Sonia has read a lot of Australian exploration reports. These reports are filled with a lot of terms that are very unfamiliar to her. Some of the terms are so difficult that even if she consults a dictionary, she cannot understand the specific meaning and has to ask relevant veterans for advice. For example, the "section" in this article.
In order to help her understand the meaning of plates, Lin Hanlong spent a whole evening talking about the theory of continental drift from the beginning. It was an eye-opener for Sonia, although Lin Hanlong said: continental drift and plate theory are a relatively recognized "theory" in Australia. But Sonia has studied logic, and she knows that from a logical point of view, this theory is tenable.
But after understanding the meaning of these terms, Sonia was full of doubts as usual: Judging from Lin Hanlong's story and the various books she borrowed from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Australians have a full and comprehensive understanding of the entire earth. There is rich and detailed information on both the topography and the "Three Realms", including the vast areas of South America and Africa that have not been explored much.
Judging from these data alone, the remote exploration team's investigation has almost no "discovery" value and is almost all about "confirmation." As for the expeditions she participated in in Hainan and Taiwan, the species specimens collected, regardless of animals or plants, rarely contained species that were not recorded in reference books - most species were also accompanied by simple line drawings.
This makes the inspection somewhat less interesting. Sonia thought. However, it is exciting to see these wild worlds with your own eyes. She really wished she could return to the expedition team earlier. With such excitement, she continued reading:
"Going northwest from Taitung Camp, passing through the foothills of Beinan Mountain, you enter the first canyon at the south entrance of Taitung Longitudinal Valley: Chulu Canyon. After passing Chulu Canyon, you enter the hinterland of Taitung Longitudinal Valley. There are many peaks on both sides of the place. Towering into the sky. The Central Mountain Range on the west side is close to the longitudinal valley. There are 24 peaks with an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, including Luntian Mountain, Yuli Mountain, Papaya Mountain, etc. The Coast Mountain Range on the east side is higher in the south and lower in the north, although it is not as steep as the Central Mountain Range. , but there are as many as 6 peaks with an altitude of more than 1,000 meters. The high mountains on both sides of the longitudinal valley not only provide a natural barrier to the longitudinal valley plain, avoiding or reducing the invasion of monsoons and typhoons, but also make the longitudinal valley plain more beautiful than Taiwan. The terrain of the plain in the western part of the province is undulating and separated by some canyons. The entire plain is divided into several pieces, and the Taitung Longitudinal Valley is its general name.
Taitung Longitudinal Valley is rich in water resources and is divided into three major water systems. Beinan River and Xiuguluan River flow in opposite directions. Beinan River flows south to Taitung City and enters the sea. Xiuguluan River flows north to Ruisui. It crosses the Taiwan Straits and Mountains and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Dagang Port. Hualien Creek and Xiugu Creek flow in the same direction, merge with Papaya Creek downstream, and enter the sea south of Hualien City. These three streams and their main tributaries mostly originate from the eastern foothills of the Central Mountains. The rapids rush and carry a large amount of sediment down, forming more than 30 alluvial fans of various sizes. Among them, the Taitung Plain located at the south entrance of the longitudinal valley is the alluvial fan of Beinan Creek, and the Hualien Plain located at the north entrance of the longitudinal valley is the alluvial fan of Hualien Creek. Alluvial fans have an area of more than 100 square kilometers. The Xinwulu River alluvial fan and Xiuguluan River alluvial fan located in the longitudinal valley account for more than half of the area. These alluvial fans are suitable residential areas and crop cultivation areas.
“The Taitung Rift Valley Plain is the most conducive area for agricultural production in eastern Taiwan. The water and heat conditions are the most suitable for growing rice. It can be planted and harvested twice a year. It is suitable for growing corn, wheat, sweet potatoes, peanuts, etc. on slopes, terraces and other highlands. Crops such as soybeans and lemongrass. Among them, the mountainous areas on both sides of the Taitung Longitudinal Valley, especially the coastal mountains on the east side, have good drainage and high soil fertility, which is very suitable for the growth of lemongrass. It can be used as an example for future economic crop development. choose."
Lemongrass is a spice that Sonia is aware of. The Senate imported large quantities of this spice crop from Southeast Asia through VOC and the British, and then refined it into essential oils, part of which was exported and part of which was used for its own use. It's included in some of the skin care products she uses.
The article then lists the fruits and other cash crops that can be grown locally, including pineapples, bananas, citrus, betel nut, etc.
While reading, Sonia recalled the drawings and related descriptions of characteristics she saw on the atlas.
