Introduction

In the middle of 2012, by mere accident, the laboratory of the biologist and naturalist Clement Van Burden (1793-
1875), was discovered in an abandoned building outside the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.

What was found in his notebooks was a depiction of species from the animal kingdom, which, according to him were
discovered in the expeditions he led to some of the most remote places on earth. What is astonishing is that most of
the species discovered were never named or seen by any other explorer.

Scientists have noted that the striking language of Van Burden’s texts, typical to his era, describes his discoveries with
judicious clarity. In addition to his texts, there are exquisite illustrations that portray his findings with scientific logic.

But what really awoke the interest of scientists was Van Burden’s description of the Asian Unicorn (Pseudoryx
Nghetinhensis). It is a rare bovine that inhabits the mountains of Annamite, between Vietnam and Laos. The name
of this animal is reminiscent of a fairy tale, but what is most curious is that this animal was first scientifically
documented in 1992. This could indicate that all the species discovered by Van Burden may actually exist. It would
be an extreme coincidence that someone in the 1800´s invented an animal with the same characteristics as the animal
that was discovered just a few decades ago. The Asian Unicorn is one of many animals described by Van Burden
that has only been found recently.

Even so, it is too early to decide if all the work of Van Burden is valid in scientific terms. The annotations describing
his supposed discoveries are precise and biologically logical. It is true to say that many of the first books that classified
animals usually contained creatures drawn from poorly written descriptions provided by observers. These books began
to appear in the 16th century, about three hundred years before Van Burden began to write his archives. However,
those old books were not scientific but were more a compilation of drawings depicting any kind of animal, real or
fantastic.

In the following pages, we have organized the notes of Van Burden to make them clear and understandable to many.
We will give a description of his travels and notes written by him. Also, we have provided the illustrations that describe
the animals that were seen by Van Burden and illustrated by his colleague and closest friend, Rinus, a Spanish artist
who accompanied Van Burden in all his adventures. We have included modern cartography to give an idea of the path
of his travels and where he found the animals years ago.

Welcome to the world of the hidden creatures. Welcome to the mysterious world that Van Burden discovered and
was hidden for centuries, until now. Judge for yourself if we are in front of a great adventurer who identified unseen
wonders of nature or merely the musings of a dreamer who wanted to depict the enchanted world he saw in a more
romantic way.
Clement Van Burden

Not much is known about the life of Van Burden since his discoveries were not taken seriously in his time.
However, the latest investigations have revealed information about his early life.

Clement Van Burden was born in Edinburgh on February 16th 1793. He was the third of four children from
an extremely poor family. The names of his parents and siblings remain unknown. Apparently, Van Burden
escaped home at the early age of twelve,* ending in Aberdeen (North East of Scotland) where he managed
to complete his first studies.

The city of Aberdeen became a great place of opportunities for poor young boys, since Robert Gordon1
founded a hospital under his name in 1746 to offer studies and health to those in need. Thanks to Gordon´s
philosophy, Van Burden, as many other child, studied.

He was far from a brilliant student. His professors complained about his lack of attention and at some point,
it was thought he might had learning disabilities. Soon they realized Van Burden was fine; he simply was
not interested in mostly of the subjects. However, Biology and specially wildlife caught his attention.
Usually, he was found in the library looking at encyclopedias of animals.

At the age of seventeen he received the fateful news that all five members of his family died abandoned on
the streets of Edinburgh victims of cholera. The child was devastated. He lost all interest in life, he stopped
going to absence at school were common, he stopped eating and ended up sick.

Fortunately for him, Lady Ann Preston (half sister of Anne Preston, wife of Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet,
a British military leader), took him under her wing. With her help the boy eventually was able to overcome
his loss and continue with his life. Was Lady Ann who encourage Van Burden to enroll to the University
of Aberdeen3, place where he finally could feed his curiosity in Natural Science.

Clement Van Burden ended living in the house of Lady Ann for the next years. It is not known what kind
of relation they developed. The woman died in 1825 and left him all
her fortune.

After the death of Lady Ann Van Burden decided to leave Europe. His passion for adventure and animals
remained alive and with the heritage he owned, he decided it was the time to indulge his wanderlust.

He left the United Kingdom at the age of twenty eight with his only friend "Rinus"4, an artist whom he met
during his studies in the University of Aberdeen. They both shared the same taste for wildlife and
exploration. His expeditions covered Southeast Asia, Central Africa and South America.

