IBO - Brian R. Lundin (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📗

“What about you guys?” Eli inquired.
“Over the years we have developed a natural immunity against the bugs thanks to “God’s Plant” and we are not bothered by the bugs. Our bodies are natural repellants but you guys do not have this and the fly’s can carry all kind of diseases and of course, the mosquitoes carry malaria, I don’t want you guys to get sick in my country. Dr. Lumody refined the repellant properties of the plant a couple of years ago and he is now doing additional research to determined if it could be use as a repellant and possibly a cure for malaria,” Diki answered.
Just as Diki was explaining the dangers of African bugs, a big black mosquito landed on Eli’s arm. Eli slapped it with so much force that it hurt and a red handprint appeared on his flesh.
“His malaria carrying days are over,” Eli said smiling.
“We have had a lot of rain this season, which is ideal for the breeding of flies and mosquitoes, which can cause serious illnesses. Most westerners believe that the dangers in Africa are the wild beast; lion’s tigers and so on. However, a person would be lucky or unlucky depending on the beast disposition if they ever saw large predator. These animals have very developed senses and if they smell or hear humans, they immediately leave the area because the smell is not common to them. They the smell is different from the animals they prey on. The biggest danger is the disease carrying bugs. Most of the people have developed immunity against malaria but not dengue fever. Dengue fever is very dangerous and can be fatal. It is a viral infection that is common in tropical areas. Like malaria, mosquitoes spread it. Most mosquitoes are most active at night but the dengue fever carrying mosquito is most active during the day. The first sign of the fever is weariness, followed by a severe headache and a terrible pain behind the eyes. A mild fever soon turns into an intense one with heavy sweating, nausea and vomiting. The fever causes the muscles and joints to ache especially in the back and legs and a severe rash appears all over the body. In about a week, if lucky, the fever breaks and the pain and infections disappear. It usually takes at least a month of rest, medication and liquids to return to normal. Dengue fever can progress into dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock, which can be fatal, especially for small children,” Molanti continued.
Molanti introduced Bin Bodnini, the deckhand, cook and mechanic.
Bodnini was twenty-five, single and built like a weightlifter with thick arms. He was wearing a wide bush hat with a Chicago Bulls logo, cotton shorts, spotless desk shoes, a cut-off sweat shirt with an famous image of Michael Jordan going up for a dunk. A big Bowie knife with a long blade was stuck in his belt. He nearly crushed Malik’s hand as he shook it and welcomed them aboard in a heavy thick accent.
“Thank you,” Malik responded gritting his teeth and glad to get his hand back.
Diki observed the handshake and grinned.
“Come let me take you on a tour while Molanti get her ready,” Bodninin said.
Bodninin lead Malik and Eli down a flight of stairs while Diki went up to the flying bridge. The cabin was beautiful. Teak wood chairs surrounded by a teak wood table that contained fruits and nuts. A pitcher of lemonade was on the table. A full sized kitchen or galley was a mid-ship a pot of coffee was quietly brewing on the propane stove. In the bow was a full size bedroom and a private head or bathroom and on the starboard and port, sides were the bedrooms, each had their own head.
The sun had started to rise and so was the heat when the 200 horse-powered motors started. Molanti eased the boat out of it mooring and they headed north.
“This is the Niger River,” Diki said looking around.
“The River Niger is the principal river of western Africa, extending about 4000 kilometers or 2500 miles and traverses four countries, Guinea, Mali Niger, on the border with Benin and through Nigeria. The nations of Nigeria and Niger are named after the river. The Niger is the third largest longest river in Africa, exceeded only by the Nile and the Congo. It is a beautiful river with little silt because its headlands are located in ancient rocks. The river has made human survival possible in times of severe drought due to the Sahelian climate. The people who live on the river harvest rice fields, which livestock graze and fertilize with droppings. The people farm millet, vegetables and rice, they fish and hunt and they gather the wild plants for food and medicine. The river has nearly 250 species of freshwater fish, of which 20 are found nowhere else in earth. In addition, the braided wetlands that forms Niger “Inner Delta’ in Mali support thousands of transmigrating birds. Manatee can still be found in several pockets of suitable habitat that remain alongside the river. Mythology indicates that these gentle giants appeared on earth when a stranger startled a young woman who was bathing in the river and jumped into the water to hide. Hippopotamus and crocodiles are still present in the river, and can pose a danger to those who trespass unaware.”
