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reasonable salary, and I would have 20 per cent ownership in the Beta had arrived, but we couldn't wait. The men only made operation, provided I located gold in the jungle. I signed acopy of | US$6.00 a day, but it still cost to keep them around and we the contract and sent it off, and received an aeroplane ticket in wanted to get things done. So the final crew consisted of me, return. I was then 64 years old but in top condition, and I would Mike the landholder and the eight droggers. have no trouble navigating in the jungle. The trip into the interior took about two days. First there was The country was Guyana, formerly known as British Guyana, about an hour's ride from Georgetown to the town of Parika on the just south of Venezuela on the east coast of South America. I Mazaruni—Cuyuni River. We loaded our supplies onto a large arrived there on a normal day while it was raining. It was mid- truck and four taxies. We arrived at Parika at about 9.00 am and 1996. I was met by several local people who would be part of the loaded our supplies onto several large speed-boats. mining operation, and they drove about 30 miles to Georgetown, We finally arrived at our next destination, the town of Bartica, Guyana's largest city which is also the capital. I was taken to a which is considered the gateway to the interior of Guyana. There local house where I was to stay until we departed for the interior, we bought mostly food supplies. There are a number of food where we would prospect Guyana's greatest rainforest and jungle. stores constructed like warehouses which mostly supply At the house I met Mike, a local who owned the claims to a very excursions into the interior. Our buyer bought mostly beans and large portion of the jungle, who would be one of the partners. Joel — rice. Normally, they would buy only rice for such trips, but Kane, who lives in the eastern part of the USA, was also one of because I was there they added several sacks of beans. On other the partners listed on the contract I'd signed. He was to arrive trips I was able to get them to buy more varieties of groceries. within two weeks before we departed for the jungle. There was We then loaded all supplies into several boats and crossed the one other partner who was also supposed to arrive soon, but river to a port on the other side about one mile away, where we probably after we departed for the jungle. His name was Beta (his transferred our supplies and equipment into two very large trucks. real name was Satkumar Hemraj, but The trucks had wheels that were he preferred the name of Beta) and he more than six feet in diameter for was related to a high official in the driving through the roads consisting government, Moses Nagamotoo, the mainly of mud, there in the jungle. First Minister directly under the Considering all of the data that Even those big wheels could not go epota wae nol prevent bat because | had learned about stabilised sunplice Wore ted down securely and he was our partner I was invited to oxygen, it seemed to me that most of the men then elected to wall the First Minister's house for dinner knowing it killed pathogens in on a somewhat shorter route to the the second evening that I was there. < . . next jump-off point into the jungle. I While I was at his house, he water it might cure malaria. soon learned why they preferred to complained of his back problem that walk. The road was so rough and the was almost preventing him from trucks bounced so badly that it too doing his job in the government. I constant attention just to hold on. explained to him that I sometimes There was no sleeping during the five adjusted people's necks and I might be able to help his back. So hours that the trucks took to arrive at the final jump-off point on after dinner he allowed me to adjust his neck, which I did very the last river leg of our journey. We arrived after dark, and slept delicately, making sure that I did not jerk or hurt him. Within wherever we could that night. I slept on a bench outside the small minutes his back problem began to subside. We were all amazed, store there. and soon he was walking quite easily around the house. The next morning we loaded all of our supplies onto boats and The next day, one of the servants called me and asked if] would —_ continued up what was now the Cuyuni branch of the river. adjust Moses's daughter's neck; she was having bad back problems as well. I agreed over the phone, so they picked me up for dinner Malaria Outbreaks that night, which was the third evening I was there, and after This gives you an idea of how far out in the jungle we were. dinner I adjusted her neck. Her name was Angela. He had Several days later, when two of our men came down with malaria, another daughter named Adila, but she did not have a problem. we were plenty worried. We had been assured that there was no Angela, as amazing as it may sound, was soon walking easily and malaria in this area of the jungle and we had not thought to bring her back problem seemed to have disappeared. I did not always malaria medicine along with us. I immediately sent two men have such spectacular results, but sometimes they did happen. running to the closest mining camp, hoping that they might have I was very glad that I had taken the time to learn to adjust necks. — malaria drugs. That would take at least two days, and if they had Making such a powerful friend as Moses Nagamotoo was no malaria medicine it would be at least six days before the men important. I did not realise how important it was at the time, but returned. We simply had to accept those facts because it was the no doubt it kept me from spending time in prison at a later date. best we could do. Wa minht ho nallin hal oe hnt ve dnt ha: Considering all of the data that | had learned about stabilised oxygen, it seemed to me that knowing it killed pathogens in water it might cure malaria. Malaria Outbreaks This gives you an idea of how far out in the jungle we were. Several days later, when two of our men came down with malaria, we were plenty worried. We had been assured that there was no malaria in this area of the jungle and we had not thought to bring malaria medicine along with us. I immediately sent two men running to the closest mining camp, hoping that they might have malaria drugs. That would take at least two days, and if they had no malaria medicine it would be at least six days before the men returned. We simply had to accept those facts because it was the best we could do. We might have tried calling a helicopter, but we didn't have a radio. Radios don't work in the jungle, anyway, except over very short distances. Considering all of the data that I had learned about stabilised oxygen, it seemed to me that, knowing it killed pathogens in water, it might cure malaria. I sat down with the men who had malaria and asked them if they would be interested in trying this "health drink" from America. They were very sick and suffering. They laid in their hammocks, shivering from the chills and at the same time suffering with high fever. Their symptoms included headaches, aching muscles and joints, nausea, Into the Jungle In our first expedition into the jungle, we would be taking eight men who would carry the supplies and set up camp as we reached various locations. Our workers were called droggers. These men were hired by Mike, and they arrived at the house about a week ahead of time to begin putting supplies and equipment together. One of the droggers was the foreman and the others, of course, were workers. Finally, the time for our expedition arrived and neither Joel nor 20 = NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2008