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LOCAL Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019

A Scientific journey across the island Episode XXXVIII

Continued from Page 14 back to Curacao.” nowned cultural encounter session has been
From then on their way without interruption led entertaining curious participants for decades.
across coral formations arisen in later times and To get to know more about Aruba’s stories of Mail us at etnianativa03@gmail.com to confirm
bordering the west coast of the island. The uni- origins, about animals and culture, art and des- your participation. Our facilities and activities
formity of the landscape, the barren rock-soil ert gardens you can visit Etnia Nativa. Our re- take place close to high rise hotels. q
and the sea baffle every description. In the
plain stretching far and wide before them the
big Strombus and cone-shaped boulders were
the only objects on which the eye could rest.

“Under these circumstances it was an agree-
able diversion to see the scenery enlivened by
some human beings, at whose behavior we
could not help laughing at times. They were a
couple of boys who had drawn water from a
small well dug into the coral and were carry-
ing it in tubs on the backs of donkeys to their
far homesteads. One of them had a big drum,
a musical instrument whose existence in this re-
gion deserted of all mortals I am as yet unable
to explain but whose sound appeared to fasci-
nate our worn-out animals. However that may
be, we were entertained by this music walking
some way in front of us and it is with thank-full-
ness that I always think back to this benefac-
tion, for our lazy donkeys kept pace with those
plodding before us and when they finally left us
we already arrived at Sint Nicolaas. There, in the
distance, on the blue waves, we discerned the
white sails of the Essex, which had taken us to
Aruba yesterday and was now struggling close-
hauled against the trade wind on her voyage Cunuco country road with boulders as big as a house