Clement Van Burden explored places where no other human had been before and perhaps today, those
places remain a mistery. He brought registration of a wide range of animals that were unseen. His
discoveries were incredible for the eyes of science of his time and possibly his work will never receive the
credit it deserves.

Nonetheless, the rejection of his work did not discourage Van Burden from traveling and discovering.
Unfortunately, in his final travel to North Africa, he vanished in unclear circumstances. There are no records
of his last adventure.

His respect for life was the most valuable lesson he left. He never took anything from nature that could
affect its perfect and fragile balance. Perhaps this is a good philosophy to follow in a world that nowadays
rushes to grow, regardless of the consequences this sort of growth can bring to the beings that inhabit what
we called home.

(*) There is a theory about Van Burden leaving home at an early age. The situation in Van Burden´s home was critical and his father had no
other choice to sell one of his children to feed the rest. Clement Van Burden knew about his father´s intentions and decided to leave home.

It is not known if he escaped because he was terrified of the idea of being sold, or because he though it will be easier for his parents not having
another mouth to feed. He never reunited with his family again.

1. Robert Gordon (1668–1731)

Merchant and philanthropist, born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He started the construction of Robert Gordon´s hospital. Completed in 1743, first
was used as barracks by the Hanoverian troops. In 1750, the building started to function as a hospital and school to provide education and
health to those in need. Today, under the name of Robert Gordon University is one of the best public Universities in Scotland.

2. Lady Ann PrestonScotland (circa 1755-1846).

Half sister of Anne Preston Menzies Campbell Preston Baird, wife of Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet, a British military leader.

3. University of Aberdeen.
Founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, the University of Aberdeen is Scotland's third oldest
and the United Kingdom's fifth oldest university.

www.abdn.ac.uk
Asia,
an Inaccessible Treasure

The first trip Clement Van Burden took was to Asia in May of 1821. Unlike other naturalists and botanists of his
time, Van Burden was not interested in finding and documenting medicinal and decorative plants. Instead, he focused
his investigations on the fauna of the region. He was not interested in traveling to India due to the visits of numerous
other explorers, and China carefully guarded its treasures from foreigners, especially Europeans. He arrived instead
in what is today Vietnam.

He politely declined the invitations to stay in the native villages and French colonies, which were starting to be built
at that time, and which and finally took hold of the country in the mid- 1800´s.

He was an intrepid explorer and would often get lost for months in the deepest parts of the jungle. In the Asian
jungles, he was accompanied by his friend "Rinus", and two residents who knew the jungle. These were trips full of
solitude and introspection.

Van Burden did not want to be more than an observer, and spent hours quietly waiting to hear the sounds and
mysteries that the jungle hid. Apparently his silence paid off, because he was able to observe a great amount of fauna
that had never been previously recorded. One of the reasons why Van Burden was not accepted by the Royal Society7
was that nobody believed what he found. To the academics of that time, his discoveries were just too “fantastic” to
be true, and because no other expedition found what he said he saw, his studies were never validated.

3rd of May 1821

“Today we arrive at the Annamite range5. The tribe called Cơ Tu6 has received us
and we are going on an expedition for at least three months trying to unveil the
jungle´s secrets and discover more of what it has been unseen.

Two of the villagers will come with us. Our expert guides will take us where no
other human has been. We will live in the jungle and we will become a part it.
We will be no more than spectators of what the jungle will reveal for us.”

Clement Van Burden¬

5. Annamite Range.
or the Annamese Mountains is a mountain range which extends approximately 1,100 km (680 mi) through Laos, Vietnam, and a small area
in northeast Cambodia.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annamite_Range

6. Co Tu tribe
It is a tribe now comprised of about 83,600 residents who live in the eastern Laos and central Vietnam. It is said on the book "The Blood
Hunters" by the French military officer "Jean Louis Le Pichon", that Co Tues used to hunt humans to please some spirits from the forest.
Les Chasseurs de Sang - Jean Louis Le Pichon

7. The Royal Society:

Is a learned society for scitence, and is possibly the oldest such society still in existence.[a] Founded in November 1660, it was granted a
Royal Charter by King Charles II as "The Royal Society".[1] The Society today acts as a scientific advisor to the British government,
receiving a parliamentary grant-in-aid. The Society acts as the UK's Academy of Sciences, and funds research fellowships and scientific
start-up companies.

www. royalsociety.org
27th of August 1821
The Encounter with the Giant Pongo

There is a strange smell in the air this morning. It has been there some days but today is especially strong. As we
started to walk we could heard the echoes of the animals running away from us. It was a rare sensation since we were
especially careful trying not to make loud noises.

