PARAMOS DESCRIBED--SUFFER FROM WANT OF WATER--REACH A STREAM--ENCAMP--
INDIAN LEGENDS--A CAPYBARA--ENEMIES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD--ASCEND A STEEP
MOUNTAIN--DESCEND AND REACH A BEAUTIFUL VALLEY--TAKE UP OUR ABODE IN A
MAGNIFICENT CAVERN--EXPLORE THE CAVERN--STRANGE BIRDS--KANIMAPO SHOWS US
ANOTHER CAVERN--CONSTRUCTS A ROPE-BRIDGE--HAZARDOUS PASSAGE--KILL A
JAGUAR AND CAPTURE TWO DEER--TIM AND CHUMBO APPEAR--CHUMBO'S ADVENTURE
WITH KING-VULTURES--NORAH AND KATHLEEN IN DANGER FROM A JAGUAR--SAVED BY
KANIMAPO--GOOD NEWS--PREPARATIONS FOR OUR DEPARTURE.
The fresh air of that elevated region--a contrast to the heavy, damp
atmosphere of the plain below--so revived our spirits and strengthened
our muscles, that all were eager to push on.
We were, it must be remembered, travelling over a series of
mountain-heights forming a chain considerably to the eastward of the
true Cordilleras, which are of much greater elevation; but even here the
cold on the more lofty mountains is excessive, as it is in some of the
valleys between them. These valleys are uninhabitable deserts known as
paramos, in which no human being can exist without keeping in unceasing
and violent motion. No artificial means appears sufficient to sustain
life while a person is exposed to their chilling atmosphere; the
strongest spirits have no effect--and, indeed, increase the direful
consequences. They are usually long deep valleys, so shut in by
neighbouring heights that scarcely a single ray of the sun sheds its
genial influence through them. If a person attempts to remain in them
unsheltered at night, death will certainly overtake him. Some of them,
however, are so extensive that it requires two or three days to cross
them. To enable this to be done, small houses have been erected at
certain distances, in which cooking utensils, wood for firing, and other
articles of convenience, are kept for the accommodation of travellers;
as well as stabling for their mules. But to remain in a paramo during
the night, even though thus protected, is often a painful ordeal. Only
for two or three months of the year--November, December, and January--
are they inhabitable by human beings; and it is during those months
alone that the huts can be erected or the fuel stored for the remainder
of the year.
The doctor described to me the way in which people suffer:--The highly
rarified air at first occasions great difficulty in breathing, with a
sharp piercing pain at each inspiration; in a short time the person
becomes benumbed in the extremities, owing to his incapacity for
continuing in motion. He is next seized with violent delirium, and in
his horrible paroxysms froths at the mouth, tears the flesh from his
hands and arms, pulls his hair, and beats himself violently against the
ground, meanwhile uttering the most piercing cries, till, completely
exhausted, he remains without motion or feeling, and death ensues. The
only effectual remedy, when a person is thus seized, is to beat him
violently, and to make him drink cold water from the springs found in
all parts of the paramo; but this remedy must be employed immediately
after the first symptoms appear.
Numberless persons have perished in this way. A short time before our
journey, of a large body of troops attempting to pass through a paramo
more than half died; as did some thousand horses and mules intended for
the use of Bolivar's army.
After the account I had heard from the doctor, I begged of Kanimapo that
he would not conduct us through a paramo.
"There is no fear of my doing that," he answered; "to-day we shall not
ascend higher than our present position, and we shall remain at night in
a well-watered valley."
We had been for some time traversing a narrow plateau, along the whole
length of which we had to proceed, and where, though the air was
pleasant, not a drop of water could be found. Most of us, therefore,
were beginning to suffer greatly from thirst--the padre and the doctor
had not drunk anything since the previous evening--and would have given
a good deal for a cup of fresh water. The sides of the plateau were so
steep that we could not descend in any part, though occasionally we
heard through the trees the sound of rushing water rising from the
depths below, or coming down from the mountain on the opposite side.
The horses and mules, too, were beginning to exhibit every sign of
thirst,--the mules sometimes showing an inclination to bolt off either
on one side or the other, as though they thought they could make their
way down to the spots from whence the tantalising sound arose.
Our guide cheered us on. "We shall reach a valley before sunset; and I
have no fear but we shall there find water enough to quench the thirst
of us all," he observed.
All this time my mother and Norah exhibited wonderful powers of
endurance, and never complained of the steepness or dangerous nature of
the road; nor did they now of the thirst from which they, in common with
us all, were suffering. I was surprised that our guide had not warned
us; but, accustomed as he was to go for hours together without eating or
drinking, it had not occurred to him that we should suffer any
inconvenience.
At length we came to the end of the ridge. As we began to descend by
one of the most rugged of paths, the sound of a waterfall reached our
ears; and in the course of a few minutes, on going to the edge of a
rock, we caught sight of a magnificent cascade issuing from the
mountain-side, and dashing down into a large basin in the valley below.
"Hoch! hurrah! there's the water; and I hope before long to have a
gallon down my throat," cried the doctor; and, unable longer to restrain
himself, he set off to run down the steep descent. The padre, excited
by the same feeling, rushed after him; while I followed in a somewhat
more cautious way, not without considerable fear that my friends, in
their eagerness, might tumble over the precipice before they reached the
bottom. My father and the rest of the men held back the horses and
mules, to prevent them following the doctor's example, and maybe sending
their riders over their heads. Happily, no harm occurred, and we all
reached the side of a sparkling stream of considerable volume, which
went bounding and foaming away amid the hills, ultimately taking an
easterly course and falling into the plain we had left. A hollow in the
side of the hill, only a little above the water, afforded us ample
camping-ground; and from the numerous luxuriant shrubs which grew around
we were able to build some comfortable huts, as well as to cut a
sufficient supply of firewood.
"You may remain here without much fear of interruption, my friends,"
observed Kanimapo. "But, at the same time, the spot could easily be
reached by those in search of you, so I wish to conduct you to a place
in which no enemy can find you."
