The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-17
Pictures Of the Natives With CAMERA and Pen;
Railroad Projects for the Opening Of
the Territory; The Rubber For.
ests Of Tropical Bolivia.

Bolivia The eastern part o: this country
Is one Of the richest lands Of the world.
and I am told that tx VIII be the great
Bolivia OF the future. nave met several
men who have gone from La Tag down
the rivers which flow into the Amazon
and by the Amazon 70 the Atlantic. They
tell me wonderful stories OF rubber for
ests. OF trees OF wild cotton. OF plants with
fiber like silk and OF vegetation xnsch is
So dense as to be almost impeactrable.
They speak also Of savages who are cam
n!beLs and OF other tribes who go about
stark naked and regard not the laws OF
God nor man. AT Lima ] met young
German explorer named kroeflle. who had
spent three years in travelling about
through the eastern provinces OF Peru and
among the Indians OF the faT-awdy
branches Of the Amazon. He had an ex-
cellent camera with him, and / had the
good fortune TO get some prints from his
negatives. The most of them / dare not
publish. for the figures Of both men and
women are entirely nude, and the curious
features ot life which they show. while
interesting from an ethnolosical stand
point. are hardly at for a family news
paper. Mr. kroehie was many times in
danger OF his life. He was twice wounded
with poisoned arrows. and he describes
the travel through these regions dam
gerous in the extreme. He was for a time
among the head hunters of the River
Napo. in Ecuador and Peru, and the first
pictures ever taken Of these people were
made by him. One Of these pictures
published in connection with my letter on
Ecuador.
The Napo region Is full OF queer people
The Indians OF one tribe there wear plates
of wood or metal in the lobes Of their
ears as big around as the bottom OF the
naV
pierced when they are children. and at
first put bits of grass and twfgs In the
holes 10 keep them open. A little later
additional twigs are inserted and the holes
are gradually enlarged. until they are as
big around as a bracelet. l have seen in
Burmah and in Southern India natives
who follow the same custom. It IS not
an uncommon thing in Burman for a
woman TO carry cigar made Of tobacco
wrapped in corn husks and as big around
as L broomstick In her ear hole. These
Indians go the Burmese one better, but
the extra expenditure they put on their
ear holes they save on their dress. for
both women and men go about naked.
There are other queer tribes on the Napo
The river. you know. rises in the Andes
OF Ecuador and flows distance of 500
miles before it empties into the Amazon.
Ii is navigable for so miles from It's mouth
by small steamboats,. The Javary river.
which flows between Brazil and Peru, 10
said 10 be 800 miles long, and the Ucayii.
another branch OF the Amazon. Is of abou.
the same length. The upper Maranon
flows through Peru. and IL Is navigable to
Boria. a distance OF 900 miles from the
Atlantic. Think of stream running
across the United States from New York
Ia far beyond Salt Lake City. and let this
be navigable for small steamers. and you
have an idea OF the possibilities of trade
on these Amazon branches The Benz is
another Amazon branch which flows
through Bolivia, and the Mamora and
Guapon are other long navigahle water
ways.
Among the Canntbals.
All OF these tropica. districts OF Peru
and Bolivia contain curious tribes There