Measure the world

Author: Daniel Kehlmann (Germany) / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: In the mission territory, there lived baptized and autonomous Indians. There was an Indian commander, a police chief, and even a militia organization. As long as they obeyed in everything, they lived as if they were free. They were naked, wearing only scattered pieces of cloth they had no idea where they came from: a hat, a sock, a belt, and an epaulette attached to their shoulders. Humboldt took a long time to pretend to get used to it. He didn’t like seeing many women with hair; he thought it didn’t match their natural dignity. But when he discussed this with Bonpland, the latter looked at him with great delight, making him blush and stammer. Not far from the mission territory, the dead lived in the caves of night birds. Due to ancient legends, the Indians refused to accompany Humboldt and Bonpland there. After much persuasion, only a monk and an Indian went with them. It was one of the largest caves on the continent, a massive entrance measuring sixty steps by ninety steps, with so much light streaming in from the entrance that even after walking one hundred and fifty steps into the mountain, they were still on grass and branches. Then they had to light torches. The screams also began here. Birds lived in darkness. Tens of thousands of bird nests hung like bags from the ceiling, the noise deafening. No one knew how they could identify directions. Bonpland fired three shots, but the echoes were drowned out by the bird calls. He picked up two still trembling corpses. Humboldt struck the rocks, collected samples, measured temperature, pressure, and humidity, and scraped moss from the walls. When one of his slippers crushed a huge earthworm, a monk shouted. They had to wade across a stream, with birds fluttering overhead. Humboldt covered his ears with both hands, and the monks crossed themselves. The guide said, "From here on, it’s the land of the dead." He refused to go any further. Humboldt offered double pay. The guide refused. This place is no good! What are you looking for here, humans belong to the light. "Good point," Bonpland roared. "Light," Humboldt called out, "This isn’t light, it’s knowledge!" He continued forward, and Bonpland and the monks followed him. A fork appeared ahead, and without the guide, they didn’t know which way to go. Humboldt suggested splitting up. Bonpland and the monks shook their heads. "Then go left," Humboldt said. "Why left?" Bonpland asked. "Then go right," Humboldt said. "But why right?" "Damn it," Humboldt exclaimed, "I think this is too stupid!" So he walked ahead, to the left. Down here, the echoes of the bird calls were even louder. After a while, they heard a loud, rapid tapping sound coming from inside. Humboldt knelt down to examine the curved plants on the ground. Puffy plants, colorless, almost shapeless. Interesting, he had just written a paper on exactly this in Freiberg! P52-53