During the whole day we felt a presence coming close to us. We stayed alert the whole journey, moving slowly and in
silence, observing in all directions trying to find what was approaching us. We saw nothing but foliage and the traces
of the animals that we could hear howling and screaming further away from us. I started to doubt that the animals
were scared of our presence. Maybe something else was pursuing them or perhaps was pursuing us.

We stopped to sleep at dusk. The night was especially odd. It was darker than usual; there was no moon and the
silence was almost palpable. The strange smell was still surrounding us, stronger than ever. I started to feel it inside
my body. My eyes were struggling to be open. My arms and legs felt numb and before I noticed I was not able to
move. The sound of a heavy thud rumbled to the jungle. My heart wanted to explode but my body could not react
with the speed I was expecting.

A strong sound rumbled the jungle. I wanted to see what it was but I was paralyzed. A few minutes later, something
big fell gracefully just beside me. I did a blurry glance at what was coming toward me. The last thing I remember
was a giant human hand covering my face.

I woke up suddenly. My body was filled with fear. I was shaking and sweating cold. I tried to breathe slowly and I
began to feel the jungle and to calm myself down. I saw the group waking up as well but soon I noticed one of the
guides was missing. We also saw a subtle trace made of broken branches that depicted a trail.

While we were packing we tried to recall what happened during last night but we were clueless.

We followed the trail in the search of our guide. The trail was big enough for just one person at the time. We walked
silently as usual, one behind another, eyes wide open looking for our friend and trying hard to contain our nerves.
The feeling of being observed was still with us but we could not find from who or where.

While we were walking I started to think about what could have brought us into this situation. Definitely all of these
events are connected somehow but I had no idea what was the link between them. I immediately discarded that we
might are being pursued by humans since there is not any trace of human kind in this area and we have not seen any
hint of civilization in months.

However, something smart enough managed to put us to sleep using that potent smell. While we slept, one of our
friends was kidnapped and a clue was left for us to follow, knowing that we would go looking for him.

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw the trail we were following, breaking into three different paths. All three
separated by a dense undergrowth. Curiously, they all had traces that suggested the fate of our friend. We looked at
each other in silence knowing what we had to do. I picked the path in the middle.
We began the walk. We could not see each other but we could hear the steps we were making. We did not agreed
verbally, but we started to walk always at the same speed, creating a rhythm, letting us know we were fine.

Watchful, hearing the steps of my two friends with mine composing the rhythm that keep us together. At the same time,
we were observing the environment looking for our missing friend. However, I did not feel good. My mind repeated
over and over the nightmare I had. That child was alone and broken. I could have saved him, I could have done
something more for him but I did not.8

I cannot recall when the steps of my friends ceased. When I looked back trying to see any sight of them I found nothing.
It was as if the jungle swallowed them in silence. Suddenly, something enormous alighted gracefully behind me. A
cold chill started to come up from my toes, invading my body and blocking my movements. That smell again, starched
and thick, inundating the whole space. This time, I did not faint.

I look back slowly just to find his face staring closely at mine. Wrinkles all over his face and sparkles coming out
from his dark deep eyes, penetrating mine. He raised his body all covered in tangled strips of long red hair. His size
easily could double mine. I gasped in horror and stepped back just to find myself lying on the ground in front of this
gigantic animal.

He stayed immobile in front of me, staring at me, studying me. His expression denoted distrust. From that moment I
knew I was not welcome. The whole jungle was in silence, the one that precedes the tragedy. He broke the silence
with a terrifying roar. I lifted my arms to protect my face and closed my eyes tightly waiting for the worst but he did
not hurt me. He lifted me brusquely and put me on my feet.

He gave me a deep glance right into my eyes. A few seconds later, he turned back and slowly began to walk away
from me. He looked at me again and roared furiously for the last time before he jumped and vanished in the jungle.

It took me a while to recover from what just happened but I had no time to think about that. The fate of my friends was
uncertain and I was impatient to find them. The missing guide was unconscious on the ground a few feet ahead of me.
I realized that the three paths ended up right where I was. From there, I was able to see my other friends, unconscious
on the ground. It took me a while to drag them,

3rd of January 1822

A Luminescent night
We have been walking the Annamite Range during many months. Vietnam was left behind and we are approaching
the borders of northeast Cambodia. Despite the wonders we unveiled digging on its deepest secrets, the jungle also
left me reminiscences I would have liked not to experience. In spite of the scars that will accompany me for the rest
of my life I am satisfied with the animals we have discovered.

