Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19


tains. other rivers. other tribes far stranger
and more interesting in the remoter regions
to which we could not penetrate.
Take, for example. the immense range OF
unknown mountains which runs along the
hinterland of the three Guianas.
THE best known of these so-called mac
cessible mountains is undoubtedly Ro-
raima," said Eugene Andre of Trinidad a
well-known explorer of Venezuela, Colon
hia and the Guianas. 'Since the Spectator
for April. 1877. wrote, VIII no one explore
ECraima and bring us back the udfngs
" hich it has been waiting these thousands
of years to give u.s.? the mountain has been
assembled and the secrets of its summit laid
bare. To the Quelch-M Mcconnell expedition
is due the honor of having performed the
most valuable scientific work in the ex-
rloration of this interesting mountain.
Considering that Roraima is only one
of whole series of such Masses the ex-
istence of some of which may not even be
suspected, we can form some idea of what
remains to be done in the exploration OF
this little known part of South America.
When we consider, moreover. that the sum-
mits of these mountains are plateaus iso-
lated from the surrounding country during
countless ages. we cannot help thinking
that each of them must be a field of ABB
sorbing interest to the naturalist and
botanst."
Andre himself, in 1901 tried in vain 20
scale the mighty heights of Mount Ameha,
on the river Merevari, in Venezuela. This
mountain has never been climbed, nor have
Arawa. The country all around them is
unknown, and SO are the more distant
P2rime mountains, which are said to be
the home of tribes of Indians utterly unlike
any of those already known in South
America.
Why Explorers Fail.
Speaking from the depths of his own Bit
ter experiences. Andre explained why this
vast region is still an unso.ved riddle
Three centuries have passed away" he
said, "since the first adventures tried to
reach the golden land supposed to exist
somewhere near the sources of the Caroni
and the Caura, and yet our knowledge of
the far interior of the Guianas remains
shadOwy and indefinite.
at was not until the beginning of the
eighteenth century that Humboldt finally
dispelled the mythical beliefs which chung
to the Eldorado of the conuuistadores'
The veil of the enchantment which shrouds
the uneXplored interior of Guiana has, it is
true. been torn aside. In place of the fairy
city cleaning with gold and precious stones
we now know that there Is immense
stretch of impenetrabl forest interspersed
here and there with open savannas with
mountains of fantastic shape and surpass-
ing grandeur, rising abruptly from the sur
rounding country-a region of abundant
rains and rapid rivers. thinly peopled by
small tribes of Indians. who for centuries
have carried on a series of cruel blood
feuds with their neighbours region rich in
bird. insect and vegetable life, but difficult
of access and deadly in climate.
Beyond this our knowledge is vague and
uncertain, and is likely to remain so for
some time to come. The difficulty of nayi-
eating rivers which consist of a series of
rapids and falls; the utter absence of popu-
iatlOn for considerable distances on their
banks, the almost impossible task of trans
porting a sufnciency of provisions where
only boats of no great size can be employed
on account of the frequent portages, make
the exploration of these regions an under
taxing replete with danger and hardships.
Added to these natural difficulties there
Is a rooted dissemination on the part of the
natives to undertake long and arduous jour
neys outside of the immediate district with
which they are familiar
The natives know that when they venture
Tar from their home with an exploring par
~ 1t is an even chance whether they will
return On Andres last expedition six men
perished OF starvation. and the rest crawed
back to civilization more dead than alive
Among the Macusi Indians.
In 1901 j. j. QueIeh of Georgetown. Brit
lsh Guiana one of the two Engishmen who
climbed Mount Roraima penetrated alone
to the-settements of the Macusi Indians in
the unexplored kanaku mountains on the
borderland between British Guiana and
Brazil
mad ever visited that region" said Mr.
Quelch to his friends in Georgetown on his
return, but l found a couple of Germans
settled on what is regarded as the British
side OF the frontier, although the Brazil
1ans claim the territory as belonging to
their republic.
They told us that the Brazilian govern
ment had sent them, years before to ex-
piore the country and Introduce civilization
among the Macusi Indians. But the In
dams unciviliZed them instead They had
taken native wives, renowned all their
prospects of advancement under the Bra
lillian government. turned their backs for
ever on civilization. and were contentedly
leading the peaceful, pastoral life of the
Indians
These men spoke of some strange beasts
which they called the warakabra tigers
Ihey said these tigers roamed about the
country in large numbers, hunting in packs
and attacking any animals, including hui
man beings, that crossed their path The
Germans asserted that the only way to es-
cape from these beasts was to get into run
ing water, where they would not follow
YOU
Mr.. Quelchs expedition was undertaken
on behalf of the British Museum. He dis
covered several small mammals hitherto
unknown to science, including new kind
of guinea pig and a new adouri, an animal
of the rabbit tribe. He also discovered a
number of new orchids of wonderful beau
ty. But what l found he told his
friends, lis nothing when compared with
that which remains undiscovered in those
regions. They are an inexhaustibIe mine
for the botanist, the zoologist and the an
thropologist.'
Unknown Brazil.
The great Republic of Brazil, with its
area of nearly three and quarter millions
OF square miles-almost as big as that of
the United States-is largely UNEMPLOYED.
Its very boundary line is in dispute with
most of the ten conterminous republics and
colonies.
The vast valley of the Amazon and it's
af1uentS. we'll as those of many other
great Brazilian rivers. are practically I'M
known. In the Royal Geographical So
cietys rooms in London there is a series
of outline maps showing the UNEMPLOYED
and explored parts of the world. The for
mer are black and the latter white. These
maps represent the central part of South
America as the least known section of any
continent big black blotch indicates the
Amazon river basin. Narrow white lines
run through 1t here and there showing
where explorers have journeyed up the
rivers They have not been able to pere-
trate overland to any considerable distance
and discover the mysteries of over a mil
lion square miles of jungle and mountain.
Who tell what secrets the untrodden
hold ic in,