Chapter 771: Hello, Treasure Island
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
This exciting misunderstanding made Li Du feel very embarrassed. The damage to the Australian black flying fox had been caused by a cat, who was jointly liable with the owner.
Just now, Ah Meow had attacked so quickly that Li Du could not have stopped him if he had tried. This was the nature of the tiger cat.
However, it was not appropriate to place the blame entirely on the cat. How could they know that this seemingly evil and ferocious flying fox actually was a tame animal?
Li Du believed that anyone who first saw a large flying fox would feel frightened, especially when he was in a daze. When he opened his eyes and saw that thing, he was scared to death.
However, Sophie was a surgeon. She took animal medicine in college and was nearly a veterinarian. She also helped treat Ah Meow when he was hurt.
It could have been that he hurt the flying fox by mistake, so she helped.
The flying fox had a fracture and possibly an internal rupture. Sophie could not give it an accurate examination. She had to bandage it first to treat the trauma.
But looking at the flying fox’s behavior, Sophie was optimistic about the injury.
“I think there are no internal injuries, but it fell down from the second floor, which caused bone damage and muscle injuries. The flying fox is quite resilient,” Sophie said. “Let him rest for a few days and change the bandages regularly.”
Finally, she told the owner and his wife, “The next time you change the bandages, wear rubber gloves. Flying foxes can transmit rabies. You must be careful not to get bitten.”
“Is there a rabies virus on this island?” asked Li Du. “I thought the island was closed.”
Sophie nodded. “Yes, the island is very deserted and the chances of rabies are low, but the flying foxes are very good at flying. They don’t stay just on the island, so it’s still possible.”
Having taken care of the flying fox, the group had a quick breakfast and was ready to leave.
As they boarded the ship, a speedboat followed. Victor, the shop owner, was on the boat.
“Are you coming to see us off? Thanks a lot, man,” Hans said jokingly.
Victor smiled brightly. “Consider it as sending you all off, but I’m going to Herrick, so we’ll have to part a little later.”
Herrick, a small town on the northeastern tip of Tasmania, was relatively close to Cape Barren Island.
On the way, they spoke a bit more, and Victor told them that he was not only collecting supplies, but also picking up online goods for many people on the island.
The online shopping boom had swept around the world, so even in places as far away as the remote corner of Cape Barren Island, residents knew how to use the power of the internet to make life easier.
But how could they shop online when there was no signal on the island?
Victor told him that the big guys don’t leave Cape Barren Island on a regular basis, but they do occasionally travel, and whenever they get to a place where there is internet available, they shop online, have the items shipped to Herrick, and then bring them home.
After a short chat, they parted. Victor was going south, while Li Du and the others continued to sail east.
They traveled for two hours, and during that time they came across some small islands, but none of them were suitable for black gold abalone harvesting.
After sailing on for a while, Lu Guan, who was looking around with a telescope, turned around and said, “Boss, look, an island! Breadfruit tree, here we come!”
A small island appeared to the southeast. The island was surrounded by the blue sea and sky.
Brother Wolf sailed close to the island, so Li Du and the others could see the island clearly.
The island was not small. It had to be 50 or 60 square kilometers, but there were no islands around it. However, it looked small, standing alone in the vast ocean.
The island had a hilly terrain similar to that of Cape Barren Island. It was surrounded by woods and the land towered high in the middle of the island, a bit like an upturned rice bowl.
On the outer edge of the island grew a great number of thick and big trees, whose trunks were so thick, it was like several people had hugged together to form the trunk. The trees reached about ten meters high, and looked like a bunch of short, fit hulks.
“Is this the breadfruit tree?” asked Li Du curiously.
“It’s actually the baobab tree, which is found mainly on the islands of Africa, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. It’s also found in northern Australia. However, I did not expect it to exist in this southern part of Australia,” said Brother Wolf.
“The geographical world and nature are so magical,” Hannah exclaimed.
Sophie thought for a moment and said, “Maybe the flying fox is breeding here? This area is still active with flying foxes.”
Either way, they got to see baobabs in the South Pacific.
Li Du said, “Come over and have a look. It is said that baobabs can be eaten. I haven’t tried that yet.”
Eating in the wild was Brother Wolf’s area of expertise. He explained at length, “The fruit of baobab is high in calcium, more than 50% higher than spinach.
“The fruit has a high antioxidant content, with three times as much vitamin C as a single orange, which is the preferred food for survival in the wild.
“The leaves of the tree are also edible. They taste sweet and are high in fiber. The flesh of the fruit can be macerated to drink, and the fruit in the seed can be pressed into oil.”
After listening to the explanation, Li Du became more interested. He waved and said, “Let’s get to it. There is no doubt, we have our lunch.”
Brother Wolf nodded. “We can be sure that baobab fruit non-toxic.”
When the yacht dropped her anchor, Li Du took several men to the island to explore the trail.
Walking on the island, he could feel the thickness of the baobabs.
Yes, even though they were tall enough to reach more than ten meters, their height was not as magnificent as their girth.
Looking up at the trees, he marveled. “Nature is amazing. How long would it take for them to grow so thick?”
“The baobab is the oldest living tree in the plant world,” Brother Wolf said.
Li Du continued to exclaim, “Such a long life?”
Brother Wolf nodded. “Yes, in the 18th century, the famous French botanist Frederick Adamson saw some baobabs in Africa. One of the oldest trees had lived for 5500 years.”
They walked gingerly around the island, a pristine place with no human presence, no roads, thick woods, and wild weeds.
Walking into the edge of the woods, Brother Wolf stopped them, not having enough reliable wilderness equipment to venture into the primeval forest.
He looked around, pointed ahead, and shouted, “Look, what have I found? What a treasure island it is!”
