TRANSCRIPCIÓN 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.240
Welcome to this new investigation by Annelle Underwood.
00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:18.320
Today we are taking you deep into a distant journey, into the wide, mysterious and unpredictable land, among grandiose landscapes, an expated encounters and buried secrets.
00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:23.199
Annabelle will once again be faced with a troubling mystery.
00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:33.600
Make yourself comfortable and let yourself be drawn into this new adventure where the beauty of nature stands beside the shadow of mystery.
00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:37.439
Here is Annabelle and Derride's sixth investigation.
00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:39.520
A dreadful trap.
00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:46.960
Saturday, April 2011, 1911.
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:48.880
Hello my dear.
00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:49.359
Hi.
00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.159
I am taking the liberty of sending you a letter before our final stage towards the North Pole.
00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:02.560
We are currently in Canada, in the northeastern part of the country, to be more precise.
00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.040
What a magnificent place, truly splendid.
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:15.359
Cities interest me very little compared with forests, with nature so omnipresent in this country.
00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:21.040
And besides, it is a very pleasant change from the whole continent.
00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:32.000
Haydn is in heaven in these places, mainly populated by conifers such as pines, sponge, firs, larch, and cedars.
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:40.239
We spend hours exploring them, sometimes just the two of us, sometimes with the rest of the expedition team.
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:43.760
Everyone has arrived in Canada and joined us.
00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.560
There are eleven of us in total.
00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:54.400
Eight scientists, one photographer, Haydn, one journalist reporter, me of course, and our guide.
00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:58.799
Unsurposing, there are only men except for me.
00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:05.599
Below, I am writing to you the list of the scholars accompanying me and their specialties.
00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:17.039
I think it will interest you and help you see more clearly in my next letters so you know who is who and who say what.
00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:26.240
We have Professor Johnson, our expedition leader, who specializes in Arctic and Subarctic lanes.
00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:34.159
Professor Thomas, a great expert on sea currents, ice, and the formation of icebergs.
00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:42.319
Professor Sharma, those research are focused on the ocean of the northern hemisphere and the currents.
00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:48.960
Professor O'Male, who specializes in the marine fauna of the North and South Poles.
00:02:49.199 --> 00:03:00.719
Professor Fijial is undoubtedly the most precise of them all, concentrating all his attention of the families of Euphodiza and Benthodizae.
00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:07.039
These are small crustaceans found in the ocean, more commonly known as krill.
00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:16.800
Professor Schmitz studies wildlife and, in particular, the great predator of the icy desert, the polar bear.
00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:24.159
Professor Dupont, who will be responsible for the map on the route, is an astrophysicist.
00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:37.520
And lastly, we have Professor Mayer, a linguist specializing in the indigenous language of Canada, but we shall return to him in the following pages.
00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:47.280
Now that you know everyone, let us return to the course of my adventures in the forest of this immense country.
00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:56.240
I sometimes have to pull Haydn by the arm to bring him back, make him eat something, or get him moving during our crossing.
00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:07.919
He can spend hours standing in the same spots in order to take the most beautiful and perfect photograph possible of this or that bird, insect or mammal.
00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:15.919
It blends so perfectly into the landscape, motionless like that, that life itself seemed to forget him.
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:23.920
Only the click of his photograph mirror reminds us that he is merely a temporary addition to the scenery.
00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:35.279
If it were up to him, if we were forced to follow his pace, we would not move more than three meters a day, and that that number is generous of me.
00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:38.959
But I understand his enthusiasm and motivation.
00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:44.480
Nature is magnificent here, with great lakes and rivers.
00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:46.720
And do not misunderstand me.
00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:55.199
I am not saying Europe is graceless, but rather that it's very different from the panoramic views we can admire here.
00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:05.360
It is a true breath of fresh air after a virus stop in large cities such as New York, Boston, and Montreal.
00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:09.199
Some waterfalls are incredible as well.
00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:16.639
Water bursts forth in abundance and hypnotize our eyes, poor Haydn.
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:24.639
We have done nothing but hurry him along for days in order to avoid falling further behind schedules.
00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.839
Unfortunately, every day counts.
00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:35.279
Our budgets remain somewhat tight, for the Arctic lands are still far from here.
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:43.920
Along the way, we have had the incredible chance to meet many indangerous people from different tribes.
00:05:44.240 --> 00:06:01.759
Our passionate linguists, a professor at the University of Montreal, himself descended from the Naskipe tribe through his grandparents, offered to accompany us and help us understand this language and customs that are unfamiliar to us.
