The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
IN UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA.
VAST REGIONS STILL tAEA'
PLORED ~ WHITE MEN.
Mountains to he Climbed and Forests 10
He Penetrated--Interes Discover
les Possible ma ron Region Largely
n Mystery -Hsrtships Of Travel There.

les Possible ma ron Region LArbeS
u Mystery -Hartiships Of Travel There.
When Sir Henry NJ. Stanley. the African
explorer, last visited America. Harvard
undergraduate is said to have asked MN
ut a reception:
How can become great traveller, ike
you? l want 10 be one, but don't know
whore to begin"
"Try the NOON" said Stanley, with a
laugh. that's about the only place lett
to explore nowadays"
But Stanley exaggerated. Several tracts
OF the worlds surface are still unexplored
or all the continents. South America
undoubtedly offers the greatest field 10 the
adventurous traveller Explorers have
gone up the rivers and come down again. "
q writer ON the subject says. but they have
not penetrated any distance overland across
the undiscovered Watersheds.
Never month passes without an OK
petition leaving the confines OF civili-
cation and plunging into the heart OF some
UNEMPLOYED region in South America. Little
or nothing IL heard Of these expeditions,
but each Of them would furnish material
for thrilling book, II the adventures cared
to write about their experiences. Usually
they do not.
They have Sther fish to fry. They are
orchid hunters, gold prospectors, diamond
seekers or Government officials engaged
In delimiting boundaries between the rari-
GUS republics and colonies of South America.
Three months, six months, a year. per-
hsps three years after they left the last
settlement on the fringe OF the unknown.
half Of them returned, tanned, haggard. half
starved, fever stricken. The rest have been
lost in the jungle, to perish OF hunger and
thirst; or drowned in the rapids OF some
mighty river, or killed by hostile Indians
jaguars, or sting rays.
The survivors always tell the same story
I'VE have seen some wonderful things
but they were not even the thousandth part
OF that which lies beyond. We climbed
such and such mountain. assembled such
and such a river, dwelt among such and
such tribe; bat we heard Of other noun
tains, other rivers, other tribes far stranger
and more interesting in the renioter 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 In
accessible mountains Is undoubtedly Ro-
raima," said Eugene Andre Of Trinidad. 8
well known explorer Of Venezuela, Colon
bia and the Guianas. Since the Spec
tator, in April, 1877, wrote, Will no one e1'
plore Roraima and bring US back the It'd
inss which 1t has been waiting these thou
sands of years to give usT the mountain has
been ascended and the secrets Of It's summit
laid bare. To the Quelch- Mcconnell ex
petition Is due the honor OF having per
formed the most valuable scientific work
In the exploration Of this interesting noun
tain.
Considering that Roraina is only one
of a whole series Of such masses, the ex
istence Of some Of which may not even bs
suspected, we can form some idea of wha
remains to be done in the exploration o.
this little known part Of South America.
When we consider, moreover, that the
submits of these mountains are plateaui
isolated from the surrounding country
during countless ages, We cannot helI
thinking that each Of them must be a tielt
OF lLNci CSt " VIC boN ui "iio' oAN
bo;anist."
Andre himself, in 1901, tried in vail
| to scale the mighty heights OF Mount Amehi
| on the River Merevari, in Venezuela Thu
| mountain has never been climbed. nor ha W
its companions, Mount Arichi and Noun
| Arawa.
The country all around them is unknown
and 40 are the more distant Parma Noun
| tains, which are said to be the home o
tribes OF Indians utterly unlike any Of thos
already known In South America,
Speaking from bis own experience
Andre explained Why this vast region
still an unsolved riddle.
Three centuries have passed away,
| he said, ~since the first Adventures trie
to reach the golden land supposed to exis
somewhere near the sources OF the Caron
and the Caura, and yet our knowledge o
the far interior Of the Guianas remain
shadowy and indefinite.
at was not until the beginning Of tn
eighteenth century that Humboldt flnall
dispelled the mythical beliefs which clun
TO tie Eldorado Of the Conquistadores
The veil of the enchantment which shroud
the unexploret interior OF Guiana has ii
| true, been torn aside.
an place OF the fairy city cleaning wit
gold and precious stones. We now know
that there s an immense stretch OF i'm
|
there with open savannas, wit mountain
of fantast ic shape ard surprising grandeu
rising abruptly from the surroundin
courtry-a region of abundant rains an
rapid rivers, thinly peopled by small tribe
of Indians, who for centuries have carrie
on series OF cruel blood feuds with thei
neighbors-a region, rich in bro. insec
and vegetable life, but difficult OF acces
and deadly In climate.
aBevond this our knowledge Ia vagu
and uncertain, and is likely TO remain 8
for some time to come. The difficult
Of navigating rivers which consist OF
series of rapids and falls, the utter absenc
of population for considerable distance
on their banks, the almost impossible tas
of transporting sufficency OF provision
wi. ere only boats Of no great size can b
| EMPLOYED on account OF the frequent port
ages, make the exploration Of these region
ain undertaking replete with danger an
hardships
Added to these natural difficulties ther
Ia a rooted Discrimination on the part {
the natives to undertake long and arduol
!, JOURNEYS outside of the immediate distfit
with which they are familiar
In 1901 J. j. Quelch OF Georgetown
Britt sh Guiana one Of the two Fnglishme
who climbed Mount Roraima, penetrate
alone to the settlements Of the Macu
, Indians in the unexplored Kanaku Moul
tains on the borderland between BIRTHS
Guiana and Brazil.
al thought l was the first white ma
/. who had ever visited that region sa
Mr.. Quelch to his friends in GeorgetoN
on his return, "but found couple