My father at once agreed to this; indeed, the valley, though it had its
attractions, was not the place we should have wished to live in for any
length of time. Unless actually tracked, we were not likely to be
discovered, as the opposite heights were inaccessible, and we were
completely hidden, owing to the form of the rocks and the overhanging
trees, from any one passing on the hills above us. We thus considered
that we need not apprehend danger during the few hours it was necessary
to remain encamped on the spot. There was an abundance of grass, too,
for our horses and mules; and the venison we had brought with us was
provision sufficient for a couple of days at least.
I have so often described our night-encampments that I need not mention
the arrangements we made on the present occasion. I was much struck by
the romantic beauty of the scene: the cascade in the distance; the rapid
stream rushing and foaming below us; the lofty mountains rising in
front, and the rich vegetation which clothed the cliffs behind; the huts
nestling under the trees; the blazing fire, surrounded by our party; the
animals grazing on the green turf which carpeted the ground. There was
sufficient danger to create some excitement, and yet not enough to
prevent us from enjoying our supper and entering into an animated
conversation. The padre and the doctor chiefly engaged in it, and
afforded us much amusement; Kanimapo also occasionally took a part. We
were speaking of the monkeys of the country, some of which possess
wonderful intelligence; and the padre described one which had learned to
sit at table and use a knife and fork, and would drink wine out of a
cup, and bow to the company.
"Have you ever heard of the salvaje, or wild man of the woods,--who
builds a house for himself, and sometimes carries off people to dwell
with him when he wants companionship, and occasionally eats them if he
is hungry?" said the padre.
"Has anybody seen him?" asked the doctor; "for until I see him I shall
refuse to believe in his existence."
"I cannot say that I ever saw him," answered the padre; "but I have
known people who have found the traces of his feet, the toes of which
are turned backwards; and others have caught sight of him peeping from
among the boughs of a tree."
"Who can doubt about him?" exclaimed the Indian, who had hitherto
remained silent. "My people, and those who dwell on the upper waters of
the Orinoco to the ocean on the north, know very well all about him.
Some call him the achi, others the vasatri, or great devil; and he is
exactly like a big man, only covered with dark hair."
The doctor burst into a fit of laughter. "If you caught him you would
find your man of the woods turn out to be a huge bear, whose feet
somewhat resemble those of a man. I have never heard of a large monkey
in this country--though, of course, such may exist in regions
unexplored."
"I am afraid, doctor, you are very sceptical," observed the padre.
"Not at all, my friend," he replied; "I am simply, as a philosopher,
bound not to believe unless I have sufficient evidence of a fact: and in
this case it appears to me that such evidence is not forthcoming. For
instance, as to the fact of a great flood which once covered the earth,
independent of the statement made by Scripture--"
"Ignorant as our people are, we know that such an event took place,"
broke in the Indian. "Once upon a time the sea flowed over the whole of
the plain, and all the people perished with the exception of a man and
woman, who floated about in a boat, and at last arrived safely on a high
mountain called Tamanaca. On landing they cast behind them over their
heads the fruits of the mauritia palm-tree, when the seeds contained in
those fruits produced men and women, who repeopled the earth. Some of
you may have seen, on the lofty cliffs which rise above the Orinoco and
other rivers, curious figures sculptured on their faces, at a height
which no human being could now reach. How could they have been carved,
unless the waters had risen up to them and thus enabled our fathers to
reach them in boats?"
"The belief you entertain, my friend, exists in all parts of the world,"
observed the doctor; "and I doubt not that it has its origin in truth."
The Indian looked satisfied; and then went on to tell us of the wars
which his people waged in former days--when they lived near the ocean--
with the white men who first came over to their country. The most
ferocious and daring of these--indeed, he appears to have been almost a
madman--was Lopez de Aguirri. Descending the Amazon from Peru, he made
his way along the coast across the mouth of the Orinoco and through the
Gulf of Paria, till he entered the Caribbean Sea, and ultimately reached
the island of Margarita. From thence he returned to the continent, and
established himself in the city of Valencia, where he proclaimed the
independence of the country and the deposition of Philip the Second.
The native inhabitants made their escape across the lake of Tacarigua,
taking with them all their boats, so that Aguirri could only exercise
his cruelties on his own people. He at once began to put to death those
who opposed him; and in a letter to the king he boasts of the number of
officers whom he had killed. Among them was Fernando de Guzman, who had
been chosen king; but De Aguirri not liking his rule, killed him and the
captain of his guard, his lieutenant-general, his chaplain, a woman, a
knight of the Order of Rhodes, two ensigns, and five or six of his
domestics. Afterwards, having got himself named king, he appointed
captains and sergeants; but these wishing to put him out of the way,
they were all afterwards hanged by his orders. He especially points out
to Philip the corruption of morals among the monks, whom he intends to
chastise severely; he remarks that there is not an ecclesiastic who does
not think himself higher than the governor of a province; that they are
given up to luxury, acquiring possessions, selling sacraments,--being at
once ambitious, violent, and gluttonous. Aguirri--or, as he is still
called by the common people, "the tyrant"--was at length abandoned by
his own men and put to death. When surrounded by foes, and conscious
that his fate was inevitable, he plunged a dagger into the bosom of his
only daughter, that she might not have to blush before the Spaniards at
the term, "the daughter of a traitor." The natives still believe that
the soul of the tyrant wanders in the savannahs like a flame, which
flies on the approach of men.
I wish that I could recollect more of the stories narrated on that
evening.
We were interrupted by a rushing sound, as if some animal were breaking
through the bushes. The doctor started up, exclaiming,--"An anaconda!--
a boa! Be prepared, my friends," and boldly advanced in the direction
of the sound. My father, Gerald, and I, seizing our rifles, followed
his example. The padre did not exhibit the same eagerness, but kept his
seat, and begged my mother and Norah not to be alarmed, as he very much
doubted that any large serpent could have made its way so far up the
mountains; and even if it should prove to be a puma or jaguar, we were
likely, he said, to give a good account of it. Having quieted their
fears, he got up, and taking Tim's rifle, joined us. Jumbo had been in
a state of excitement when he saw what we were about; and losing
patience, boldly dashed into the wood. Presently, out there came what
at the first glance I took to be a wild boar; but as it passed before us
towards the water, I saw that it was an animal of a very different
species. The doctor fired, and brought it to the ground; when Jumbo,
rushing forward, seized it by the throat. The creature made little or
no resistance; and having dragged it up to the fire, we saw that it was
a capybara, or water-hog. The doctor remarked that it was the largest
of all living rodents, being upwards of three feet in length, and
enormously fat. It had a blunt muzzle, with the eyes set high in the
head; was destitute of a tail; and its toes were so united as to enable
it to swim with ease. It was of a blackish grey hue, with rather long
hairs, of a yellow tinge, falling thickly over the body. The doctor
exhibited its head, which contained enormous incisor teeth, and
curiously-formed molars. He remarked that its webbed feet enable it to
swim rapidly, and that when pursued it dives, and can remain nearly
eight minutes under water; so that, if not taken unawares, it is able to
escape most of its numerous foes. Among the most deadly of these is the
jaguar, which preys largely on the poor tailless animal; but man is also
its enemy, for its flesh is excellent, and is considered like that of
the hog.