We arrive to the shores of the San River. A river that was not been explored due to its difficult access and furious
waters. However, I must say, it feels good to see something different than just dense green. The river is wide and
open and allows us to see the sky in its vast immensity. Walking is still hard and sometimes my arm reminds me that
it exists with its stinging pain. My hand is not bleeding anymore and the wound left where my two fingers used to be
is healing faster than the expected.

We decide to camp at the shores of the river. It is getting dark and the group is exhausted. The two guides extinguish
their voices soon after they place their heads on the ground but Rinus and I were still awake. He is resting on the
ground, quiets as usual, with his hands behind his head, pondering to a dark turquoise sky that tonight, sparkles
spontaneously in a sort of a dance that precedes courtship. I stared at him for a while, wondering about his thoughts
and dreams. We have been friends for years but for the first time I realized how little I know about him. I am not
sure if he embarked on this trip because he also has the same adventurous spirit as me or if it was just because he
did not see any future staying in Aberdeen.

I began to felt the fatigue of the journey while I was remembering Rinus events10. My thoughts begin to blurry while
I was looking to the sky. I was trying hard to be awake but my eyelids were heavier than my will of keep admiring
the sky. I finally succumbed but I was not completely asleep. With my eyes close I start to see the night pictured in
my mind. Stars sparkling everywhere and shooting stars dying randomly, leaving a luminescent path that vanish in
seconds, decorating the blue in a fanciful manner.

In my dreams, I started to hear the sound of wings flying fast around my face. Also, a spot of light illuminates the
sound and a I felt a warm sensation touching my skin when the sound passes close to me. More conscious at every
sound, something that was flying placed its body in one of my checks, interrupting my sleep.

Something was on my face. I began to open my eyes slowly, trying not to scare whatever it was. Unfortunately, the
figure was too close to my eye that I just could spot a blurry thin figure with wings and a long tail. I stayed immobile,
trying to focus my eyes, when, in a sudden, the stomach of the animal started to bright, it moved its wings rapidly
and in less than a second disappeared in the dark leaving a flimsy trail of light.

I woke up immediately. I rubbed my eyes and began to look in all directions the luminescence body that flew away
from me but I just saw the dark turquoise. Rinus was still awake pondering at the sky sunk in his thoughts and the
guides were still sleeping.

I keep in silence for a while and just before falling asleep again, rounded lights of different colors suddenly appeared
to illuminate the ground a few meters where I was. The lights began to fly in whimsical directions touching gently
occasionally and describing some sort of an encrypted dance. Some got connected for a few seconds while describing
circular pirouettes, emanating small sparkles of light. They were too big to be fireflies and also too skillful at flying
to be gliding lizards11. Otherwise, there was nothing else I could relate them to. With my hand I searched the ground
for my glasses and once I found them I began to focus on the luminescent flying bodies.
With my glasses on I was able to see a few flying creatures not larger than a human hand. Their color varies on each
of them. Some were lime green that demeans into a mandarin orange. Other ones dark purple degrading to a carmine
red and there were another ones less attractive colored in olives and terracotta.

They were thin elongates figures and emitted an intermittent light from their semi-transparent stomachs, illuminating
the space in an almost magical way. From their bodies, a long and fine tail describes curved harmoniously along with
the pirouettes the creatures performed. The tail also exuded little sparks that last just a few seconds before disappear
in the dark.

Two pairs of delicate legs (the ones on the upper body clearly shorter than the ones on the lower body) on each side
of its body allowed them to maneuver in the air at their will and performed incredible acrobatics just comparable with
birds. The wings were close to its upper legs and were almost as large as its body. At first glance, the wings seemed
to be made of an elastic membrane similar to the one bats posses. Little horns rested at the back of its large and pointy
head. Its mouth matched the eternal smile of a reptile´s mouth. This animal clearly resembled one but the one it
resembled the most was supposed to be huge and belonged to myths and legends of different cultures. I though it was
too soon to came to any conclusion but I could not but feel excited at every second I stared at this new and unexpected
discovering.

II noticed Rinus was also aware of the spectacle the jungle was offering us. In complete silence we witnessed the
dance of this graceful creatures. My conclusion was that they were performing a courtship dance in which the males,
the ones with color more vivid, where trying to impress the ones less colorful (the females) with any sort of aerial
acrobatics. Once the female agreed, depending on how skillful the male was, she join the male in its flight and
performed a ceremonious dance that illuminated the night wonderfully.

