Litchfield enquirer., 1868-03-19
SOUTH AMERICAN TRAVELS.

The young gentleman mentioned in the following article, which we copy from the Buffalo Courier and Republic, is son of the late J. D. Forbes formerly resident of this place. Perhaps the healthy air of our Litchfield hills inspired the energy. he has shown to such remarkable degree: EXPECTATIONS OF BUFFALO Boz On the third of July last, Reginald H. Forbes, of this city, 9 young gentleman some eighteen years of age and an under graduate of Williams College under the auspices of the Lyceum of Natural History of that institution, left New York for Vene- zuela. He was accompanied by two cone- pognons du ooyage, named Gilbert and My CTS. Another branch of the expedition had sailed two days before for Quito. The object of the journey was to make scientific explorations in South America, for their own instruction and the benefit of their Society.
 Arriving at LaGuayra they spent six weeks in making collections in the coun- try about Caracas and;Valencia
 Mir. Gilbert then returned to the United States. while Myers and Forbes formed the resolution ot attempting passage across VdO COuuO1y GO Guo AIuaLOu-a route nth erto unexplored by English or American
 After about one hundred and fifty miles travel from the coast, they reached one of the remote tributaries of the Orinoco and Pao. This they followed in canoe to the Apure The rainy season made it possible for them to pass by canoe across the coun- try between the numerous tributaries of the Orinoco to the main river, which they ascended-making portage around the rap ids of the Atures. Then, diverging to the Atapabo, they reached Vavila, whence there IS portage to one of the aff1uents of the River Negro. Launching again in canoe, they descended the Negro to Manous, up on the Amazon-maklng journey from the landing at LaGuayra of about three thousand miles, The party secured several thousand specimens of Natural History; and happily escaped the fever as the coun- try, the poisoned arrows of the Indians, and the more urgent danger of starvation.
 After leaving the rich cultivation in the neighhorhood of Valencia, they found the original wilderness broken only by few towns upon the rivers, where the whole ef- fort of the inhabitants seemed to lie in keep ing starvation at bay. Hunger in the towns hunger in the Indian huts, and, of course. hunger for travellers, was the abiding con dltlon. The Indians are destitute of inn plements of agriculture; and gain, with their bows, precarious subsistence from the streams and forests Even the descen- dants of the Spanish and Portuguese are too lndolent for any exertion, beyond the supply of immediate want
 But, apart from human interests, the young adventurers found the reward of their toll and hazard in the georgeous scenes of the unbroken forests; the majes- ty of the ssolitary rivers; and the stimulus of new field of exploration, abounding in strange varieties of animal and vegetable life.
 A thousand miles by steamer from Man ous, brought them to Para, at the mouth of the Amazon; where they fortunately found their friends of the Quito expedition who had crossed the Andes and come down the Amazon. The whole party arrived safely in New York on the 18th inst, and young Forbes made flying visit home to relate the particulars of his unusual exper- fence. We feel proud of the courage and stamina of this Buffalo lad. whose Journey ings, young as he is, entitle his name to place among those of distinguished travel CTS.