Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-12-01
4 NIGHT ATTACK.
BY Vim. n. H0ier, Jr.

!, We had twenty miles to row, and
darker evening I never saw, even on
tbe Amazon, where the night shadows
Are often of surprising inkiness. was
cable operator at Manaos, and mad
gone down the river that afternoon IN
montaria, or river boat, to reason"
with some Mauhes Indian fishermen
and rubber-gathers at Icacee who i'm
agined that the telegraph cable, lying
nm the bottom of the river, had scared
away the fish. They were not taking
as many fish as usual, and had threat
ened to haul the cable out of the river.
The Amazon telegraph cable extends
from Para, at the mouth of the ANA
zon to Manaos, the capital of the state
Of Amazonas, at the confluence of the
Amazon and the Rio Negro. 1t is
therefore rather more than eight hun
dred miles in length. The Amazon
flows through a dense tropical wilder
aess, almost as virgin and unbroken to-
day as when Wallace and Bates first
described it, nalf a century ago. To
erect Or maintain a land telegraph
through the wellnigh impenetrable
thickets along it's banks would be prac-
tcably impossible. When, therefore,
twas the wish of the Brazilian govern
ment to connect Para and Manaos by
telegraph, the bed of the Amazon was
chosen as the most feasible route, and
an English company engaged to fur
nish and lay a cable with the whole
submarine and land telegraph system
Of the world. Sitting in the cable
room far up the Amazon at Manaos, I
can send a message to any of the six
continents, as also to Japan, Java and
the Philippine Islands.
On the trip above referred to I had
with me as an assistant young Brazil
Ian officer, Lieutenant Ccutinho, and
the montaria was rowed by four Mum
drucus Indians from Manaos. Going
down the river the current was easy,
but stalwart rOwers are needed to
breast the stream coming back. We
reached Icacee shortly after noon, and
found the Indians there in Sullen
mood. 1t is a little hamlet of fifteen
Or sixteen huts, with canoes and fish
Ing nets. Plainly something was
wrong. The women kept out of sight,
and the men said little when we ac-
eosted them Presently one tatooed old
fellow who could speak Portuguese re-
marked: The government has no right
to destroy our fishing by sinking a
bewtched rope in the river
knowing that must influence these
people by reason, and not by force, I
pointed out to the Indian the real
cause Of the trouble.
Have you not" l said, noticed how
plentiful the turtles are ON the river
beaches this year?"
After moments reflection the In
dian nodded.
Certainly, then," l continued, ssyou
saould go to the beaches and destroy
.helr eggs in the sand. If you had
uone this for the last three years, there
would be plenty of fish in the river
1ae turtles destroy the young fish,"
10 make an impression on the mind
Vi these Indians, a fact must be stated
,'er and over. I set forth at grea1
.ensth the number of young fish eacl
turtle will destroy in day.
| made my point with the Mauhes
vuV 1t occupied the afternoon; ant
aence 1t happened that we were row
us oack to Manaos against the cur
,ent at eight o'clock that evening. Th'
.nolan boatmen who wall find their way
VI The river on the darkest night, wer
Aeeplng near the north shore, the cur
~. .en' Offering less resistance there. A
sles we passed close under the over
aans OF the trees, and heard the sloth
wv "nuihhlng in their tops. The river mis-
tDscored the stars; but after an hour o
NV NV thunder peals began to rumble
..l. auus far the evening had been yer
na lli' out ere long gusts Of wind dis
hs'seu the mists. and we saw that
t'' oank OF clouds overhung the e1
Ga ae river ahead with vivid, zig-za
asntlsng darting necessarily, and ever
.oasihS thunder. never Witnesse
A. "llaer spectacle. The wind whirle
s.s e Dig firefies hither and thither i
r0a u' coruscating eddies; and distar
sio1o ,tn IN the forest announced that
dot dnt squall was coming. Our II
NV ooatmen turned to us with e,
tbtS'ons tboi OF alarm, and old Samue
1.r1 slE mead man, asked permission |
-ond. Headline diroo+1r - +ho ho,.
soos oy chance entered a bayou, whit
loft-, narrowed to mere creek benea1
froa "ees, the bows and trailing vim
which brushed our faces. He