Any doubt I had about which animal I was staring at vanished when I presence a fight between two of the males. They
clashed in the air showing off their claws trying to oppress each other. They moved their upper legs fast in an attempt
to scrape each others bodies. One of them finally surrendered and began its escape flying in an opposite direction.
The winner pursued him for a while and doing this began to expel fire from its mouth. The defeated achieved its escape
and disappear in the night.

I could not believe my eyes. My mind was rushing trying to put all the information I was receiving together into logical
thoughts, while I was trying to stay still in a effort to not to spoil the scene I was witnessing. This discovery was
probably the biggest discovery I ever made and it might be the biggest in my whole life. Dragons! Real and alive,
breathing, moving and flying around just as the beautiful creatures myths and ancient drawings used to describe them.
I was amazed and I still have no words to describe the emotions of that moment.

The ritual lasted the whole night. At dawn the animals vanished and the only reminisces left were some ashes from
some dry vegetation burn by the dragons. We stayed more nights in the same spot by the shore river and for ten
consecutive nights, we observed the same spectacle. This permit me to collect enough information to begin the
registration of such a beautiful and evasive reptile. Sadly, after ten days, the animal faded. The night after, the next
one and the rest that we were in our journey in Asia, not even the slightest clue of the existence of this animal was
found. It is still hard to believe what I saw and thankfully Rinus and the guides were there to remind me that the
dragons are more than just a myth. 14th of November 1821
Kissing Death
Inhale... Exhale...
I am breathing. Inhale: The air in my lungs flood my body with life. Exhale: The air finds its way out and new air comes
in when I inhale again. I am alive.

All is black and the only thing I hear is a distant voice repeating a word that I am unable to understand. The voice
become clear and after a while I could hear my name being repeated over and over again. The voice sound alarmed
and is following by pushes in my left arm.

I try to open my eyes. I wink once and everything is dots. I rush to wink again and the dots start to become unidentifiable
shapes. At the third wink I am able to identify my friends. The three of them staring at me from above and in shock. -
"He is alive"-, express in relief, the voice that was repeating my name.

After a while conscious, I try to remember what happened. However, the sound of heavy steps running away after the
sound of a gunshot, was the only thing I could remember.

I curl in pain. I feel my right hand pulsing in extreme pain. Then, the memory of two of my fingers being severed flashed
in my mind. Horror overcomes me. Shaking, I slowly lift my arm. It is covered with a bandage stained with dry blood.
It is not necessary to unfold the bands to corroborate the terrible truth.

I recall then, the unexpected noise of a screech broke the foliage right in front of me. The group dispersed and soon
enough to do something, a deformed bulge was running furiously towards me. Its moved awkwardly, due its inverted
knee, but this did not inhibit its massive body from trampling over me. It tried to bite my face but I covered it with
my right arm. It bit my arm furiously and shook it with anger. It was so painful but I did not faint. I felt my muscles
tearing off at its bite. More in horror than in pain, I saw my own flesh threaded between its teeth. Dense saliva
coming out of its mouth. Sticky and green infected substance mixing slowly with the flesh of my arm. My muscles
being torn brusquely at every effort the animal was doing to close its mandible. Moving its head convulsively, it was
trying to tear my arm apart. Thinking fast I decided not use any force against its power. I started to swing with the
movement of its head, motionless but conscious. Then, my arm slipped from its mouth, ripping deeply the muscles of
my arm and blasting me off a few meters away from it.

I remembered then when I hit the ground and instantly I begin to ache. My arm is wasted. A stinging pain force me to
scream between my teeth. My friend Rinus came closer and placed his hand over my forehead. He was worried and sad
about my situation. It does not calm my pain but I feel relief he is here. I am trying to sleep, to forget the pain but my
body ache and my mind is being tormented with flashes of what just happened.

I heard my shoulder crack when I hit the ground. I felt no pain at that moment. I was in shock and I knew I had to do
something fast. I tried to stand but my body did not respond. Desperately, I began to drag into the closest bushes. The
animal, a few meters away, was swaying its head wildly looking for me. Limping and jumping clumsily in circles, it
spotted me on the ground and began its race directly toward me.

