extending as
far as the eye could reach. As the wind was light, we did not attempt
to bring up, but continued on our course; a crescent moon enabling us to
see our way sufficiently to avoid any dangers ahead. Uncle Paul and
Captain van Dunk took it in turn to act as officer of the watch. My
father and Marian were rated as passengers, and the rest of us were
divided into two watches.
It may be supposed, after the visit of the anaconda, that we kept a
bright lookout, lest any monster of the same species might take it in
his head to come on board; and Kallolo and Maco kept their bows ready to
send an arrow into the first pair of open jaws which appeared above the
surface. The night, however, passed away without the appearance of any
unwelcome visitor. The encounter we had had on the previous day seemed,
indeed, like a horrible dream, and we could scarcely persuade ourselves
of its reality. I was very glad when daylight returned, and a fresh
breeze and bright sun stirred up our spirits.
We had not again attempted to light a fire on board; indeed, without
stopping among the trees we could not have obtained fuel. We were
therefore compelled to subsist on the dried meat and fish and the
various fruits and nuts we had brought with us; cold water being our
sole beverage. Marian subsisted almost entirely on fruit and nuts, and
for her sake especially I was anxious to reach dry ground, where we
could cook some more wholesome provisions for her.
We had now, by our calculations, got a considerable way from the
Orinoco, but had not yet found the dry ground of which we were in
search; nor had as yet any mountain ranges appeared over the tops of the
lofty trees surrounding us.
The noonday sun was shining with an intense splendour on the calm
expanse of water over which we glided, when we saw before us an opening
between the trees, through which we concluded the upper waters of the
river we had been navigating flowed. The log was steered for it. It
was of considerable breadth, though narrowed by the far-extending
branches of the trees hanging over it, the lower portions of the stems
being concealed by the water.
We sailed on: Captain van Dunk thought we should, before long, reach a
part with banks considerably above the water. On either side rose
magnificent trees, some to the height of one hundred and fifty feet.
Among the most remarkable were the white-stemmed cecropia; the cow-tree,
of still loftier growth; and the indiarubber tree, with its smooth grey
bark, tall erect trunk, and thick glossy leaves: while intermixed with
them appeared the assai palm, with its slender stem, its graceful head,
and its delicate green plumes; and the mirite, one of the most beautiful
of the palm tribe, having abundant clusters of glossy fruit, and
enormous spreading, fanlike leaves, cut into ribbons. Palms of various
species predominated. The underwood was not very dense, but the sepos
wove their tracery among the upper branches; some running round and
round the trees, and holding them in a close embrace; others hanging
from branch to branch in rich festoons, or dropping in long lines to the
ground. Here, too, appeared numberless parasitic plants, with most
beautiful and gorgeous flowers. Among the most lovely flowers was one
of a yellow tint, apparently suspended between the stems of two trees,
shining in the gloom as if its petals were of gold. In reality, as we
afterwards discovered, it grows at the end of a stalk, a yard and a half
long, springing from a cluster of thick leaves on the bark of a tree.
Others had white and spotted blossoms; and still more magnificent than
all was one of a brilliant purple colour, emitting a delicious odour.
Here, too, we saw plants hanging in mid-air, like the crowns of huge
pineapples; and large climbing arums, with their dark green and
arrow-head-shaped leaves, forming fantastic and graceful ornaments amid
the foliage; while huge-leaved ferns and other parasites clung to the
sterns up to the very highest branches. These, again, were covered by
creeping plants; and thus literally parasites grew on parasites; and on
these parasites, again, leaves of every form were also seen--some
beautifully divided, and others of vast size and fanlike shape, like
those of the cecropias; and numerous others of intermediate forms added
to the countless variety.
Many of the trees bore fruit. Among the most tempting was that of the
maraja, growing in large bunches. Most of the palms also had fruit;
some like the cocoanut, others like small berries. Then there was the
palmetto, with its tender succulent bud on the summit of the stem, used
as a vegetable with meat. Others had bunches of bright chestnut-brown
fruit hanging from between the leaves which form the crown, each bunch
about a foot in length, massive and compact, like a large cluster of
Hamburg grapes. Then there was another palm, bearing a greenish fruit
not unlike the olive in appearance, which hung in large pendent bunches
just below the leaves. There were bean-shaped pods, too, from one foot
to three feet in length. The cuja-tree, which I have already mentioned,
is of immense size. Its fruit is very much like that of a gourd of
spherical form, with a light-green shining surface, growing from the
size of an orange to that of the largest melon. It is filled with a
soft white pulp, easily removed when the fruit is cut in halves. The
Indians, I forgot to say, formed a number of cups and basins for us from
the rind of this fruit. From them also we had manufactured the
lifebuoys which I have described.
