Early October. The expedition team that had stayed at Zhenhai Fort for many days finally set off after bringing all the supplies, Xu Yu left a cavalry platoon to guard Zhenhai Fort which was under construction, and the rest of the people were divided into four small boats, together with several navy transport boats to measure the water depth, and slowly sailed north along the west shore of Yazi Lake.

After spending the day, they stopped at the banks of the San Gonçalos River, which connects Duck Lake to Lake Mirin to the south. From there, the water of Lake Mirin flows into Duck Lake and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. On the banks of the river is a barren and pristine atmosphere, and large forests of Brazilian pines stretch out as far as the eye can see. Meng Hu, a biologist who accompanied the team, was overjoyed when he saw it, and kept joicing things in a small book.

On 6 October, after a short delay, the expedition set out again, this time not deliberately stopping somewhere, but heading north at full speed along Duck Lake, to the "legendary" confluence of the five rivers.

On October 21, after half a month of arduous trekking, the expedition reached the impact plain at the confluence of the Yakuy, Taquari, Kay, Sinos, and Govavatay rivers. On the way, they experienced many dangerous baptisms such as poisonous snakes, jaguars, and duck lake crocodiles, but fortunately there were no casualties. This shattered estuarine impingement plain was home to Porto Alegre, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

On the east side of the estuary, the expedition encountered for the first time several local natives—from a branch tribe of the Guaraní people. These Guarani people didn't seem to be very wary of the arrival of such a group of strangers, especially when Xu Yu, who led the team, took out some gifts such as knives and iron pots to give them, these Guarani people seemed even more enthusiastic. However, there were apparent barriers to communication between the two sides, as the indigenous Guaraní spoke a dialect completely alien to which even a Spanish immigrant on the expedition who was familiar with the language of the Guarani people in Paraguay could not understand it.

Of course, this is not surprising at all. The leader of the prospecting team, Aicha, took a few pieces of coal directly from his backpack and pointed them to the Guaraní people, pointing to the surrounding woods and mountains, meaning to ask the Guaraní where they had seen coal. The Guarani apparently understood what he meant, and muttered a great deal of it, then took Aicha by the hand and motioned for everyone to follow him. Xu Yu pondered for a moment, and then decisively decided to go with the Guarani. He took the Guarani onto the punts, and a group of 60 people followed by five Guarani began to sail along the Yakuyi River, through the dense cinnamon forests on both sides of the riverbank. This cinnamon forest drooled when he saw it, and he told Xu Yu that at this time, cinnamon, a condiment, can be sold at a high price in Europe, and how much wealth must be hidden in this forest.

At noon, they turned right at a river confluence and entered the Kay River, where they followed it for a few kilometres, arriving at their destination just as the expedition members were exhausted from rowing.

It is a valley of river bays, with the remnants of the Gérard Mountains on the left and the abundant Kay River on the right. On the valley stood a large expanse of simple Indian-style houses, made of reeds and branches, just like the simple ones in Zhenhai Fort. There is a lot of farmland on the banks of the river, and the fields are still empty, with no crops, but Menghu guesses that these Guaraní people usually grow corn. There were also some livestock pens at the edge of the fields, and to everyone's nervousness, they found cattle in the bars!

Damn it! Where did they get their cows?! This shows that they have been in contact with Europeans! Lu Ming remained silent, and silently exchanged glances with others, everyone understood, and they all raised their vigilance, and some even opened their pistol holsters to prepare to load ammunition.

"Don't be nervous, stranger!" An elderly Guarani man approached, his face painted white and his head wearing a crown of bright feathers. After seeing the guarded looks on the faces of Xu Yu and the others, he smiled and said slowly, "Are you surprised?" I had lived in the Paraná Mission in Spain for many years, so I spoke a little Spanish. It's all my people, and we've migrated from the valley of Paraná in the west. We have lived quietly here for many years, and you were the first outsiders to enter this place in twenty years. Stranger, tell Ayacho, where are you from? What are you doing here? ”

After listening to the translation of his subordinates, Xu Yu relaxed slightly, and then explained in words: "Dear Elder Ayaqiao, we are an expedition from the Republic of Eastern China in the South, and we entered this place to find coal. Belch... That's what kind of thing. Soon, at Xu Yu's signal, Aicha took two pieces of coal and handed them to Ayacho.

