Release date is 2026-04-03

Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg

"De goudzoekers" by Gustave Aimard is a novel written in the mid-19th century. It follows the buccaneer Montbars the Exterminator, his fierce follower Tributor, and comrades as they slip into Spanish-held waters near the Gulf of Venezuela to reconnoiter and prepare a daring strike on Maracaibo. Expect jungle-and-river perils, stealthy scouting, and a clash of motives—revenge for some, a missing woman for others.

The opening of the novel finds three men in a prauw (canoe) landing at a hidden river mouth on the Venezuelan coast and revealing themselves as Brothers of the Coast—Montbars, Luiwammes, and the giant Tributor, with their keen hound Monaco. After surviving a shipwreck, they aim for Maracaibo, battling through choking waterweeds and a night of terrifying caiman swarms while foraging for fish, fowl, and fruit. A midnight bear shot by Tributor leads to a joyful reunion with allies Philippe and Pitrians, whose nearby brigantine, supplies, and money transform the odds. At dawn they divide reconnaissance tasks—coastline, soundings, inland routes—while Montbars and Philippe plan to enter the city with convincing Spanish papers; naturalist interludes (caiman duels and nests) punctuate their march to the concealed ship, where a final council ends with Montbars demanding sole command and Philippe pledging obedience as the venture truly begins. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: 's-Gravenhage: De Erven J.L. Nierstrasz., 1905