Its face hidden in my subconscious and emerging repeatedly is an agony that I will have to face from now on. Its skin
hanging all over its head, revealing the shape of the top of its skull and falling down by its own weight, gives the
impression tat its face is melting. Scars and wrinkles all over its skin deforming its head even more. Deep wounds,
still flesh open, pouring blood and pus, falling slowly and drying on its way out, grotesque evidence of previous violent
encounters. It nose, like an amorphous short trunk that is not completely developed from which a dense layer of
mucus substance like is falling constantly. Small eyes with cataracts on its pupils, denoted very poor sight. All its head
is an abomination but its mouth is what horrified me the most.
Head moving up and down with brute force, It hit the ground with its forelegs three times. Then, beat the dust and posed
ready to charge on me. It look at me directly and screech loudly in my direction. Its mouth opened wide with lines of
teeth growing independently in the most capricious ways. Some of them were inserted in its palate and some others tore
through its skin to appear abruptly up in its snout. All sharply, all dangerous, all weapons coming fiercely in the
direction I was at my prostrate form.

I was exhausted. My muscles were not reacting at any speed and my thoughts misted gray. I had lost a lot of blood and
I felt extremely weak. I tried to drag my body to the bushes but my arm lost all strength and slipped off letting my face
hit the floor. With my head against the floor, I could heard the waves of the animal running closer towards me. With
difficulty, I raised my head to the ground just to see the beast less than a meter in front of me. I covered my head with
my arms. I closed my eyes tightly and left myself go to my fatal destination. Just seconds before being crushed by this
beast, a force that came from my side grabbed me from my clothes and in an instant pulled me into the bushes. The
animal passed so near that its skin scraped the side of my face.

Nothing will be the same after today. My entire body is now in pain. I lost two fingers and I am not sure my arm will
function in the way it used to. But I feel grateful. I survived. Death was prowling close but I was able to kiss her mouth
and survive to tell the story. Life is an invaluable treasure and I feel grateful I still have it so I can keep following my
dream and continue exploring the intrinsic nature of the world we habit.

My friend and I, hidden in the bushes. He was behind me, hugging me hard and pressing his hand on my mouth making
sure I would not make any noise. A thin layer of branches separate us from the beast. Its head so close to mine. Its
small pupils could not see me despite the closeness. Suddenly, it screech so loud that the sound made me jump
involuntarily exposing myself. The animal scream in anger and started to snap randomly on the bushes. He bit my
hand tried to teared apart what it caught. Then, my friend unsheathed a gun and shot into the air. The sound of the
gunshot scared the animal away but not without two fingers of my right hand.

I was safe. I fell on the ground and faint completely wasted. The last thing I remember was hearing a shotgun and
sounds of heavy steps fading away.

Clement Van Burden

3rd of January 1822

A Luminescent night
We have been walking the Annamite Range during many months. Vietnam was left behind and we are approaching
the borders of northeast Cambodia. Despite the wonders we unveiled digging on its deepest secrets, the jungle also
left me reminiscences I would have liked not to experience. In spite of the scars that will accompany me for the rest
of my life I am satisfied with the animals we have discovered.

We arrive to the shores of the San River. A river that was not been explored due to its difficult access and furious
waters. However, I must say, it feels good to see something different than just dense green. The river is wide and
open and allows us to see the sky in its vast immensity. Walking is still hard and sometimes my arm reminds me that
it exists with its stinging pain. My hand is not bleeding anymore and the wound left where my two fingers used to be
is healing faster than the expected.

We decide to camp at the shores of the river. It is getting dark and the group is exhausted. The two guides extinguish
their voices soon after they place their heads on the ground but Rinus and I were still awake. He is resting on the
ground, quiets as usual, with his hands behind his head, pondering to a dark turquoise sky that tonight, sparkles
spontaneously in a sort of a dance that precedes courtship. I stared at him for a while, wondering about his thoughts
and dreams. We have been friends for years but for the first time I realized how little I know about him. I am not
sure if he embarked on this trip because he also has the same adventurous spirit as me or if it was just because he
did not see any future staying in Aberdeen.

I began to felt the fatigue of the journey while I was remembering Rinus events10. My thoughts begin to blurry while
I was looking to the sky. I was trying hard to be awake but my eyelids were heavier than my will of keep admiring
the sky. I finally succumbed but I was not completely asleep. With my eyes close I start to see the night pictured in
my mind. Stars sparkling everywhere and shooting stars dying randomly, leaving a luminescent path that vanish in
seconds, decorating the blue in a fanciful manner.

In my dreams, I started to hear the sound of wings flying fast around my face. Also, a spot of light illuminates the
sound and a I felt a warm sensation touching my skin when the sound passes close to me. More conscious at every
sound, something that was flying placed its body in one of my checks, interrupting my sleep.