00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:06.079
He is as fascinating as the explanations he gives us.
00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:15.920
I would not know how to pay proper tribute to these peoples, and I would be afraid of explaining many
Load full transcript
traditions and beliefs poorly.
00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:21.759
That is why I encourage you, if you wish, to go there yourself one day.
00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:29.199
You will then have the chance to discover incredible cultures and splendid landscapes as well.
00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:35.920
And besides, it would surely do you good to step a little outside your comfort them.
00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:43.680
The journey is long, tiring, even exhausting, but the company and the encounters are pleasant.
00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:53.600
We must go to the top of Quebec, into inuit territories, to take a boat that will carry us along Greenland and Baffing Bay.
00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:58.720
Then we will go to the Grease Fjords before finally reaching the Arctic.
00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:12.000
I know it is not the fastest or simplest route to get there, at least apparently, because it is not my job to decide on an itinerary and even less to read a map.
00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:20.480
But it is a journey chosen by the scientist board of this expedition and I was not going to control exam.
00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:24.720
Especially not without any valid reason.
00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:31.680
For many scientific and research-related reasons, this path was chosen.
00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:38.160
But let us return to Central Quebec where I'm currently am, if you will.
00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:44.240
I have not yet seen or experienced the rest, so I will tell you about it later.
00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:50.160
And to be completely honest, I am rather apprehensive about the rest of the journey.
00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:57.360
I, who I am so sensitive to cold, I hope to not turn into a high statue.
00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:11.920
So, if I am writing to you, it is not only to tell you about the incredible journey and crossing I am living through, but also to recount a thorny mystery I was asked to solve.
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:16.000
A complex mystery far more difficult than the last one.
00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:23.680
I needed Haydn's help to find a solution because I did not possess all the necessary knowledge.
00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:28.480
But once again, I am losing myself and going too fast.
00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:38.960
I can already hear you becoming annoyed, for it is true that, as always, these letters go in every direction.
00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:43.519
But anyway, let us resume, or rather, let us begin again.
00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:47.600
Our story begins while we were crossing Quebec.
00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:53.600
The expedition was still very far from the icy deserts of the North Pole.
00:08:54.159 --> 00:09:03.679
We had just left Quebec City after a few well-deserved days of rest and has been on the road for about a week.
00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:13.200
The weather, so mild at the beginning of our journey, worsened day by day until a trend storm broke out.
00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:18.000
A storm of such power has had rarely seen.
00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:32.399
The trees bent under
the rain and wind on our shoes and the ooves of our horses became covered in mud with fear for ourselves, of course, but also for our months.
00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:37.279
We were afraid they might break a leg or fall into a ravine.
00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:43.519
After hours of battling the elements, our guide, Mr.
00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:46.720
Brown, led us toward a wooden shack.
00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:50.240
This place has a particular function.
00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:54.639
I do not know whenever you know its true purpose.
00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:58.240
So just in case, allow me to explain.
00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:06.000
As I have just written to you, Canada is known for its landscapes and forests, but not only that.
00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:15.919
Indeed, a significant part of its economy and trade with Europe is based on the fur trade, especially beaver fur.
00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:27.120
Other furs, such as those of caribou and martens, are also trades, but beaver fur is of particular interest in Europeans.
00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:27.840
Why?
00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:29.360
You're actually wondering?
00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:35.440
To make the hat we are also fond of, men and women alike, in fact.
00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:44.159
The skins of these animals is transformed into a waterproof and elegant felt that humans love so much.
00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:54.799
Indigenous peoples are largely the ones who hunts these animals in order to trade them with company, which then sends them onto Europe.
00:10:55.360 --> 00:11:01.200
And why is the connection with that sack in the middle of the wood, you may ask?
00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:14.320
It is precisely a place of exchange between the tribe and the different companies that buy the furs from them in order to resell them later to the highest spider.
00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:29.120
Now that you know all of that and that you understand all these elements that will be important for the rest of our story and my adventure, let us return to the storm that threatens us more and more.
00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:36.000
Nature, in such moments, shows who the true master is, who dominates the world.
00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:46.799
We so often tend to forget it, wanted to control it absolutely, want it to appropriate its resources until they are exhausted.
00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:55.679
And yet, we must not forget, never forget that we are only passing through the earth, through our planet.
00:11:55.919 --> 00:12:06.080
We forget too often that we are one with it and that we must not fight against it, but frightened with it.