"Compared with the western and southern plains of Taiwan Island, the Taitung Plain is smaller in area, has thin and barren soil, and has more undulating terrain. However, the climate conditions here are very conducive to the growth of crops. In winter, people from the mainland The cold air mass is blocked by the Central Mountains and has little impact on the longitudinal valley. At this time, there is a warm Pacific current flowing northward near the East China Sea, so the average temperature in the longitudinal valley area is higher than that in the western plains. Taking January as an example, the temperature in Taichung is Around 16 degrees Celsius, Tainan is 17 degrees Celsius, while the temperature in Hualien is 17.1 degrees Celsius, and Taitung is 18.9 degrees Celsius. The average temperature throughout the year is above 18 degrees Celsius for 9 months in Hualien and 10 in Taitung. They are all longer than the plain areas at the same latitude in the west. Rainfall is also abundant. The average annual rainfall in Hualien is 1260 mm and in Taitung is 1840 mm. Except for the relatively concentrated rainfall from July to October, the rainfall in other months is relatively average. This kind of humidity The climate conditions are very conducive to the growth of crops.”
Seeing such a description, Sonia secretly wondered: Does the Senate have weather observation stations in Hualien and Taitung? It seems not. So where did they get this data?
Read on, here’s what it’s like to be aboriginal
"The indigenous residents currently living in the Taitung Rift Valley are the Amis. The Amis in the south call themselves Amis, while the Amis in the north call themselves Pangcah.
"It is generally believed that the Amis people living here are the largest aboriginal group in all parts of Taiwan Island, and their origins may be traced back to 3,000 years ago. The birthplace of the Amis people in the Taitung Rift Valley on Taiwan Island, Therefore, some theories believe that it may have sailed from the Pacific Ocean to the island of Taiwan.
"At 121.30 degrees east longitude and 23.26 degrees north latitude on the Wuhe Platform, there are still two large stone pillars. According to the legend of the Ami people, they are relics left by their ancestors, named sapat. According to on-site inspection, the stone pillars belong to The relic of the Neolithic Age is 8 meters high, 2.3 meters wide and 1 meter thick. There are carving traces of a building on the top of the top. It is said to be the residence of the old Ami leader. The site is distributed in an oval shape, with an area of about six meters from north to south. 100 meters wide and about 400 meters wide from east to west. There are large stone pillars, yang stones and yin stones all over the area.
"As for its origin, the local Amis people have many legends. The one they recognize is the legend of their ancestors, which is as follows:
"In ancient times, Nakaw and Sera, a brother and sister, floated to the top of Cilangasan Mountain in a pig trough to avoid floods. They got married and lived and farmed here. But there were many snakes in this place and it was not suitable for settlement, so they went down the mountain. They moved to Ganana, but there was a lack of arable land and they could not make a living. They finally moved to the present Qimishe and settled down. The stone pillars left on the eastern mountain of Wuheshe on Ganana Mountain are the remains of the pillars of their houses at that time."
This is another flood legend! Another marriage between brother and sister after the flood! Sonia thought to herself that similar stories existed among the peoples in many places she visited. Is it possible that this is the real memory of ancient humans?
Attached to the notebook is a simple map and an index of related museum paintings - but Sonia didn't see it just now, and it probably hasn't been drawn yet. After all, there are still too few professional painters. She really wanted to take a look at the monumental paintings of the stone pillars and ruins, but she also had an unrealistic assumption in her mind: If she took these to the Guild in Lisbon and published them, how much honor would she get?
Of course, not only this, but any report of the remote exploration team is enough to make her a celebrity in the natural world across Europe! The pioneer of expeditions to the Far East!
"The Ami people are a matrilineal society. Women are the main body and responsible for family affairs, and the family industry is transmitted through the matriline. However, men are still dominant in external affairs. In the tribe, all matters related to the tribe are handled by An age class of tribal men is responsible for overall planning and execution.
"Each tribe has its own chief and leader, but its social class is not strict. The leader of the tribe is not hereditary but elected. There is no class similar to 'nobility' in the tribe. The elected leader is in He has considerable authority in the tribe. In addition to representing the tribe in dealings with other tribes, he has the right to adjudicate any disputes in the tribe, and the tribesmen must also respect the decision of the leader."
…
Sonia read the notes eagerly. Although this was an investigation report, not a literary work, and she had to consult a dictionary frequently to read it, it was more attractive to her than any literary work. She wanted to Read it in one sitting.
It wasn't until the clock on the wall struck three times that Sonia reluctantly put down her notebook. Time flies so fast, it’s already so late, and my work hasn’t started yet! I came home late at night and the child was crying again. Although the daughter has been weaned, she is most attached to her mother.
Try to get off work on time today! She secretly made up her mind. Then put the notebook into a locked safe. This information cannot be taken home, and losing it would be a serious accident, even if she is the maid of a senator.
Sonia cheered up, picked up her special tool kit from the shelf, walked out of the office door and walked downstairs - the specimen library was located in the podium of the museum.
Instead of taking the large staircase outside, she directly opened a door in the corridor, went down to the first floor through an internal staircase, and then walked through a corridor to the podium.
The podium is the museum's large workshop, and specimen storage and production are all located in this inconspicuous two-story building. The basement and first floor are the museum's warehouses, while the second floor is the specimen production room.
(End of chapter)
