Page 11 - Sealink September 2020
P. 11

gradually sailed through this dense                        had dinner and the usual round of
    jungle into the open forest and we                         hubble-bubble  smoking  and  the

    sighed with relief. It was a ernoon                        night sentry schedule was fixed by
    and lunch was cooked by one of the                         the  head  boatman.  Two  boatmen

    members and we enjoyed the meal                            were awake for three hours and the

    of  rice,  dal,  fish  curry  and  mango                    next  team  co-ordinated  the  sentry
    pickle.  Then  the  hookah  (hubble-                       and the scary night was over. I had a

    bubble) was lighted and it made a                          good  sleep  and  was  fresh  for  the
    merry go round through all the crew                        next day.

    members  and  we  enjoyed  the                             In  the  morning  the  breakfast

    smoke. Late in the evening the head                        consisted of puffed rice, honey and
    boatman decided to anchor near the                         tea. The boatmen's daily breakfast

    banks  of  the  river  for  re ring  at                    is  rice  soaked  in  water  overnight

    night.
                                                               with honey and tea. This gives the
    At dusk the natural scene was heart                        morning  energy,  since  rice  and

    throbbing  with  the  birds  re ring                       honey  comprises  carbohydrates

    back into their nests a er a day's toil                    concentra on at its op mum level.
    and the symphonic cry of the birds in                      The boat gradually cruised deep into

    the silence of the jungle chilled the                      the dense jungle for sundari wood
    nerves  for  the  dawn  of  the                            and  honey.  This  area  is  very

    mysterious night in the jungle with                        dangerous    as  it  is  here    that  the

    the  gers. The cry of the beetle was                        gers hunt for human beings as it is
    more  shrilling  and  it  created  the                     the easiest and the tas est prey. As

    sensa on  of  suspense.  The                               the boat penetrated deep into the

    boatmen, to break the cape of fear,                        jungle, darkness prevailed and the
    started  their  local  songs  with  the                    silence of the jungle with the blend

    beat  of  the  drums  and  it  was                         of the boat's sound and the cries of

    reverbera ng  through  the  air                            birds and animals created a unique
    crea ng  the  nerves  of  steel  and                       jungle atmosphere. A er one and a

    mind  without  fear.  It  was  a  pitch                    half hours ride, the boat anchored
    dark  night  with  only  the  lamps                        and the boatmen stepped into the

    burning at either end of the boat and                      marshy jungle to collect honey and

    some  lamps  for  the  cabin  use.  We                     wood. We also went along with
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