As it was important to secure a good supply of food, the capybara was
forthwith cut up, and some of its flesh roasted.
"I trust that it will not cost us dear," observed Kanimapo, as we
returned to our seats. "I should have warned you not to fire, unless in
a case of great necessity; for should any one be wandering near at hand,
it might lead them to our retreat."
Soon after this he left us, without saying a word. My mother and sister
and the children then retired to their bowers, but the rest of the party
still sat talking by the fire.
Some time had elapsed when Kanimapo rejoined us. "We must be very
cautious," he observed. "There are strangers in the neighbourhood,--
though whether friends or foes I cannot say; but we must take care not
to create a bright blaze, lest the reflection on the opposite cliff
should betray us. They are not likely to remain where they are, and
will probably move on to a more sheltered spot for the night. What has
brought them here I cannot tell; but I suspect that they are fugitives
from one party or the other. At all events, it will not be safe for us
to proceed till they have left the neighbourhood."
This information made us feel rather anxious; especially when the padre
suggested that the strangers might find their way down to our
encampment.
"There is no fear of that, as they have already passed the only point
where they could descend the cliffs," answered the Indian. "All we have
to do is to remain quiet."
We agreed not to tell my mother and sister what we had heard, but to
keep a vigilant watch, so that should the strangers prove to be foes,
and find us out, we might be prepared to resist them.
The thoughts of a possible encounter kept us awake during the greater
part of the night; and towards morning the ever active Kanimapo again
stole out of the camp. Just before daybreak he returned. He had got
sufficiently near to the strangers' camp to hear what they were talking
about; and he had discovered that they were mostly deserters from the
Spanish army, who had turned robbers, and were as ready to prey on one
party as the other. It would, therefore, be very dangerous to fall into
their hands; and Kanimapo advised that we should remain concealed where
we were till they had left the neighbourhood.
The time, as may be supposed, was an anxious one: still, it afforded us
rest; and as we had plenty of food, we were gaining strength to enable
us to perform the more arduous part of the journey which still lay
before us.
Kanimapo was absent till the evening, tracking the banditti. He at
length saw them cross a lofty ridge to the southward, and disappear; and
feeling satisfied that they would no longer molest us, he returned with
the intelligence.
The following morning we were again _en route_. Having reached the foot
of a steep mountain, our guide called a halt, and told us that we were
near the end of our journey, but that there were portions of the path
which no mules or horses could traverse. We could, however, reach our
destination by taking a much more circuitous path. He inquired whether
we should be content to proceed on foot--in which case we might reach a
place of safety in the course of three or four hours; or if we were
disposed to take the circuitous path, which would occupy the whole of
that day and a portion of the next--while we would also run the risk of
discovery, as the high-road passed in view of the track we should have
to pursue.
My father at once decided to ascend the mountain on foot; while Tim
volunteered, with Chumbo, to conduct the horses and mules round by the
way Kanimapo described to him.
Led by the Indian, we therefore recommenced the ascent of the mountain
without delay. Fatiguing as it was, the doctor and the padre each
insisted on carrying a child, while my father helped up my mother, and I
aided Norah--though Kathleen and she declared they felt perfectly able
to climb up by themselves. Gerald and I sometimes gave them our hands,
at others pushed them from behind.
After ascending a considerable distance, we saw on our right a lofty
peak. The clearness of the atmosphere made it appear much nearer than
it really was. Kathleen announced her intention of climbing to the top
of it, and was much surprised to find that it was some twenty or thirty
miles off.
In spite of the fresh air, the heat was great; but the atmosphere was
far more exhilarating than I had before found it in the plains. At last
the summit was reached; when we went some distance over tolerably level
ground, and then had to commence descending by one of the steepest paths
I ever met with,--such as even the mules could not have slidden down
without the risk of rolling over. On reaching the bottom we found a
rapid stream flowing at our feet, along the brink of which Kanimapo now
led us; and we continued making our way, amid the rich vegetation which
grew on either side, till we saw before us a fine waterfall, and, as far
as we could judge, our progress appeared completely barred.
Kanimapo did not hesitate. "Come on, my friends; we are near our
resting-place at last," he said; and turning to the right, he led the
way through a thick belt of trees which lined the stream, and began to
ascend an almost perpendicular cliff! The roots and branches of the
trees which grew out of it, however, formed a sort of natural ladder, or
series of steps, up which even my mother found no great difficulty in
climbing; and we soon found ourselves on level ground, a small placid
lake, out of which the rocks on the opposite side rose abruptly,
appearing among the trees. By continuing along the shores of this lake
we reached another waterfall, of considerable width and depth, and
overhung with magnificent trees, which added greatly to its picturesque
beauty.
We now made another ascent, very similar to the first, till we reached a
higher level of the same stream. I expected that we were going to
continue along it; but instead of doing so Kanimapo led us by a zigzag
path till we gained a broad terrace, from whence we could look down into
the valley and over the summits of numerous heights beyond. Still the
air, though pure and bracing from its dryness, caused no sensation of
cold. High as we were, too, there were several mountains in sight which
were still higher.
