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National Geographic : 1964 Aug
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KODACHROMEBY PETER R. GIMBEL © NATIONALGEOGRAPHICSOCIETY Marino (left) plays host to Baekeland (seated) and companions at his highland home. The thatched roof leaks but lets smoke escape without a chimney. Here the explorers rested from their arduous trek and prepared for a raft journey back to civilization. In such clearings the little-known Machiguenga, who live as isolated families rather than in tribal groups, raise papaya, yuca, plantain, and corn. wasps attacked me, stinging my neck and cheek repeatedly. Soon my whole body was on fire. Peter Gimbel lowered me to a ledge, where I slowly went blind, lost all power of movement, and had great difficultybreathing. Stabbing pain shot through my chest. I felt no great fear of death, which seemed so near; only dumb astonishment that it should come in this strange way. As Peter prepared to give me artificial respiration, I blacked out (page 289). Half a minute later I revived. In an hour I was al most recovered. Peter eased me to the river bank, and we walked back to the camp. The weather grew warmer as we moved north. All of us occasionally suffered from weakness, cramps, and nausea. Ahead we could often see blue sky. The jungle changed strikingly throughout our descent. We sud denly observed new trees, new vines, new orchids; as suddenly, the old disappeared. At Lake Parodi we had glimpsed a large black bear and a Peruvian puma, and had found tracks of a ratlike animal. Otherwise we saw no mammals in the high country. Not until we had descended to 4,000 feet did we find snakes-the deadly fer-de-lance and bushmaster. And then suddenly there were signs of game of all kinds: wild pigs, monkeys, tapirs, ocelots, jaguars, and a cacophony of birds, including toucans and parrots. On October 13 the first evidence of men appeared. Lake and Gimbel came across an Indian trail. For two days we followed it cau tiously to the top of a 1,000-foot cliff. Far below, like a silver thread, the Picha ran through a typical huge V. It was the end of the high country-and of our life under rain, fog, and cold. Behind us now lay the dark rocky waves of the cordillera rising to the clouds. Up there we had felt an uncanny sense of hostility to life. Here, after passing 293
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