Something was on my face. I began to open my eyes slowly, trying not to scare whatever it was. Unfortunately, the
figure was too close to my eye that I just could spot a blurry thin figure with wings and a long tail. I stayed immobile,
trying to focus my eyes, when, in a sudden, the stomach of the animal started to bright, it moved its wings rapidly
and in less than a second disappeared in the dark leaving a flimsy trail of light.

I woke up immediately. I rubbed my eyes and began to look in all directions the luminescence body that flew away
from me but I just saw the dark turquoise. Rinus was still awake pondering at the sky sunk in his thoughts and the
guides were still sleeping.

I keep in silence for a while and just before falling asleep again, rounded lights of different colors suddenly appeared
to illuminate the ground a few meters where I was. The lights began to fly in whimsical directions touching gently
occasionally and describing some sort of an encrypted dance. Some got connected for a few seconds while describing
circular pirouettes, emanating small sparkles of light. They were too big to be fireflies and also too skillful at flying
to be gliding lizards11. Otherwise, there was nothing else I could relate them to. With my hand I searched the ground
for my glasses and once I found them I began to focus on the luminescent flying bodies.
With my glasses on I was able to see a few flying creatures not larger than a human hand. Their color varies on each
of them. Some were lime green that demeans into a mandarin orange. Other ones dark purple degrading to a carmine
red and there were another ones less attractive colored in olives and terracotta.

They were thin elongates figures and emitted an intermittent light from their semi-transparent stomachs, illuminating
the space in an almost magical way. From their bodies, a long and fine tail describes curved harmoniously along with
the pirouettes the creatures performed. The tail also exuded little sparks that last just a few seconds before disappear
in the dark.

Two pairs of delicate legs (the ones on the upper body clearly shorter than the ones on the lower body) on each side
of its body allowed them to maneuver in the air at their will and performed incredible acrobatics just comparable with
birds. The wings were close to its upper legs and were almost as large as its body. At first glance, the wings seemed
to be made of an elastic membrane similar to the one bats posses. Little horns rested at the back of its large and pointy
head. Its mouth matched the eternal smile of a reptile´s mouth. This animal clearly resembled one but the one it
resembled the most was supposed to be huge and belonged to myths and legends of different cultures. I though it was
too soon to came to any conclusion but I could not but feel excited at every second I stared at this new and unexpected
discovering.

II noticed Rinus was also aware of the spectacle the jungle was offering us. In complete silence we witnessed the
dance of this graceful creatures. My conclusion was that they were performing a courtship dance in which the males,
the ones with color more vivid, where trying to impress the ones less colorful (the females) with any sort of aerial
acrobatics. Once the female agreed, depending on how skillful the male was, she join the male in its flight and
performed a ceremonious dance that illuminated the night wonderfully.

Any doubt I had about which animal I was staring at vanished when I presence a fight between two of the males. They
clashed in the air showing off their claws trying to oppress each other. They moved their upper legs fast in an attempt
to scrape each others bodies. One of them finally surrendered and began its escape flying in an opposite direction.
The winner pursued him for a while and doing this began to expel fire from its mouth. The defeated achieved its escape
and disappear in the night.

I could not believe my eyes. My mind was rushing trying to put all the information I was receiving together into logical
thoughts, while I was trying to stay still in a effort to not to spoil the scene I was witnessing. This discovery was
probably the biggest discovery I ever made and it might be the biggest in my whole life. Dragons! Real and alive,
breathing, moving and flying around just as the beautiful creatures myths and ancient drawings used to describe them.
I was amazed and I still have no words to describe the emotions of that moment.

The ritual lasted the whole night. At dawn the animals vanished and the only reminisces left were some ashes from
some dry vegetation burn by the dragons. We stayed more nights in the same spot by the shore river and for ten
consecutive nights, we observed the same spectacle. This permit me to collect enough information to begin the
registration of such a beautiful and evasive reptile. Sadly, after ten days, the animal faded. The night after, the next
one and the rest that we were in our journey in Asia, not even the slightest clue of the existence of this animal was
found. It is still hard to believe what I saw and thankfully Rinus and the guides were there to remind me that the
dragons are more than just a myth.

Clement Van Burden

16rd of March 1823
Maltese stripes casting the night

Our journey is about to come to an end. I have mixed feelings. Sometimes I miss civilization and the commodities a
city brings to the detached animal that humans are. On the other hand, my amazement at the wonders the jungle
unveils everywhere I look, is something I will definitely miss. Moreover, this journey will probably be my last in
Asia, and I cannot help but feel a painful aching in my adventurous soul.