We had proceeded along the terrace; one mountain rose directly in front
of us, with a perpendicular face of great height. The rush of water
sounded in our ears; and as we advanced we caught sight of the stream
flowing across the platform, and proceeding out of the very side of the
mountain, as it seemed to us. Advancing for a few hundred yards? more,
we discovered that it flowed from beneath a magnificent arch forming the
entrance to a vast cavern,--the rocks which surrounded it being covered
with superb trees, and rich vegetation of most varied hue, nourished by
the ever-flowing stream. Here were the gigantic mammee-tree, and the
genipa, with large and shining leaves, raising their branches vertically
towards the sky; while others, extending their boughs horizontally,
formed a thick canopy of verdure over the entrance. Orchidae, and a
host of plants whose names I do not know, grew out of the clefts of the
rocks; while creepers waved in the wind, or formed a graceful drapery of
festoons hanging from the boughs, decked with flowers of nearly all the
colours of the rainbow--some of purple, others of orange colour, many of
bright yellow, and numbers perfectly white, glittering like stars amid
the dark green of the surrounding foliage. We all stood for a few
seconds lost in astonishment at the unexpected scene.
"In the recesses of this cavern, my friends, you may remain as long as
you desire, without danger of being discovered by your enemies,"
observed Kanimapo. "The Gothos are unacquainted with its existence; and
but few of our people, indeed, know the way to it. Abundance of wild
fruit is to be found in the woods, and game of all sorts is plentiful;
while the cavern itself will manage to afford us an ample supply of
food, should we be prevented from going forth to search for it."
As may be supposed, we were eager to explore the cavern; but my mother
and sister, as well as my father and the padre, were too much fatigued
to make the attempt. My father suggested, therefore, that we should
encamp in a shady spot at the entrance and take some food; after which
those who were so disposed might, under the guidance of the Indian, set
off on the proposed exploration. The doctor's eagerness however, would
scarcely allow him to consent to this delay; but as he was not disposed
to go alone, or accompanied only by Jumbo, he agreed to wait till Gerald
and I had had some dinner--after which, we had promised, we would set
off with him, provided Kanimapo would act as our guide. The Indian
consented to lead the way as far as he had ever before been; but he
confessed that he had never penetrated to the end. Indeed, he believed
that no human being had ever done so; and he hinted that we should be
wise not to make the attempt, as the place was full of the spirits of
people who had departed this life, and who might resent our intrusion.
"I'll take care to settle that matter with them," observed the doctor,
laughing. "I would sooner encounter ten thousand spirits than a single
anaconda; and Jumbo has not the slightest fear of them."
Had the doctor denied the existence of the spirits, he might have
offended the Indian; as it was, Kanimapo only looked upon him as a
wonderfully courageous person, and treated him with even more respect
than before.
We immediately collected sticks, and had a fire blazing, before which
Candela exerted his culinary powers in preparing our repast; while we
arranged, as usual, some huts for my mother and the rest of the family.
The Indian had, in the meantime, formed a bundle of torches of some
resinous wood which he cut with his machete. "We shall require these,"
he observed; "for the light of day cannot penetrate beyond a quarter of
the length of the cavern."
As soon as our provisions were cooked, the doctor almost bolted his
share, and then proposed setting off. Gerald and I were soon ready; and
the Indian, who evidently felt a pride in the cavern, said that he would
lead the way. He took a couple of torches himself, and divided the rest
among us; inquiring of the doctor whether he had the means of producing
a light.
"I am never without these," was the answer; "lead on, my friend, and we
will follow."
Our astonishment was increased when we found that the vegetation
extended far away into the depths of the cavern, growing on both sides
of the stream which proceeded out of it,--even palms, arums, and other
plants reaching to the height of fifteen or twenty feet.
"Hark to the sound which proceeds from the inner part of the cavern,"
said our guide.
As he spoke, strange suppressed cries issued from the interior, but so
low that we did not at first remark them, almost drowned as they were by
the noise of the rushing waters. From the immense size of the entrance,
and the direct course the cavern took into the interior of the mountain,
daylight penetrated for a great distance, and we were accordingly able
to proceed for upwards of four hundred feet before we found it
diminishing to any extent. As we advanced, the sounds we had at first
heard so indistinctly increased; and Kanimapo told us that they were
produced by birds, which had taken up their abode in the cavern in
thousands. The shrill and piercing cries of these denizens of the
cavern, striking on the vaulted rock, were repeated by the subterranean
echoes till they created such a wild din as is difficult to describe.
Well might an ignorant native, entering for the first time, have
supposed that they were the shrieks of departed souls.
The farther we went, the louder and more horrible was the noise.
Entering a region of darkness, we were at length compelled to light our
torches; when, holding them up, we could see birds flitting about in all
directions, their long nests fixed in the roof and sides of the cavern.
We walked on slowly and cautiously, to avoid the risk of falling into
any hollow which might exist in the ground; but generally it was
tolerably smooth and level, covered everywhere with herbage of a pale
hue,--evidently, as the doctor observed, the produce of seeds dropped by
the birds.
Though not so wide as at the entrance, the magnificence of the cavern
was greatly increased by the countless stalactites which hung from the
roof; some reaching to the ground, and forming pillars with arches of
the most delicate tracery, which often shone brilliantly as the light of
our torches fell on them. The farther we got, the more fantastic were
the forms they assumed,--till, with a little aid from the imagination,
we might have fancied ourselves in some wonderful temple of an Eastern
region. So numerous were the columns, we could with difficulty make our
way between them--sometimes having to descend into the bed of the river,
which was nowhere more than two feet deep, though from twenty to thirty
feet wide. All this time the shrieks of the birds sounded in our ears.
Occasionally, those near us were silent; and sometimes the noise around
us ceased for a few minutes, when we heard at a distance the plaintive
cries of the birds roosting in other ramifications of the cavern. It
seemed as if different groups answered each other alternately.
At last, after continuing on for a considerable distance, a still more
curious and beautiful spectacle than we had yet seen burst on our view.
The ground suddenly sloped upwards at a sharp angle, thickly covered
with vegetation, in the midst of which the river came rushing over a
ledge of rock, forming a cascade which sparkled as the light of our
torches fell on it; while the brilliantly white stalactites which
descended from the roof were seen against the foliage of the trees.
