Затерянный мир
To-morrow we Disappear into the Unknown
ThefirstisagiganticnegronamedZambo,whoisablackHercules,aswillingasanyhorse,andaboutasintelligent.HimweenlistedatPara,ontherecommendationofthesteamshipcompany,onwhosevesselshehadlearnedtospeakahaltingEnglish.
ItwasatParaalsothatweengagedGomezandManuel,twohalf-breedsfromuptheriver,justcomedownwithacargoofredwood.Theywereswarthyfellows,beardedandfierce,asactiveandwiryaspanthers.BothofthemhadspenttheirlivesinthoseupperwatersoftheAmazonwhichwewereabouttoexplore,anditwasthisrecommendationwhichhadcausedLordJohntoengagethem.Oneofthem,Gomez,hadthefurtheradvantagethathecouldspeakexcellentEnglish.Thesemenwerewillingtoactasourpersonalservants,tocook,torow,ortomakethemselvesusefulinanywayatapaymentoffifteendollarsamonth.Besidesthese,wehadengagedthreeMojoIndiansfromBolivia,whoarethemostskilfulatfishingandboatworkofalltherivertribes.ThechiefofthesewecalledMojo,afterhistribe,andtheothersareknownasJoseandFernando.Threewhitemen,then,twohalf-breeds,onenegro,andthreeIndiansmadeupthepersonnelofthelittleexpeditionwhichlaywaitingforitsinstructionsatManaosbeforestartinguponitssingularquest.
Atlast,afterawearyweek,thedayhadcomeandthehour.Iaskyoutopicturetheshadedsitting-roomoftheFazendaSt.Ignatio,twomilesinlandfromthetownofManaos.Outsidelaytheyellow,brassyglareofthesunshine,withtheshadowsofthepalmtreesasblackanddefiniteasthetreesthemselves.Theairwascalm,fulloftheeternalhumofinsects,atropicalchorusofmanyoctaves,fromthedeepdroneofthebeetothehigh,keenpipeofthemosquito.Beyondtheverandawasasmallclearedgarden,boundedwithcactushedgesandadornedwithclumpsoffloweringshrubs,roundwhichthegreatbluebutterfliesandthetinyhumming-birdsflutteredanddartedincrescentsofsparklinglight.
