American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1877-11-17
AN INTREPID EXPLORER.
a Young Americans Plans for Ascending
the Amazon and its Tributaries.
[From the New York WorId.l

explorer, has returned to New York !
from his home in indianapolis, and in !
tends to set forth again in a few weeks
to renew his explorations. After enter
ing the mouth of the Amazon he propo-
ses to ascend its tributary, the Xingu,
taking with him his former guide,
young Manduruca Indian called Barney
The Xingu, although one of the largest
tributaries of the Amazon, is but imper-
fectly known to geographers, for no pro-
fessed explorer has ever assembled it far,
and the greatest part of our present in
formation as to its character and the
country through which it flows has been
obtained from Indians or semi-civilized
half-breed traders. Even the Jesuit
missionaries, who have penetrated fur
Their than any other white men, have
been deferred from its ascent by the
chain of turbulent and dangerous rapids
in its stream and the known ferocitv of
the jewellers on its banks.
Morris describes the Xingu, at its
junction with the Amazon, as ga broad,
black river, flowing between precipitous
banks, heavily wooded with tropic veg
etatiOn.' He intends to organize a
large party, of Manduruca Indians
probably, who can be hired for a triiing
sum, to carry his boats past the rapids
and beat back the hostile natives if they
should attempt to oppose his passage
In face of the difficulties and dangers
which he must encounter, the project
seems almost foolhardy, and the young
explorer might be set down as a crack
Drained enthusiast if he had not shown
already unmistakable proof of his skill,
courage and endurance in contending
with similar obstacles. The boy of 10,
who, with only $15 in his pocket, en-
tered the mouth of the Amazon, made
his way along to the sources of the Tapa-
jos and returned in safety with valua-
BILE collection of specimens and other
records of his adventurous Journey, is
of the stuff out of which the true ex-
| plorer is made. From earliest boyhood,
as those say who have known him, it
has been the animating purpose of his
| life to win name among the Franklins
and Livingstones of exploring fame, and
his single-minded ardor has never grown
cold.
The boy of IA, Morris sets forth to
! descend the White River with two com
panions, a man and boy. The boat
is upset and the three with difficulty
struggle to the bank. His two compan-
ions have had enough of it and turn
back. Morris picks up hA capsized
boat, bales it out, and paddles down the
stream alone. On reaching the Ohio,
he goes on down to the Mississippi and
down that stream to its mouth, and 8,
with only few dollars in his pocket,
goes to Florida and explores the swamps
and everglades of the land of flowers in
search of something more substantial
than smoke. He makes a collection of
insects and shells, brings them home,
and disposes of them for considerable
sum. A year or two later he leaves his
home again and sails for South America.
Before returning to this country he trav-
els up and down the Amazon, observes
the country and the habits of the natives,
learns to speak Spanish and Portuguese
tluently, and prepares himself as well as
he can for the daring expedition which
he has constantly in mind. On his
second visit to Brazil he makes note
worthy ascend of the Tapajos, penetrat-
ing to point which no white man be-
fore him has ever reached, returning
after months spent in the heart of the
wilderness. A portion of his collection
he has already sold, but unexpected ex-
penses at home and the cost of a more
elaborate outfit than he has ever been
able to provide before have used up
nearly the whole of the amount so OBJ
tanned, and he is still in want of $500 or
$500 to enable him to prosecute his ex-
plorations with reasonable assurance of
success.
While in Brazil he obtained number
of heads of Indians, which have been
preserved in a singularly perfect state
by a process known to the tribe with
whom he lived for several months. He
was offered $3.50 for each one of these
heads before bringing them to the
United States, but did not wish to dis
pose of them at that time because they
furnished the best evidence of the
strange story which he relates. Now,
however, he is anxious to sell them to
some museum in this country. If they
can be sold during the next few weeks,
he will be able to prosecute his explora-
tons independently; if not, he is desi-
rous of acting as collector or agent for
some museum or society. He has let
tiers which speak highly of his character
and ability from Gov. Williams, Sena-
tor Morton, and prominent citizens OF
Indianapolis.
While in Brooklyn last June he de-
livered two or three lectures before the
Long Island Historical Society, and re-
ceived letter from the Committee on
Natural History, consisting of Elias
Lewis, Jr., Benjamin o. Silliman, and
Charles H. Hill, speaking in the highest
terms of their scientific value, and of
the desirability of his continuing his
researches.
The plan of the proposed expedition
is clearly defined in Morris's mind. He
intends to sail from this city early in
| October for Brazil, and to ascend the
Xingu, as has been said. In his last
expedition he reached the head-waters
of the Tapajos, and assembled one of its
main tributaries, the Cururu, for some