Having climbed up the rise I have mentioned, we went on as before by the
side of the stream, the ground being of a uniform level. As we looked
back, the opening of the cavern appeared greatly contracted, the distant
light of day forming a strange contrast to the darkness which here
surrounded us. The roof now became lower, the sides contracted to
little more, perhaps, than forty or fifty feet; while the cries of the
birds became more and more shrill. Our Indian guide, though he had
shown his bravery on many occasions, seemed unwilling to go much
farther; but the doctor urged him to make the attempt, promising to
defend him against all evil spirits which we might encounter. While he
was speaking, the light attracted some of the birds, which in their
eagerness flew towards us; and the doctor and I managed to knock down
two, greatly to his delight.
The character of the cavern remained the same, and though our curiosity
prompted us to try and reach the end, we began to consider that it would
take us a long time to do so, and that our torches must shortly burn
done. The same idea had occurred to Kanimapo, who again begged the
doctor to return, warning him of the danger we ran in attempting to make
our way in the dark over the uneven ground.
"You are right, my friend," answered the doctor. I agreed with him
also, and turning our faces to the entrance we retraced our steps.
Before our eyes became dazzled by the light of day, we saw on the
outside of the grotto the water of the river, sparkling amid the foliage
of the trees which shaded it. It was like a picture placed in the
distance, the mouth of the cavern serving as a frame.
We were welcomed by our friends, who had become somewhat anxious at our
long absence; and Gerald, after expatiating on the wonders we had seen,
acknowledged that he was glad to get beyond the hearing of the hoarse
cries of the birds.
As we seated ourselves by the side of the rivulet in front of the
cavern, the doctor examined the birds we had killed; and calling to the
Indian, he made inquiries as to what he knew about them. He answered
that in another part of the country, where a similar cavern exists
inhabited by the same birds, they are called guacharos; that in that
other cavern--the cave of Caripe, as he called it--thousands of birds
exist, and that the Indians take the young birds for the sake of the oil
which they contain. They enter it once a year, armed with long poles,
with which they destroy all the nests they can reach; when the old ones,
hovering about their heads, attempt to defend their broods, uttering the
most terrible cries. The young birds which are thus killed are
immediately opened; and the fat being taken out, it is melted in pots of
clay over fires lighted at the entrance of the cave. During the oil
harvest, as the Indians call that time, they build huts with
palm-leaves, in which they live till they have melted down the fat. It
is half liquid, transparent, without any smell, and so pure that it may
be kept above a year without becoming rancid.
The race of birds would become extinct, were not the natives afraid of
entering into the depths of the cavern; as also because there are other
and smaller caverns, inaccessible to the hunters, inhabited by colonies
of birds from which the larger cavern is peopled. These birds are of
the size of ordinary fowls; their mouths resemble those of goat-suckers,
and their appearance is somewhat that of small vultures; but, unlike the
goat-suckers, they live entirely on fruits of a hard, dry character--and
such fruits only were found in the crops of the birds we killed. The
natives believe that the seeds found in the birds' crops are a specific
against intermittent fevers, and these are therefore carefully collected
and sent to the low regions where such fevers prevail.
The doctor was delighted with the information he had obtained, and
declared that, for the sake of it, he would have been ready to undergo
ten times as much fatigue and danger as that to which he had been
subjected.
We were all well pleased with the romantic beauty of the scenery, but my
father was not quite satisfied that the place was secure from attack.
Should we be betrayed, there was nothing to prevent our enemies from
following us; and there was no position in which we could defend
ourselves against them.
Kanimapo confessed that such was the case; but he added,--"There is a
spot at hand to which I can lead you, where you will be secure from a
whole army of Gothos. It is separated from this by a deep valley, the
cliffs above which no armed men can climb. In the side of the mountain
there is a cavern, very much smaller than this, but which has the
advantage of being perfectly dry, as the sun shines directly into it.
There, should enemies approach, we might take refuge, and remain without
fear of being reached till they have taken their departure."
"But how, if the sides are perpendicular, are we to reach it?" asked my
father.
"I will find the means of gaining the top," answered the Indian. "A
lofty rock on the opposite side is not more than fifty feet distant from
a part of the cliff; at this place I will carry across a rope-bridge, by
which you may all pass in safety; and should an enemy attempt to follow,
a blow of a machete would hurl him to destruction. You can thus have
your choice of either remaining in this large cavern, or taking refuge
in the smaller cave I have described to you."
My father consulted the doctor and the padre--who were both of opinion
that we should be perfectly safe where we were; but he thought it wisest
to secure a refuge in case we should be pursued, and begged the Indian
to lead him to it. Kanimapo replied that he required some time to make
preparations, but that as soon as he was ready he would let us know.
Calling Candela, he led him some way down the valley towards a grove of
trees, among which were a great variety of creepers. We, meantime, were
employed in improving our huts and in making arrangements for a sojourn
in the cave, hoping that we might not be disturbed.
After some time Kanimapo and Candela reappeared, carrying between them a
coil of stout rope, and a sort of square cradle of network large enough
to contain a man. It was by this time too late to commence operations,
but Kanimapo undertook to conduct us to the place the first thing the
next morning.
"That you may not feel insecure, my friends," he said, "I will take post
at the entrance of the valley during the night, and give you due notice
should any danger approach."
This offer was gladly accepted; and darkness soon coming on, we made up
a blazing fire in front of our huts, and prepared to pass the first
night in our strange abode.
The scene can be better pictured than described. The night passed
quietly away; even the sounds of the birds from the far interior of the
cavern scarcely reaching our ears. So high was the vaulted roof, that
as we looked upwards it had the appearance of a clouded sky; while the
light from the fire, which fell on the trunks and lower branches of the
trees by the side of the stream, scarcely reached the opposite walls of
the cave.