After Ayacho took it in his hand and looked at it, he smiled to himself and said, "Stranger, this kind of thing is everywhere in the neighborhood. If you dig anywhere, you can find it. We don't even need it for fire, because it produces too much smoke and too much ash, and it doesn't work as well as wood. ”

Xu Yu and the others were surprised and delighted when they heard it. Surprisingly, it seems that the quality of the coal here is not good, most of them are low-calorific value, heavy dust, inferior lignite and bituminous coal with many impurities.

"Stranger, do you need these black stones?" The old man Guarani asked, "You want to come here to dig stones?" Don't try to deceive me, stranger. I've seen too many outsiders in Paraná betray us again by killing us after gaining the trust of our Guarani......"

Xu Yu looked at the native elder in front of him steadily, and then smiled: "Wise Elder Guarani, as you think, these black stones are exactly what we need, and we are indeed here to explore and mine coal. As far as I know, your village may be on top of a large coal field. Then I will go back and report my work to my superiors, and in the future we may send a team to build houses and mine coal. ”

"And what will you do with me and my people?" Ayacho then asked.

"I can't answer you about that. But according to our policy, we may be able to compensate you and your people in some way, in material terms. Of course, your people can also accept our employment and work for us, and we will be paid very well. ”

The old man of Guarani, Ayacho, pondered for a long time, and then said lonely: "Young man, do you know why I led my people to migrate here from Paraná? When I was younger, I met a Spanish priest who was as young as I was. The priest was a kind and upright Valencian who taught me a lot about cultivating the land, raising livestock, and the way of life in the so-called 'civilized' world. But all this is not attractive to me in the slightest, and I yearn for our Guarani life. We grow corn, we build dams to fish, we hunt wild animals, all these are the real lives of our Guarani people. In search of our own life, my people and I left Paraná and came here. Now, twenty years later, is there anyone who has come to destroy our lives? ”

Xu Yu was silent.

"Hehe, young man, don't blame yourself too much." Ayacho smiled bitterly, "I can feel that some kind of change is taking place in this world that I can't understand, and the previous way of life may no longer be able to continue quietly. Maybe you're right, look at my lads, they love the little gifts you bring so much. Go, young man, go and talk to my lads, who have a good impression of you and will be of your aid in digging the stones here in the future. After all, they are the future of the tribe! ”

The expedition stayed for another three days in the relatively friendly village of Guarani. Within three days, they surveyed the area within more than 10 kilometers in detail and had a general understanding of the location and size of the coalfield. This coalfield is not large, and the coal produced is all low-quality coal, and no one will invest in it in the future. But now there is not a single coal mine in the country, and a large amount of industrial coal can only be imported, which consumes a lot of money. Moreover, according to later generations, the coal in this part of Brazil is basically of this quality, and you are looking for high-quality anthracite? Sorry, go across the sea to South Africa to dig, there are many there!

Thinking of this, Xu Yu discussed with Aicha, and then decided to stop further exploration and return to Zhenhai Fort to report the situation first. It's not too short to come out, it's time to go back and show your face, so that everyone doesn't worry about whether their expedition is in danger.

On 25 October, the expedition bid farewell to the Guaraní and began its return voyage. Before parting, the Guarani people gave the expedition a few jaguar skins as gifts, and the expedition team also left salt, spirits, iron and other materials brought with them, and the guests and hosts on both sides enjoyed themselves.

The expedition followed the meandering Kay River, then into the raging Yakuy River, and finally down the rushing waters into the vast and endless Duck Lake, where the water gradually darkens in color, showing the change in the salt content of the water.

On November 1, the expedition returned to Zhenhai Fort at the southern end of Duck Lake in just six days. And the news they brought back unsurprisingly caused a cheer in Zhenhai Fort: finally found coal!

For mobile phone users, please read it on m.biquge.info.