00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:17.039
This thought struck me all the more as the torrents suck us to the bone and the wind attacked us reludently until we were exhausted.
00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:27.200
After a long time spending resisting Mother Nature, we finally managed to rush inside that famous trading spot.
00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:35.360
Three people were inside, three men from the Inu tribe, patiently waiting for the weather to calm.
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:40.799
The entire team rushed inside, horses included, to take shelter.
00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.559
The night promised to be long, very long.
00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:53.600
We were all exhausted, but under the influence of adrenaline and emotion, we were completely unable to sleep.
00:12:53.919 --> 00:13:02.000
After brief greetings, the Inu Inurus for a while before offering that we join them and eat together.
00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:05.600
Everyone accepted with infinite gratitude.
00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:12.399
Indeed, after such an ordeal in the storm, our stomachs were crying out with hunger.
00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:15.600
I myself was starving.
00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:20.799
They were very curious about our presence here and the course of our journey.
00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:29.360
They thought we were part of the Hudson Bay Company and had come once again to negotiate the pelts from uncomplain.
00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:30.799
They knew Mr.
00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:34.639
Braun and seemed to hate him with all their thoughts.
00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:42.559
He, having worked for that company for many years, had no respect for indigenous lands and beliefs.
00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:45.759
He thought only of money and profit.
00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:57.919
In recent years, beaver pelts has been bringing in less and less these mammals over hunts has become increasingly rare and difficult to find.
00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:06.320
And besides, the fashion for hats made from that material was slowly beginning to decline.
00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:10.480
To be entirely honest with you, I do not particularly like Mr.
00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:19.600
Braun, who has the unpleasant habits of looking down on everyone, but I do not hate him to that extent either.
00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:25.600
And even if it costs me to admit it, he knows the terrain far better than I do.
00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:32.000
I would never have been able to know where that shark was if he had not shown us the way.
00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:51.679
The three men explained to me how they hunted beavers using sophisticated traps and how they had been forced to push their roots farther and farther north and west to find them, hunting and the fur trays remained profitable for them, but for how long?
00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:54.000
Only fate will tell.
00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:57.519
The three men could not help worrying about it.
00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:08.720
Then they spoke for a long time with our linguists, who was trying to complete as much as possible one of the many dictionaries he has begun writing.
00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:18.080
I followed the conversation about spelling and grammar when nodding off, for the fatigue of the day was beginning to be felt.
00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:32.480
They seemed to get along well, even if our professor could be sometimes a little clumsy and offensive in his question, a bit awkward in his manner too, which sometimes tires me.
00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:36.720
And I think he does not like me very much.
00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:42.320
He has trouble understanding my role, my usefulness in this expedition.
00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:52.559
Outside, the storm continued to rage, the wind and the objects it carried in its path violently lashed the roof and walls.
00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:58.159
Once night had fallen, we unanimously decided to go to bed.
00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:03.120
The subjects of conversation were beginning to run out for most of us.
00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:10.960
It was time to sleep, and despite the noise and the large number of souls around me had collapsed.
00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:21.039
I was gently awakened by the sound of the forest and its inhabitants, then violently by the scream of a human being seized by fear.
00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:25.840
Jumping to my feet like the rest of those presents, I rushed outside.
00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:37.440
The scream continued without interruption, silencing the other inhabitants of the woods, who, frightened in turn, had not dared continue their daily song.
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:46.159
Before I continue, I prefer to warn you, I don't know how to pronounce the Inu name, so I'm really sorry.
00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:53.679
So we all went around the building, those paint and wooden walls bore the scarves of the previous night.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.480
On the ground lay one of the three Inu.
00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:57.440
Watch this.
00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:00.080
His face rages by fear.
00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:12.079
We all look at the same direction as him and discover a pile of branches heaped together, and along these corpses of nature lay another corpse.
00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:21.599
A human corpses, bones, an entire skeleton, the different bones has been scattered by the storm stood before us.
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:29.920
And without being mistaken for a second, I knew that this skeleton could only belong to a human being.
00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:39.759
Where Sisju stood facing the skull, so Zhou dislocated from the canoe, looked like a terrible ill omen.
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:42.880
And that's all for today.
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:46.160
Thank you for listening to this episode until the end.
00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:47.839
I hope you enjoyed this story.
00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:54.160
And if you like this episode, don't forget to leave us a like, subscribe and share the podcast with others.
00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:59.680
It helps us a lot and allow more people to discover the words of Annabelle Underwood.
00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:04.640
Thank you again for listening and see you soon for the next part of the adventure.