The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-18
The Atrato Expedition.

Mr.. Hartley Curtis, one OF the engineers
| Of the Atrato mining expedition and son OF
| Mr. VIM. Curtis of this city, is on Visit to
| his home after a two years absence in the
| United States of Colombia. Mr.. Curtis left
the scene of the company's operations on the
second of December, and arrived in New
| York on the ninth of this month. Mr.. Cur
| It's said Yesterday afternoon that he left his
| companions all well and hearty.
The expedition now engaged in carrying
| on the operations of the company is com
posed of W. T. Curtis of Portland, vice pres
ident and manager; c. j. Perkins of Port
| land S. f. Lunt of Boston, engineer; Hartley
T. Curtis of Portland, engineer; Thomas
Daisley of Boston, diver: Geo. Gusten of
Boston; C. W. Brooks of st. Stephens, and
Fl. F. Ruby of Portland, cook. 1t will be re-
membered that the first expedition went out
from this city a number of years ago and
subsequently returned The present party,
with the exception of Mr.. Hartley Curtis and
Mr.. Brooks, both of whom went out a year
earlier, left this country year ago.
The Atrato river is in the United States of
Colombia, and flows into the Gulf of Darien.
The scene of the company's operations is
uOW dDOuO ZOO lullCo 1lOul tllS lHOueh Va Viz
river, four miles above the town of Quibedo.
The work is to be carried on by means of a
large steam vacuum dredge, and everything
is now in readiness to begin in earnest in
bringing the clear gold in the bottom of the
j river to the surface.
Mr.. Curtis said yesterday that the party
were kindly received by both the govern
ment and people The members have not
suffered to any extent from the climate, al
though it is very hot, the thermometer regis
tering an average heat of So degrees.
great part of the provisions used was taken
from this country, but tough beef and vege-
tables from the highlands of the interior can
be procured The journey up the Atrato to
Quibedo is long and tedious one, the boat,
an eighteen foot canoe, which is pushed up
the river by poles, the trip occupying abouta
month. Quibedo is a town of about 1900 in
habtants, having a few well built resi-
dences the majority of its houses being mere
huts rooted with leaves. The negroes form
large portion of the population OF the
country, but around The sources of the rivers
are settlements of Indians, shorter and OF a
redder hue than the North American red
man.
Mr.. Curtis has brought home with him
many curious articles from the tropical re-
gions of the Atrato, besides a specimen Of
the free gold found in the bottom of the
river. He has queerlooking hats made en-
tirely of leaves and sowed with thorns, an
Indian blanket made from the inner bark of
a tree, big bag of vegetable WOOL a sloth
skin and many other articles. But the six
months old South American tiger attracts
the greatest attention. He is a sharp looking
fellow about the size of a cat, with great
eyes and long, dangerous looking teeth His
fur is of greyish-brown color, with black
rings and stripes. The animal is something
like the North American puma and jaguar.
and when grown often measures from eight
to ten feet in length. Mr.. Curtis also has
pictures of the dredge and scenes near
Quibedo.
Mr.. Curtis will return to the Atrato after
concluding his visit here.