As we sailed along, numerous birds of the most gorgeous plumage were
seen either resting on the boughs or flying overhead across the stream.
Among them were several species of trogons and little bristle-tailed
manakins. We saw also the curious black umbrella-bird; which is so
called from having a hood like an umbrella spread over its head. Flocks
of paroquets were seen, and bright blue chatterers; and now and then a
lovely pompadour, having delicate white wings and claret-coloured
plumage. Monkeys of various sorts were scrambling among the boughs,
coming out to look at us, and chattering loudly as if to inquire why we
had come into their domains. Now and then we caught sight of a sloth
rolled up on a branch of an imbauba tree, on the leaves of which the
creature feeds; while butterflies of most brilliant hues and enormous
dragonflies were flitting about in the sunshine.
On and on we sailed, the passage between the trees now becoming narrower
every mile we progressed, till at length they appeared almost to close
us in, the branches completely interlacing overhead. Still, having gone
so far, Captain van Dunk was unwilling to turn back, unless certain that
there was no opening into some wider stream; but, from the depth of the
water and the absence of any strong current, he fully believed we should
meet with one. At length the branches extended so far across the
passage that we were compelled to unstep the mast in order to pass under
them. The sudden change from the bright glare of the open water to the
solemn gloom of the forest was very remarkable. We had now to paddle
slowly. We were frequently able to press our oars against the trunks of
the trees, and thus to shove the log ahead. Though accustomed to
tropical scenery, nothing we had before witnessed equalled the rich
luxuriance of the vegetation--the numberless strange trees, and hanging
plants, and creepers, and beautiful flowers of every hue, affording
abundance of interest as we proceeded. Marian was delighted, and was
continually crying out, "Oh, what a lovely flower!--what a graceful
tree!--see that magnificent bird!--oh, what a gorgeous butterfly!" till
she had exhausted her vocabulary of suitable epithets.
At length we reached a spot where the far-extending buttressed roots of
an enormous tree completely impeded our progress; and steering up to it,
we made our log fast, and stepped, I cannot say on shore, but on the
roots of the tree. We had little doubt, indeed, that could we have
penetrated through the mass of foliage, we should soon have reached dry
ground. It was now time for our evening meal, and therefore, before
proceeding further, we sat down to partake of it. The captain intended,
if possible, afterwards to try to work the log through by towing, or
else to build a small raft, and, with one or two companions, explore the
passage still further on.
We had a number of spectators at our repast; for no sooner were we
quietly seated, than troops of monkeys, attracted by the strange
spectacle we presented--to their eyes, at all events--came from every
side through the forest, swinging from bough to bough, or scrambling
along the sepos, to have a look at us. There they sat above our heads,
chattering away as if talking of us and making their observations.
Quacko looked up, and answered them in their own language; at which they
seemed very much surprised. Some were induced, by what he said, I
suppose, to come down much closer; and had we been so inclined, we might
have shot several with our arrows. That, however, would have been a
treacherous return for the confidence they showed; and we did not,
happily for them, require food. I very much doubt, had such been the
case, that we should have allowed them to escape.
Kallolo and Maco, observing that we had no fruit remaining, volunteered
to make their way into the forest, to try to find some. Uncle Paul, for
Marian's sake, accepted their offer. It required great agility and
practical experience for anyone to scramble among the interlacing boughs
and network of sepos, without the almost certainty of tumbling into the
water. They went off armed with their spears, and their long knives
stuck in their girdles, saying that they would soon make their
appearance again. We meantime, having finished the more substantial
part of our meal, scrambled up to the huge roots of the tree where we
had first landed, and sat down to await their return.
Uncle Paul, Captain van Dunk, and Peter talked over their plans. They
did not conceal from themselves the difficulties of their project; but
still, like brave men, they resolved to accomplish it. Though their saw
was too small to cut out the planks of the proposed vessel, they might
obtain them by splitting up trees with wedges, and then smoothing them
down with the axe. Though they had no nails, the planks might be
secured to the ribs with tree-nails or wooden pegs. "Ya, ya!" exclaimed
the brave skipper for the hundredth time; "where there's a will there's
a way. We will do it, we will do it; never fear." His confidence
raised all our spirits.
The day drew on, but the two natives did not appear, and we began to
fear that they must have met with some accident, or lost their way. One
thing was certain, we should have to spend another night on our log,
instead of, as we had hoped, on dry ground under the shelter of leafy
huts, which we had proposed building. My father's great wish, for
Marian's sake, was to return as soon as possible to civilised parts. He
said something to that effect.
