The Mighty Orinoco by Jules Verne

Author:Jules Verne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
Published: 2013-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER III

Two Days in Danaco

For the past few days, a mountain peak that the two skippers, Valdez and Parchal, said was the Yapacana Mountain could be seen on the eastern horizon. They also said that it was haunted, that every year in February and March the spirits light a great fire on its summit, which shines over the entire region and rises to the heavens.

The falcas had reached this mountain on the evening of October 11, and the travelers estimated its dimensions to be four kilometers long, one and a half kilometers wide, and twelve hundred meters high.

During the three days which had followed their departure from Carida, the boats, served by a constant breeze and encountering few obstacles, had made excellent progress. They had passed Luna Island and ascended the river between the two banks, which were thick with palm trees. They had even managed to maneuver successfully a little stretch of rapids called the “Devil’s Crossing.” Evidently the devil had not been very cross that day.

The mountain of Yapacana occupies the plain that stretches out on the east side of the Orinoco. As M. Chaffanjon indicates, its form is that of an enormous coffin.

“And, as a result,” observed Germain Paterne, “why wouldn’t it contain demons, trolls, ogres, genies, and other spirits of mythological origin?”

Facing the mountain, on the left bank beyond Mavilla Island, was the house of the local Venezuelan commissioner, a half-breed named Manuel Assomption.1 This man lived there with his wife, also a half-breed, and several children—all in all, an interesting family.

When the falcas came to rest before Danaco, it was already night. Their navigation had been slowed by damage sustained to the Gallinetta: despite all his ability, Valdez had not been able to prevent the boat, which was caught in an eddy, from crashing into the sharp corner of a boulder. Following this collision, a leak had appeared in the bottom of the vessel. Granted, it was not too severe, for it could be stanched with a few handfuls of dried grass. But before continuing the voyage it was necessary to repair the damage, which would be easy to do in Danaco.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.