Soon after daylight Kanimapo appeared. He had climbed to a height from
whence he could look far away along the only path by which the valley
could be approached, and had failed to make out any fire at night or
smoke in the daytime which could indicate a camp of pursuers. As my
father was anxious that we should lose no time, after taking a hurried
breakfast he and Gerald and I set off, Kanimapo and Candela leading the
way up the hill which overhung the valley. After proceeding for some
distance we reached the summit of the hill, on which grew a tree of
considerable size; while opposite to it rose a perpendicular cliff,
surmounted by several pointed rocks. We looked in vain, however, for
the entrance to the cavern, which Kanimapo told us was to be found
farther round the hill. Having left the thick rope and cradle, he
begged us to remain while he descended the valley. A short time
afterwards, he appeared, to our surprise, on the summit of the opposite
side, with his bow in his hand and an arrow to which he had attached a
long thin line. Shouting to us to stand aside, he shot it into the
trunk of the tree; and then desired us to fasten the end of the rope to
the line with his arrow. On this being done, he hauled the stout rope
across, and fastened it to one of the pointed rocks. The other end, I
should have said, had already been secured round the tree. Having told
Candela to fix the cradle, he again shot the arrow with the thin line;
and this being attached to the cradle, by means of the line he drew it
across to him.
The desired communication was now established; so placing himself in the
cradle, and standing upright, with his hands holding on to the rope, he
worked himself backwards till he reached the side on which we were
standing.
"But surely, my friend, you don't expect the ladies to cross over in
this conveyance!" said my father. "And I suspect that the padre, and
even the doctor, would very much object to it."
"No; but by its means we can form a bridge of any size and strength,"
answered the Indian. "Should it be necessary, I will, during the day,
manufacture the ropes requisite for such a bridge. In the meantime, I
will leave Candela to carry across a supply of wood for firing, as well
as provisions."
To my surprise, Candela willingly undertook to do this, and, terrific as
the bridge appeared, crossed without hesitation; indeed, provided a
person has nerve enough, and the rope is sound, there is no difficulty
in crossing by one of these aerial bridges, which exist in all parts of
this mountainous region. They are formed in a variety of ways--some
consisting of six or more ropes--and sometimes even mules and horses are
dragged across suspended below them.
Gerald and I, having seen how to work the cradle, went across and
visited the cavern; in which, could we store it with provisions, we
agreed that we might set a whole host of enemies at defiance--for the
mouth was not to be seen from the opposite cliff, and no bullets could
reach it. A person might also be stationed, under shelter, close by the
rock to which the rope was fastened, so that he could cut it without
exposing himself to a shot from the opposite side.
These arrangements having been made, we rejoined our party. From the
account we gave of the citadel, as we called it, the general wish was
that we might not be compelled to take refuge there.
Gerald laughed at the fears the doctor and the padre expressed that they
should not be able to get across.
"It is not a bit worse than taking a good swing," he answered; "all you
have to do is to haul away, keep your eyes fixed on the sky, and forget
that you have got two or three hundred feet between you and the earth."
"That is the very thing, my friend, which it is difficult to do,"
observed the doctor. "Neither could I forget that the rope might
possibly give way, nor that I might grow giddy and let go my grasp."
We then explained that the Indian intended to carry over several ropes,
and that, consequently, some of the contingencies could not occur.
"That one might happen, would be quite sufficient to make the passage
disagreeable," observed the doctor; "so I heartily hope that we may not
have to cross."
Our friend Kanimapo was indefatigable; he was evidently very proud of
the confidence placed in him, and he showed that he was fully equal to
the responsibilities he had assumed. He was employed all day--either in
shooting birds or monkeys, of which there were several species in the
woods, or in watching the approach to the valley of the cavern. The
horses and mules could not get to the upper valley, but there was ample
pasturage below the second waterfall, in a spot where they might remain
concealed; the only risk being that a jaguar might find them out.
"Those brutes roam everywhere," observed Kanimapo--"over mountains and
across plains; and they often come into these higher regions in search
of deer, so that we must be on our guard against them. It will be
necessary, therefore, either to leave your white slave," (Tim would have
strongly disapproved of being so designated,) "or Chumbo, or Candela, to
watch them."
Another day passed, and Tim and Chumbo not appearing, we began to feel
very anxious about them. In other respects, we had every reason to be
contented with our lot; the woods produced various wild fruits, which
were now in perfection, we had as much game as we required, and the
padre and Candela caught an ample supply of fish. The doctor was
engaged in botanising and studying various branches of natural history;
and my father was thankful that his family were in comparative safety.
Perhaps I felt our retirement from the world more than any one else, as
I longed to be taking part in the task to which I had pledged myself,--
of aiding in the liberation of my country.
Kanimapo at last expressed his surprise that Tim and the mules had not
arrived; and assuring us that we should be perfectly safe provided we
remained in the valley, he left us, saying that he would go in search of
them.
Another day passed, and as neither the Indian nor Tim appeared, Gerald
and I agreed to go down the valley, in case they might have missed each
other, and Tim should have found his way to the spot to which he had
been directed. Nothing could exceed the beauty of the vegetation on the
banks of the stream, or the magnificence of the trees which here and
there shot up in this oasis among the mountains; while its elevated
position gave it a far more temperate and refreshing atmosphere than
that to which we were accustomed even in our own district. Our scanty
supply of powder made us refrain from shooting any of the numberless
birds we saw fluttering amid the trees or skimming along the surface of
the water. Among them were several species of beautiful humming-birds,
which, as they darted here and there, glittered like gems in the air.
Gerald told me that Norah and he were so delighted with the valley, that
they intended to try and persuade our father to migrate to it, and build
a house where we might all live in happy seclusion from the world.
"You have forgotten that it would be somewhat difficult to obtain
supplies in such a sequestered home; and still more so to send the
produce of our industry to market," I observed. "It might do very well
for a summer retreat, but I suspect that we should grow very tired of it
were we to attempt to live here all the year round."
We had now reached the end of the valley, and were venturing beyond the
boundaries prescribed by our Indian friend, so I proposed turning back.
"Let us go on a little farther," said Gerald. "I caught a glimpse of an
animal through the trees, but we shall get a better sight of it
directly."
We went on, and in another minute saw, directly below us, two fine deer
feeding in a small glade. They did not mind us, but remained quietly
browsing. I signed to Gerald to aim at one while I tried to shoot the
other. My finger was on the trigger, when, as I looked to the left, the
head and shoulders of a huge jaguar appeared. So noiselessly did the
animal steal through the brushwood, that the deer were not startled;
while, intent on seizing its prey, the jaguar did not discover us. The
next moment it gave a tremendous spring, crashing through the boughs,
and pounced down on the nearest deer. Gerald at the same moment fired,
and killed the other. I waited till I could take good aim; and, to my
great satisfaction, shot the jaguar through the head.
