9 MayThis morning I rose and bathed in the river before breakfast while the paddlers fished upstream. As I floated in the warm water I reckoned the number of days that were left before the Boxer set sail and was forced to confront a fact I had hence been avoiding in my mind: I could go no further up the river and expect to be back at the port in time to ready for my final departure for Caledon. When I returned to our little camp the men were already roasting fat fillets of fish, another species I'd not yet seen at that, over the fire. I informed them that this spot was as far as this excursion would go and that, rather than spending a day paddling, we would travel deeper into the jungle that I may examine more of the zoological and botanical productions of this land.
When we had consumed our simple but quite delicious fare I selected the equipment we would take with us into the interior. Several sharp, heavy machetes along with my collecting net and specimen boxes were required, of course. My compass, a small hand axe and a short blowgun with darts one of the men had in his posession were included as well. We reasoned that the last would be useful should we encounter any of the small monkeys that have as yet not shown themselves at the eaves of the forest.
We elected to enter the jungle by way of a narrow track of bare soil most likely maintained by the frequent visits of tapirs to the water's edge. The swiftness with which the light departed as we started along the path was remarkable. Looking back after moving only a few dozen paces the opening of the path at the river appeared as a distant, shining window, the smooth flowing water visible beyond it. Turning again toward our unknown destination the gloom seemed double.
After nearly an hour of fairly easy walking I had only collected one beetle but it was of exceptional size and beauty. The only butterflies to be seen were barely discernable as they floated amonst the highest branches of the towering trees, quite out of reach of my net. Several more blooming orchids of the smaller, less showy varieties had been added to my boxes during the very first portion of our march but now none were to be seen. What was more, the path was becoming less obvious as this portion had not been traversed as frequently as where we began.
As I had noted the path had taken us away from the river in a more or less perpendicular direction it seemed logical to continue on this course to penetrate most deeply into the jungle in the time we had. Taking a reading from my compass I determined that a direct southerly route would serve us. Frequent checks of the needle and the stumps and stubs left by our machetes would direct us back on the same route when we returned.
Two more hours passed as we moved more slowly but more deeply into the jungle. Occasional patches of ground presented little resistance to our passage but inevitably ended in a dense barrier that required several minutes of machete work to get through. It was just past one of these tangles of undergrowth that we emerged into a substantial open area and were greeted with an indescribably pleasant fragrance. The clearing itself was perhaps twenty yards in width and considerably brighter than the surrounding jungle owing to a gap in the canopy left by a recently fallen tree which now lay athwart our intended path. We clambered onto the trunk and were presented with a most remarkable scene. Like an immense toad squatting near the center of the clearing there rested a flower the like of which no-one has recorded in all of botanical science. Its overall shape was akin to a rounded tub and it was surmounted by what appeared to be a spiked lid. Wide reddish streaks decorated its lower edge and tapered sharply toward the lid. Were it not for the tight-fitting nature of this lid I would have immediately placed it among the Cypripedioidiae or slipper orchids. But, in truth, I knew at that moment its classification would present challenges I'd not before experienced.
I also knew it must be collected.
Convincing the men that we would be taking this unique plant back with us was no easy task. The width of the bloom itself was only slightly less than our canoe, which the men easily lay down in crosswise when resting. Finally, with promises of more fish-hooks and whatever spirits were left once I had finished jarring up those of my specimens that required it, they agreed to help move the plant to the canoe and down the river.
Once they had decided to help me the men set to work with surprising efficiency. They seemed to take great pride in their ability to fashion crude spades from the trunks of small trees. Soon we were carefully excavating about the plant's roots. We unearthed a considerable number of various animal bones in the process causing the head rower, who enjoyed having Ideas, to conjecture that the spot must be a sacred place for them to retreat to when they feel their natural deaths approaching. I neither supported nor rejected his strange speculation.
The roots of the plant proved to be surprisingly short and penetrated but shallowly into the moist soil which must have been unusually rich there for a plant to achieve such a grand size with such little effort below ground. With some some tugging and pushing we were able to sling and wrap its base in a system of plaited mats and ropes the men fashioned from the leaves and bark of surrounding trees. Three sturdy poles were cut and threaded beneath our amazing bundle and after a brief rest and luncheon we began our slow trek back to our canoe.
It does not take an educated marsupial to realize that having less than half of our allotted hours of daylight left and carrying a cumbersome burden through a trackless jungle, we would not make the river before sunset. True as I predicted, we had not yet even returned to the more clear portion of the trail by the time darkness fell and being so close to the Equator, darkness fell swiftly. The men were more relieved that they could lay down the fragrant burden than concerned about spending the night in an unknown forest. I, too, had become accustomed to some rather primitive camping in my years exploring so we all made ourselves as comfortable as could be asked for and drifted off to sleep.
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