Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-14
WITH THE SAURIANS.
Interesting Account of a British
Steamers Exploration of the
Mouths of Amazon.
Some Extraordinary scenos1 ~n6
Fightings Of the Huge Crocedlles
and Deadly Serpents,
An Attack from the Natives Was
Silenced by ID Shell Which Soon
Scattered Them.

was second mate of the British steam
er Forward during her two years of ex-
ploration in the mouths of Amazon, and
no other field coulI have been selected to
furnish more adventures. We had with
us a botsnist, a photographer, natural
list, an artist and TWO outside civil engi-
neers who wanted the experience, and
our mission was tt make thorough ex-
ploration, this meant to enter every
channel where a teamer could float to
take soundings; toobserve tides, currents,
floods, ETC., to record the washing away
of the banks, changes of channels, and a
hundred other things the knowledge of
which might be useful to the world.
At the time the Forward set ont there
was strong talk of the British government
gobbling up big slice of the Brazilian
coast in payment of a claim for lndemni-
ty, and | suppose the first object in view
was to see whether the white man could
stand the climate and do business there,
and to get an idea of what he had to con-
tend with.
The Forward was propeller, carried
two slX-pound cannon as her armament,
and when loaded drew only FIVE feet of
water. We had crew Of fourteen men,
were outftted with everything which
could be possibly used, and were conveyed
from Georgetown in British Guiana, by a
man-of-war and a brig, the latter loaded
with supplies for us and under orders to
anchor where our captain directed, and
remain as store ship and haven for
us in case of disaster.
| do not suppose there is a geography
or marine chart in existence which gives
the actual number of mouths of the ANA
zon. Any attempt to name them would
be guess work. In the flood season the
great river empties it muddy waters over
coast several miles long and through
twice as many channels and in the dry season
one may be unable to find more than five or
six channels. Islands are formed one
month to be washed away the next. Where
there is bluff ten feet high to-day, there
will be nothing in sight but water to-mor-
row. The world could not raise enough
and confne its outlet to one channel.
From what | have read of Equatorial
Africa | should call it paradise compar-
ed to what used to be termed 1.-The spot of
desolation. The line of the equator
crosses the mouth cf the Amazon, and as
for heat no white man could long endure
it. | saw the thermometer mark 1872 to 1877
degrees for days at time, and that was
on the water, with m3re Or less breeze stir
ring The variety Of insects which annoy
ed us at night by bling was something
over a score. At times when we lay at
anchor off a jungle, { puff of wind would
bring such cloud of mosquitoes that their
bodies would cover everything A white
man exposed to them on shore would not
live an hour. There are seven kinds of
poisonous snakes along the Amazon, the
largest crocodiles In the world, five or six
species of beasts which will attack man,
and goodness knows how many kinds of
bugs and ants and worms, which make
life miserable. The thicgs we had most
to dread, however, were the Jaguar. and
serpents, the natives and the crocodile.
They seemed leagued against us from the
very start.
i We had steam launch and two yawls
for exploration where the steamer could
not go, and there were six of us out in the
launch one day making soundings in a
great bend, when monster crocodile rose
to the surface close beside US, lunged for
ward and had his head and one leg over
the gunwale before any one saw him. The
engineer had Ratchet within reach, and
with this he gave the reptile such a blow
as made him draw off and sink out Of sight
The launch had scarcely righted herself,
however, when a full dozen more of the
saurians rose to the attack. We should
have been capsized and every man devoured
alive had we been in one of the yawls. AS
it was, we drove ahead at full speed and
outran them, though some Of them pur-
sued US for half mile, and we were nearly
swamped with the water splashed into the
boat. A few days later one afternoon, as
the steamer came to anchor In a channel
the anchor must have dropped among a
bed of sleeping crocodiles. They arose all
about US, kissing and splashing, and this
excitement brought up others, until sixty
six enormous big fellows were to be count
ed at one time. They attacked the
steamer with the utmost fury, and while
their efforts were harmless, their struggles
rocked her as if she were in d gale. A fuse
shell was prepared in keg, together with
three pounds of loose powder, and at a
proper time the keg was thrown over board.
1t had drifted hundred feet astern before
they saw it and made a rush. They had
pulled it about five feet under water when
the explosion came, and full dozen of the
saurians must have been killed by it. Ii
was nearly a month after that before
( another one came about the steamers, and
it looked to US as if courlers had been sent
| up and down with the news that We were
an enemy to be avoided.
On another occasion one of these mon
, sters did us good turn. had charge Of
one of the yawls, which was sounding a
| channel. The men at the oars were pull
ing slowly against tie current, while the
one handling the lead was casting and call
ing out, when ZIP! came dart from a
blOwgun, passing lust over our heads. We
knew what it was from the sound it made,
but we could not tell from whence it came.
Either shore was too far off for dart to
reach US. Over our starboard bow as we
pulled ahead was a long, thin tongue
!: reaching out from the right hand shore
, and ending in a pile of drlftwood. This
| tongue had been erec;ed by drifting trees
, grounding On the bottom and the silt col
, Letting to make bar. | stood up in the
| boat and took long look, but could see
| nothing. | ought to have been able to de-
tect even rabbit anywhere on that tongue
, Or drift, as there we're no bushes, but
{ nothing whatever was In sight. | was In
the act of sitting down. almost satisfied
that we had all been deceived, when a
second arrow whistled so close to my cheek
that thought a bird had darted for my
/ eye.
IA close call, sir, and it was poisoned
, dart at that!'' said one of the men as
dropped back in my seat.
1.-THE internal wretch must be in that
! driftwood, though fcan' see him!" added
the man with the lead line.
: We held the boat stationary and prepar-
ed to signal to the steamer, which was a
mile below, when all Of sudden fifteen
foot crocodiIa Ian6ad on the tonpup of