The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

navigating rivers, which consist of a series
OF rapids and falls; the utter absence of
population for considerable distances on
their banks, the almost impossible task of
transporting a sufficiency of provisions
where only boats of DO great size can be
employed on account of the frequent port
ages. make the exploration of these
regions undertaking replete with dan
ger and hardships.
added to these natural difficulties there
is rooted Discrimination on the part of the
natives TO undertake long and arGuous
journeys outside of the immediate district
with which they are familiar"
The natives know that when they VEN
ture far from their home with an ex-
plorins party, it is all even chance whether
they will return. On Andres last expedi-
ton six men persisted Of starvation, and
the rest crawIed back to civilization more
dead than alive.
AMONG THE MACUSI INDIANS.
In 1901 j. J. Quelch, of Georgetown, Brit
ish Guiana, one of the two Englishmen who
climbed Mount Rorama, penetrated alone
TO the settlements of the Macusi Indians in
the unexplored Kanaku mountains on the
| borderland between British Guiana and
Brazil
Il though 1 the first white man who
had ever visited that region" said Mr..
Quelch to his friends in Georgetown on his
return, "but found two Germans settled
on what is regarded as the British side
of the frontier. although the Brazilians
claim the territory as belonging TO their
republic.
They told us that the Brazilian govern
ment had sent them, years before, to ex-
plore the country and introduce civiliza-
ton among the Macusi Indians. But the
Indians 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.
They said these tigers roamed about the
country in large numbers, hunting in packs
and attacking any animals. including hu-
man beings, that crossed their path. The
Germans asserted that the only way to
| escape from these beasts was to get into
running water, where they would not fol-
low YOU"
Mr.. Quelchs expedition was undertaken
on behalf of the British Museum. He
| discovered several small mammals hitherto
| unknown TO science, including a new kind
| of ginuea pig and a new adouri an animal
of the rabbit tribe. He also discovered a
number of new orchids of wonderful beau
| ~. But what 1 have found,' he told his
his friends, lis nothing when compared
with what remains undiscovered in those
regions. They are an inexhaustible mine
for the botanist, the zoologist and the an
| thropologist."
UNKNOWN BRAZIL.
| The great republic of Brazil. with its
| area of nearly three and a quarter millions
| of square miles-almost as big as that of
the United States-is largely unexplored.
Its very boundary line is in dispute with
most of the ten coterminous republics aud
| colonies.
| The vast valley of the Amazon and it's
affiuents, as well as those of many other
| great Brazilian rivers, are practically un-
known. In the Royal Geographical Society's
rooms in London there is a series of out
line maps showing the unexplored and ex-
plored parts of the world. The former
black and the latter are white. These
America as the least known section of any
continent. A big black blotch indicates the
Amazon river basin. Narrow. white lines
run through it here and there, showing
where explorers have journeyed up the
rivers They have not been able to pene-
trate overland to any considerable distance
and discover the mysteries of over a million
square miles of jungle and mountain.
oil hat he
den forests hold? There is room in them
| for half dozen Inca empires. There may
be new beasts like the okapi recently dis
| covered by Sir Harry tombstone in Central
Africa. and the great sloth found by Mr.
Hesketh Prichard in TERRA del Fuego the
other day. Certainly there is boundless
wealth in minerals and forest products
when once the country is opened up and
| developed.
KING OF SOUTH AMERICAN En-
PLORERS.
This is proved by the experiences of one
OF the best and bravest of all South Ameri-
can explorers-the Colombian general. Don
Rafael Reyes Speaking TO an assembly
of South American geographers in the City
of Mexico recently, he said
I'm the extended forests in which canni-
bal savages were wandering when my
brothers and L made explorations only
few years ago. there exists to-day an
important commerce of some ten millions
of dollars, and towns of thousands OF in
habitants have been established"
Reyes has never been a spectacular ex-
plorer. He has worked for the good of his
country and science, not for fame His
explorations extended over a long period
of years, and were made in conjunction
with his brothers, Don Nestor and Don
Henry Reyes. They covered the immense
territories which are watered by the ANA
zon the the Parana and their tributaries.
The three brothers succeeded in their
main enterprise-to discover n waterway
navigable for steamers from Colombia to
the Amazon and they also found many
unknown tribes of Indians. But they paid
dearly for their herosm. Don Henry died