"Oh, don't think about me, papa," exclaimed Marian; "I really enjoy this
sort of life; only I hope that we shall not meet with another anaconda,
or boa, or any of those venomous serpents which are said to frequent
this region."
"I trust indeed that we shall not, my child," said our father; "but
there are other dangers I fear for you, though I pray that you may be
preserved from them also."
"We will not talk of dangers nor of difficulties," observed Uncle Paul;
"the great thing is to face them bravely when they come."
My father remarked that it was time to return to our log, and to make
arrangements for passing the night while there was daylight, as we
should find the darkness much greater under the shelter of the trees
than we had found it in the open part of the river.
I had just got on my feet and was looking up the stream, when I observed
a bright light burst forth from among the trees at a considerable
distance. I called the attention of Uncle Paul to it, who was sitting
near me. He also got up and looked in the direction to which I pointed.
"It must be produced by a fire," he observed. "It is either just
kindled on the branches of some high tree or else on ground rising
considerably above the stream. Can Kallolo and Maco have got there and
kindled it as a signal to us? For my part, I confess I cannot make it
out?" The rest of the party now got up and looked in the direction in
which we were gazing. They were greatly puzzled.
"Can the fire have been lighted by natives?" asked Arthur. "Some of the
tribes which inhabit these regions are accustomed to form their
dwellings among the trees, I have heard; if so, we must be on our guard.
It will be better, at all events, to avoid them; for though it is
possible they may prove friendly, they may resent the intrusion of
strangers into their territory, and attack us." Uncle Paul agreed with
Arthur that in all probability the fire was lighted by natives. "They
cannot, however, as yet have seen us," he remarked, "and it might be
wiser to retreat while we have time, and to try to find another
passage."
"I cannot agree with you there," observed Captain van Dunk. "We have no
reason to fear the natives, who are poor, miserable creatures; and as
they believe that white men never go without firearms, they will not
venture to attack us."
"But, captain, if they find that we have no firearms, they will know
that we are at their mercy, and may easily overwhelm us by numbers,"
observed Arthur.
"But we have our spears, bows, and arrows, and we shall cut some stout
cudgels, with which we could easily drive away such miserable savages as
they are."
"Suppose they possess the deadly blowpipe, with its little poisoned
darts, they may attack us without giving us a chance of reaching them,"
said Arthur.
"I am afraid that Arthur is right," remarked Uncle Paul. "It would be
folly to expose ourselves to danger if it can be avoided."
The discussion was still going on when we caught sight of two figures
approaching through the fast increasing gloom. Could they be the
savages of whom we were talking? I confess that I felt very
uncomfortable,--not so much for myself as for Marian and my father; and
for the first time since we reached the Orinoco I began to wish that we
were safe among civilised people. I suspect that my companions shared
my fears. No one spoke. At length our anxiety was set at rest by
hearing the voices of Kallolo and Maco. They soon joined us, bringing a
number of ripe purple plums, and some bunches of the delicious maraja,
the fruit of several species of palms, which I may as well here say
afforded an acceptable supper to all the party. We eagerly asked if
they had seen any Indians.
"We have," answered Kallolo; "but they are a long way off, and as they
will not wander from their encampment during the night, we may, if
necessary, avoid them. We will, however, first learn if they are
friends or foes. If they are friends, they may assist us with their
canoes in getting through the passage; but if they are foes, we must try
to steal by them without being seen."
We had now all collected on the log, and Marian having retired to her
cabin, we sat down to discuss the best plan of proceeding.
"I see we must do what I before proposed," said the skipper. "We will
build a small raft, and Peter and I, with Maco and Sambo, will endeavour
to push through the passage while you all remain concealed from the
natives behind these thick trees. Should we get through, I will send
Maco back to guide you; and you must build two other small rafts, which
will be sufficient to carry you."
Uncle Paul did not at first seem inclined to agree with the skipper. He
was unwilling that our party should separate; for, should the natives
discover us, and prove hostile, they were more likely to attack a small
number than a large one. At the same time, he acknowledged that by
remaining on the log we might be able to retreat on it down the stream
should we be attacked, and, at all events, still have some chance of
saving our lives.
The skipper had at first proposed forming the raft immediately, and
embarking on it during the night, so as to pass the neighbourhood of the
Indian encampment before daylight; but so great was the darkness in the
confined spot where we were, that we soon found it would be impossible
to commence our building operations till the return of day, and he was
therefore compelled to put off his expedition till the next night.