Early the following day, I went to the Navy yard where the Hueys were parked, looking for the head anthropologist. I had questions. I found him sitting by himself, staring out to wherever people stare when they are in deep thought. I began with, "How can I help the Taaw't Bato; I wasn't prepared for his following narrative: "After we leave the camp today, the basin will be sealed. No other visitors will be allowed to visit the Taaw't Bato. When we discovered them, they were a thriving population, numbering more than three hundred. Now they are numbering less than a hundred, and dwindling. We brought the flu, measles, cholera, the whole lot. Doctors only worsened the situation. They were decimated."I was stunned. My heart sank to the lowest depths it has ever been. I understood him now.The whine of the Huey's turbine starting up brought me back to attention, and we got into our assigned Hueys for the trip back to Brooke's. It was a pensive, heart-wrenching time that seemed to stretch on, but we eventually got there. I was glad to get off the Huey, and hoped I would never ride one again. We were briefed as to what to do, and I got into the Bolkow and started up. We lifted off, and to my dismay, the clouds were hanging low, obscuring the mountain peaks, the landmarks I used to locate the camp in the basin. Five minutes, and I didn't recognize anything.

A good pilot knows when he is lost, so I went back to Brooke's. Everyone wondered why I returned, so they were looking at us. I stayed in the Bolkow and gestured for one of the Bell Jet Ranger pilots to come to me. Engines at idle, I told him my landmarks were obscured, pointing at the clouds. I showed him my map, and he told me to follow the river up to a point, and then go a certain heading he penciled in on my map. Thanking him, I lifted off again. I could feel the loss of confidence from the Italians, but put that aside. I found the camp according to the pilot's directions and landed in the same spot. Tig and Lomi waved, and I waved back. I was looking forward to being with them, but it was not to be. The film crew had other plans.

When the others arrived, the film crew went into the jungle with Tig and Lomi. I thanked the other pilot for his assistance, and told him I learned a valuable lesson that day. He smiled and said to me, I barely make it in and out of here. I max out the overtemp limits. Please help me out and take some of my load. I couldn't refuse. The Bolkow 'even breathing hard, and it was a shock to hear this admission from him. Sure, I said. We smiled and conversed for a while, and mingled with the military who were taking a break. Already they were looking very apprehensive about their trip back over land, and said so. The other pilot joined us, and by way of conversation said he was just almost on the limit because he had a lighter load, but only just.

At last lunch came, and I shared what I had with Tig and Lomi, as before. The other Taaw't Bato joined my group. I heard laughter from the military, and could overhear what they said because it was so quiet, and they weren't that far away. They were making jokes about my getting alongwith the “savages”, and assumed I didn't understand their jokes. Being in the company of theTaaw't Bato was already an experience I would never forget, so I ignored their jokes.

The Italians made themselves comfortable, leaning on the bank of a dry part of the riverbed forcomfort maybe to try and catch a wink or two. One of the Taaw't Bato suddenly got excited andwas yelling something I couldn't understand. The translator/guide began shouting quite loudly, "AHAS! AHAS! (Ahas means snake in Filipino) He was gesturing frantically for the film crew to move out. It was lost on them. Being able to speak Spanish, and having traveled to Rome some time ago, I knew the Spanish word for snake, which is the same in Italian, "CULEBRA!"; and again for emphasis, "CULEBRA!"; I shouted. I never saw Italians move so fast. They jumped up and away from the riverbank. Lomi picked up a rock and killed the snake in a swift, fluid motion. I noted the accuracy with amazement. He advanced and picked up a huge dark snake, after poking it with a stick to make sure it was dead. The Italians jaws had tobe picked off the floor. They looked at me and started speaking Italian. It might as well have been Greek to me, and I said, "No parlatti Italiano." (I don't speak Italian) I don't think they believed me. They were, however, very profuse in thanking me for saving their lives. I didn't do anything of the sort; it was the Taaw't Bato who saved them.

Captain Hernan C. Mapua