Having put an end to the sufferings of the deer the jaguar had seized,
we lost no time in dragging them both out of the thicket, and hoisting
them up to the bough of a tree with some ever-serviceable sepos. We
were then on the point of hastening back to obtain the assistance of the
doctor and Candela to carry home our prizes, when we caught sight of
some objects moving in the distance. We soon made out that they were
human beings; but as they might be the banditti from whom we had before
so narrowly escaped, we agreed that, till we could ascertain who they
really were, it would be prudent to hide ourselves. After hunting
about, we found a rock on the side of the hill surrounded by shrubs,
which would afford us concealment; so we climbed up to it, and crouching
down, watched the strangers. They stopped for some time, as if
undecided what road to take--then moving on, they came directly towards
us; and before long we made out two men--one leading a couple of horses,
and the other the same number of mules.
"Hurrah! they must be Tim and Chumbo," exclaimed Gerald, jumping up.
"Stay quiet till we are certain," I answered.
The two men approached, and to my infinite satisfaction I saw that
Gerald was right. Still, I wished to see what Tim would do when he
arrived at the barrier. He soon got up there, and I saw him looking
about in every direction. He then turned round to his companion.
"Faith, Chumbo, I begin to think that, after all, Masther Kanimapo is
deceiving us," exclaimed Tim. "Here we are, after all our troubles and
adventures, with a high wall before us, and no means that I can see to
get over it. The bastes are hungry, and so am I; but they can pick up
their suppers off the grass, while we must hunt about till we can find
ours. So I propose that we camp where we are, and while you go and look
for fruits and an opossum, or any other baste you can catch, I'll watch
the animals."
We waited till Chumbo had gone off on his errand; then leaping down from
our hiding-place, Gerald shouted out in Spanish, "Your money or your
life!" Tim, like a brave fellow, grasped his shillelagh to defend
himself against the supposed banditti; but just then discovering us, he
threw it down, shouting out, "Erin-go-bragh! shure it's the young
masthers; and a welcome sight they are to me."
We were soon grasping Tim's hand, and inquiring how it was he had been
so long in reaching us. He told us that he had lost his way, and had
caught sight of the banditti, from whom he had been compelled to hide
till they had passed to a safe distance; and then, by turning back, he
had been fortunate enough to discover the path he and Chumbo ought at
first to have followed. We inquired if he had seen Kanimapo; but, as we
suspected, he had missed him. We then told him of the proposal that the
animals should be left where they were, with Chumbo to look after them;
and that should the enemy appear, Chumbo was to hide himself, and let
the animals take their chance--though we believed that there was little
risk of them being discovered.
Tim was eager to go back with us; indeed, he greatly required rest and
food. He had been unable to ride, owing to the badness of the path, any
part of the distance; while the food he and Chumbo had taken with them
had been for some time exhausted, and they had been hard pressed.
Chumbo, however, did not reappear, so I told Gerald and Tim to stay
where they were while I went in search of him. I followed in the
direction in which Tim had last seen him, and soon found myself among
lofty trees growing at the bottom of a deep glen, already shrouded in
the shades of evening. I shouted out Chumbo's name; and in a short time
my ears were saluted by a chorus, amid which I thought I distinguished
Chumbo's voice crying for help. I hurried on, and soon saw him before
me, struggling with a large bird, which he had grasped round the neck,
trying to keep it at arm's length, while it endeavoured to attack him
with its talons and beak. Numberless other birds of the same
description were perched on the boughs of the neighbouring trees,
apparently watching the fight. I was afraid to risk a shot at the one
with which Chumbo was engaged in combat, lest I might injure him; I
therefore rushed forward and dealt it a blow on the head with the butt
of my rifle, which fortunately stunned it, and enabled Chumbo to cast it
from him to a distance--just at the moment that one of its claws had
reached his legs.
I then took aim at one of the birds perched on the boughs, which I
happily brought to the ground.
"Now run, Chumbo! run! before the rest of the creatures come down upon
us," I shouted out.
"Let me get hold of this one first, Massa Barry," he answered; and
seizing his late antagonist by the neck he dragged it along, while I
treated the one I had just shot after the same manner.
The report of my gun at first startled them, but on their discovering
that no other bird of their community had suffered, they flew after us,
uttering loud shrieks. I defended myself by using my gun as a cudgel;
while Chumbo, picking up a thick stick, fought them bravely, swinging it
round and round his head so that none of them ventured within its reach.
So persevering were their attacks that they gave me no time to load, or
I might have brought another to the ground; as it was, I had
considerable difficulty in protecting my head from their sharp beaks and
talons. Still, we would not let go our prey, and each time we beat them
off we ran on, so as to gain a farther distance; till at length, after
sweeping round our heads several times, they flew back to finish the
carrion feast at which Chumbo had disturbed them, and we carried off
their two dead companions in triumph.
I knew the birds, from the rich scarlet on their heads, their
lemon-coloured necks, the satiny white of their backs, tinged with fawn,
the black pinions of the wings, and their neck surrounded with a ruff of
grey feathers, to be king-vultures. Those we had killed were
full-grown, and were about the size of an ordinary goose. As I saw them
perched on the branches, tearing away at huge masses of flesh, I must
say that, notwithstanding their regal titles, they had a very repulsive
appearance. Chumbo told me how, in despair of getting any supper, he
had rushed in and attacked the vulture with which I had found him
struggling. Happily, he had come off without any material injury.
On our way back to where I had left Gerald and Tim, I showed him the two
deer we had killed, and this reconciled him to remaining with the horses
and mules. Before leaving him, however, Tim and I built him a hut and
collected an ample supply of wood for a fire, so that he might pass the
night in security, provided he could manage to awake at intervals and
replenish his fire. We then cut up one of the deer; and leaving a
portion of the flesh for Chumbo, loaded ourselves with as much of the
rest as we could carry. Tim added one of the vultures to his cargo, as
a present to the doctor; and without further delay we set off for our
settlement, as we called the huts we had erected at the entrance of the
cave.