Bodninin poured five cups of coffee placed them on a silver tray and led Malik and Diki to the bridge. Diki and Molanti were studying a navigational chart as they were handed the coffee. Malik watched as the boat dock slipped slowly out of sight as the craft moved slowly upstream passing large mangrove forests. The river was smooth and there was no breeze. The river bent slightly and turned and the dock disappeared. They passed a rickety fishing boat laden with all manner of fruit and two little boys waived as the luxury craft passed them. From the bridge, Malik looked over his shoulder at the wide wake as the muddy brown river water churned behind them. Bodninin raised the canopy on the bridge and they settled in for their trip to meet Doctor Lumody.
“Look there,” Bodninin, said pointing to a dark clump of weed.
At first neither Malik or Eli saw what Bodninin was pointing at, nor then did they see a large half submerged crocodile whose large reptilian eyes was protruding above the rest of his body and were the only thing visible through the weeds. Eli and Malik looked amazingly at the creature that seemed unperturbed by the intrusion and swam lazily towards the boat than he went under the water and was gone. Malik and Eli looked at each other while Bodninin laughed aloud. Malik and Eli were glad they were on a big boat.
“Many years ago I crewed on a crocodile research ship. Scientist from Africa and the United States were studying the breeding and predatory habits of our crocs. It was probably the most educational experience of my life. We spent a year cruising the Nile and studying the “River Devil,” as the natives who live on the river call him. The scientist estimates that the croc has probably been on earth for over 200 million years and was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. It is believed that they have lasted so long because they have no natural enemies. Their only enemy today is the two-legged kind, the poachers who hunt them for the skin and their musk sacs that is used to manufactory perfumes. Their bony plates, called osteoderms form a kind of armor protection in their thick skin. Each jaw has between 30 and 40 teeth that interlock when their mouth is closed. The biggest croc we captured was over 30 feet long and weighed 530 pounds. The scientist tagged him with an electronic monitor before releasing him and we tracked Old Long Nose for six months to study how crocs reproduce.
Old Long Nose had it made when it came to female companionship. He was highly sought after by the females because of his size and somehow the females recognize that the bigger the male the better change of her offspring to survive.
Well Old Long Nose would do his water dance, which consisted of splashing water with his tail until he attracted an admirer. She would emit a scent from her jaws that stimulated the male and then she would submerge and they had sex somehow, Old Long Nose would have sex with maybe ten females a day. In about four months, the female would lay 30 to 40 eggs and she would watch over them and protect them from predators, especially the water mongoose and other crocs that love baby alligator eggs. In October of every year, the river becomes shallow, the small bream began their annual spawning run up stream, and the crocs are waiting. Surprisingly the crocs teeth are not designed for chewing, when the prey is small, say like the bream, they lift their huge jaws into the air and swallow them whole. Crocodiles are very, very smart. On land, they are slow and awkward but in the water, they are the perfect killers and fast swimmers. Sometimes when chasing prey they can swim ten miles an hour. The only animal they fear is the hippo that can crush them in his large and powerful jaws. They lay in wait for the animals to come to drink or try to cross then- Bodninin motioned with a finger under his throat.”
“What about people,” Eli asked.
“They will eat anything they can grab and drag into the water, people is nothing but food for them. They have a very developed digestive system that can breaks down horns and hoofs. If the prey is large, they twist their victim in the water taking large bites out of the flesh. Being cold-bloodied animals and not able to generate body heat, when they are not hunting they usually are just lying napping. An African research group who studied the animal said they could lower their heart rate to four beats per minute. When I was a young and foolish boy, me and some of my friends had drunk too much beer and decided to take a swim. We looked around and did not see anything and jumped in when all of a sudden a big one grabbed my leg and started dragging me under. See that is what they do, they drown you before they eat you. Alligators are territorial and they live together with maybe ten other alligators. Someway they know who belongs to their group and who do not. If a stranger wanders in, they will all attack him and if he is not lucky and cannot get away, they will eat him. Well anyway, this big one just about had me when he suddenly let me go. The water was red with blood at first I thought it was my blood but it was his, a fishermen saw what happened and he dived in and killed the beast with his Bowie knife, every since then I carried one he said patting the big knife. We had alligator steaks for a week,” he said smiling.
Around another bend of the river a big snake with yellow stripes was sliding into the water. Bodninin pointed to a large crocodile swimming in circles and soon five baby crocodiles slowly raised their little heads and only their round eyes was out of the water.
“These little one survived being