We are in Vietnam again but this time we are at the North, just after exploring the Annamite range from the Laos
side. The passage brought us astonishing surprises and in general beautiful discoveries. However, there is still one
animal I want to spot before I leave this continent. Fortunately some traces suggest we are approaching in its
direction. The Maltese tiger.
I have heard some stories by locals that have spotted blue tigers that brought fear among the villagers. The
descriptions, although unfortunate, are magical and can be easily confused with fairly tales. "Majestic creature born
at nights, solace of its solitariness and emulating its colors. As dangerous as beautiful, with eyes that shine as full
moon does. Silent in every step and evasive of any glance, a mystery that surprises its prey, either animal or man, to
embrace them in red and disappear before the night succumbs to the sun again."

I am still skeptical of this animal but this journey has proven to me that the jungle is like whimsical poetry made of
the most exquisite verses and, since we are already here, I have nothing to lose trying to find something that for now
is just a rumor.

Days ago, the guides began to feel uneasy when they recognized the distinct signature of tiger claws printed on the
ground. The marks were unusual, according to them. They were deep prints that suggested a heavier tiger rather
than the Indochinese tiger12; the subspecies that inhabits this region. Besides, the prints left were notably bigger.
My excitement grew considerably. Now we are following the steps of a creature that differ from the ones the world
has already seen.

I must say, the guides did not share the same excitement as I did. Tigers are feared by villagers since they are
responsible for many deaths which includes in a major number, children. It was not easy to convince them to guide
us to this animal but in the end I was able to persuade them.

It has been a few days now since we began following the trace of this evasive animal. However, we know we are
headed in the right direction. Deep scratches from the tiger claws left on some bark trees thus confirm it. The guides
were about to rush away when we saw the height at which the marks were left. I hesitated as well but somehow, I
controlled my nerves and calmed down the guides. A few hours later, we continue with our quest.

That same night, the blue feline revealed its mysterious figure before us. Invisible sounds accompanied its heavy
steps, moving its enormous figure with an immaculate elegance. It seemed like the whole jungle stopped immutable,
to respectfully bow at its majestic presence. The pale blue painted on its skin could be comparable with the most
beautiful gemstone the earth can hide. Black stripes, as black as the shadows in the darkest nights, capriciously
revealed its slender figure. Its eyes shine as the full moon does, adverting like prelude of an inevitable tragedy. There
is not even, the slightest hope to prevent it. Beauty and horror collide together to take what rightfully belongs to it.
Finding the Maltese tiger, as marvelous as devastating, brought to the group fatal consequences.

Writing these lines I cannot help but think of the guides that accompanied us in our journey. Simple villagers with
not so simple lives since France came to colonize them, erasing their culture by force, ignoring their beliefs and
appropriating land that does not belong to them.

But I am nobody to criticize the French, - I am not better than them. I took advantage of the villagers´ innocence
and naiveté and seduced them to do this trip with me. There is no reward for them other than simple money that, in
the end, will not compensate their tremendous effort.

Instead, for me, the recognition of being the first to register the marvelous animals this continent hides is what awaits
me. The thirst of my selfishness is fully satiated in this trip. My ambition to knowledge brought me to this land to risk
my life and the life of others. To come where I am now, I dragged my best friend and two people that had no idea
who I was a few year ago.
Two unknowns, two. They will only be mentioned in the lines of this diary, but for sure they will be forgotten soon
after. Two people, with names; names that I regret with my soul I cannot remember while I am writing this, because
I did not bother enough to try to learn them. Two men, two, but especially one.

The one with a mother and a father. The one with siblings, grand-parents and cousins. With friends and a wife he
swore to respect and love. The head of a family and father of five, four boys and a little girl. The hard worker, the
one that awoke before the sun, to walk the jungle and face its dangers, to bring food to a family that depended on
him and he loved with infinite devotion. The one like me, or even better, a human being who embarked on this
adventure to guide me and advise me with his vast knowledge
and wisdom.

The one man who that fateful night, like the rest of us, was sleeping, exhausted after a hard day of walking and
enduring with patience, the most stupid caprices that only a foreign man like me could bring. The one who like, the
rest of us, was surprised by the presence of the blue tiger and immobile, praying in silence for not to be chosen by
the immense animal. The one whom this time, fate did not favor and was embraced in red by this creature, taken
away from his family, the one he had, the one who would miss him, the one who needed him.

My heart is broken and I feel guilty. No words will ever cure this pain that will be embedded in my heart forever.

Clement Van Burden