Tim received a hearty welcome; Candela clapped his hands as he saw the
venison; and the doctor was highly pleased to have the king-vulture to
examine. He remarked that it was unusual to find the bird in such high
regions, as it generally inhabits the low, thickly-wooded districts on
the banks of the rivers; but though birds and beasts of all sorts found
out our happy valley and made it their abode, it would be satisfactory
to believe that no anaconda or boa-constrictor had wriggled its way over
the mountains to get to it, or any vicious little peccaries. We had a
proof, however, that we must be on our guard against jaguars and pumas,
which have a wide range, and do not hesitate to climb mountains and ford
streams in search of their prey,--especially pumas, which are met with
throughout Central America, and far away in the western parts of the
northern continent.
The next morning the doctor accompanied us back to skin the jaguar I had
shot, and to bring home the remainder of the venison--with the exception
of a portion left for Chumbo, which he cut up into strips and dried in
the sun, so that it might keep good for some time.
In the course of a few days we had become quite accustomed to our mode
of life, though we were somewhat anxious at the non-appearance of
Kanimapo. We could not suppose, after the faithful way in which he had
behaved, that he had purposely deserted us, so we began to fear that he
must have been captured by the Spaniards, or had met with some accident.
We believed, however, that we should have no difficulty in making our
way out of our happy valley, whenever we might wish to quit it. The
question was, how we should obtain information as to the state of
affairs in the country, and when it might be prudent for us to return
home.
At last I made up my mind to set off and learn how things were going on,
and either to make my way to our village, or to try and reach the
residence of Don Fernando. The doctor had no wish to quit the valley,
as he observed that he could spend many months in it, with infinite
satisfaction to himself and to the advantage of the scientific world;
but when, one day, I mentioned my resolution, he magnanimously offered
to accompany me.
"I, as a foreigner and a medical man, shall run no risk," he observed;
"and you can pass for my attendant or guide, and we shall be able to go
wherever you wish."
I thanked him for his offer, and said that I would try and obtain my
father's leave to set off; but still I waited, hoping that Kanimapo
would come back before long.
In the meantime we rambled at liberty through the valley, Gerald and I
often escorting Norah and Kathleen--sometimes even the children, with
Margarita, the younger nurse, accompanying us. One day, not content
with our ramble through the upper valley, Norah proposed that we should
visit the lower one, as she wished to make a sketch of the waterfall.
She forgot that, though Kanimapo considered it tolerably secure, he had
advised that the ladies, at all events, should limit their walks to the
upper valley.
"We will not go far," said Norah; "and we shall be sure to see Chumbo,
should he by chance come with a warning that danger is at hand."
The baby, I should say, had remained with our mother; Kathleen and Mary
had come with Margarita.
We managed, without much difficulty, to help our sisters to scramble
down the cliffs. Gerald said he would go forward and learn how Chumbo
was getting on; and as I wished to shoot some birds or any large game I
could meet with for our larder, I left my sisters seated in the shade,
at a spot from which Norah wished to make her view of the waterfall. I
had brought but a small supply of powder, and having shot some birds, I
loaded my gun with my last charge, resolved not to fire it except in
case of necessity. I was tempted, however, to break through my
resolution on seeing a deer burst from the wood and offer a shot I could
not resist. But my gun, for the first time during the day, hung fire;
and when I again pulled the trigger, though it went off, the deer
escaped.
Vexed with my ill-luck, I turned my face up the valley, and arrived
almost close to the spot where I knew my sisters were seated; but what
was my horror to see a huge jaguar stealing through the brushwood, and
on the point of springing towards where I had left them! I mechanically
lifted my gun to my shoulder, but recollected that it was not loaded. I
felt like a person in a dreadful dream, endeavouring to shriek out, but
unable to utter a sound; when, just as the savage brute was about to
make its spring, I caught a glimpse of the tall figure of an Indian on
the opposite bank, and at the same moment an arrow, whizzing through the
air, pierced the jaguar to the heart, and it fell over dead.
I rushed forward, and found Kathleen with her arms thrown round
Margarita's neck, within ten paces of where the jaguar lay. They had
seen the creature, when Margarita had fixed her gaze on its eyes; and by
thus preventing it from making the fatal spring, had given time to the
Indian to shoot it.
On looking out to see what had become of my young sisters' preserver, I
observed him crossing the river; and in another minute he came up to us,
and I recognised our missing friend Kanimapo.
"I warned you not to descend into this valley, my friend," he observed;
"and thankful am I to have preserved you from the jaws of yonder savage
brute. You may have been surprised at my long absence, but it could not
be avoided. I was pursued by my enemies, and compelled to fly towards
the south; when I received intelligence that my own people, supposing
that I had been killed, were about to elect another chief, and that
unless I returned at once I should find a rival, and lose my influence
over them. Instigated by Spanish priests and others, their intention
was to attack the house of Don Fernando, where they expected to find a
rich booty. I arrived in time to prevent them from making the attack,
or electing a chief in my stead. But I must speedily return, as I fear
that, under evil influence, they may endeavour to injure your friends;
and, as I have sworn to you, your friends shall ever be mine. I also
bring you intelligence that the Spaniards have been driven out of this
part of the country, and that General Bermudez, with a large body of
horsemen, occupies the senor padre's village, so that you and he may
return to your homes with safety."
He gave us this information while we were hastening back through the
valley, Gerald having by this time rejoined us. As may be supposed, it
was received with great satisfaction by our party--especially by the
padre, who was anxious to get back among his people, and to be actively
engaged in forwarding the cause to which he had devoted himself.
Fortunately, our animals had not suffered from the jaguars, though
Chumbo had seen the very creature which was so nearly pouncing down on
Kathleen, but had driven it off with firebrands. We at once, therefore,
made preparations for our departure.
"I am indeed thankful that we have suffered so little hardship," said my
mother; adding, as she looked up at the mountain above us, "and
especially so that we have not had to cross that terrible rope-bridge to
our citadel."
Though Kanimapo did not understand her remark, he observed her gesture.
"We may some day have to make use of yonder retreat," he said to me;
"and before we go I will remove the bridge, that none of our enemies may
discover it."
Calling to Candela, he at once descended the hill; and they returned
soon after with the rope and cradle, which they hid away in the cavern.
We were busily employed for the remainder of the day in collecting
fruit, killing game, and preparing for our journey.