Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-08
INTO UNKNOWN LAND.
Harvard Expedition to Headwaters Of
the Amazon,

the Amazon.
Three scientists from Harvard and a
physician, who are going to spend
three years in the only part Of the
South American continent still mark
ed "unexplored" on the maps, sailed
for Colon recently on the steamship
Panama. DR.. w. C. Farabee, instruc-
tor in anthropology at Harvard, heads
the expedition, and the Peabody Mu-
scum in Boston sponsors the under
taking.
With DR.. Farabee there sailed two
assistants, L. ]. De Milhau and j. w.
Hastings. both recent graduates Of
Harvard and connected with the an
thropological department Of the uni
versity. Dr. Edward F. Horr, who Is
to act as, the attending physician Of
the party, and Mrs. Farabee also went
along. Mrs. Farabee will not venture
far into the interior. but intends to
stay at Arequipa, a Peruvian interior
town, while her husband Is absent on
the other side of the Andes.
The party Of Harvard scientists
hopes to penetrate from the west the
unexplored country lying about the
headwaters of the Amazon and Parana
rivers. gathering chronological data
from the Indian tribes which .inhabit
this wilderness Of jungle and noun
tain. Over territory roughly 1000
miles long and from 300 to 500 miles
in width, which lies just at the con-
junction of the boundaries Of Peru,
Bolivia and Brazil, no white man, so
far as known, has ever passed. There
are no maps Of the territory and moth
ing Of Its nature is known TO the geog-
raphers. 1t is into this mo mans
land" that the Harvard expedition
hopes to make its way.
Before they cross the boundaries
Of the unknown land, DIR. Farabee's
party will have to climb the Andes
with guides and a pack train. Then
they will descend to the great plain on
the east. Here the last trail Of civili-
zation will be lost, and the canoes, the
four men will trust themselves to PEN
citrate the strange land and return
safely with knowledge Of its secrets.
The trip will begin in earnest, when
the party leaves Arequipa in the in
terror Of Peru and with guides make
the ascent Of the Andes over the trail
charted by the Inca Mining COM
1any, whose properties lie far up on
the summit Of the mountains. The
lowest pass is 1880 feet high and
the journey over this road is one Of
extreme difficulty. DIR. Farabee said
Yesterday that when he goes over the
Hass it will not be three years stay
IN the other side. He hopes to make
several trips into the unexplored land,
returning each time with specimens
and to get fresh supplies.
Practically a new field Of ethnolog-
ical and anthropological investigation
will lie open beyond the Andean trail.
There is a race Of Indians whose
presence has only been hinted at here
tofOre by the reports Of the Peruvian
natives Of the western side of the
mountains. To collect war imple-
ments domestic utensils and data on
the tribal and Individual lives Of the
natives and to gather information
about the land they live in will be the
object Of the several trips across the
mountains.
DR.. Farabee carries with him two
letters which will be of value as long
as he is within the zone Of civilization.
E5e said yesterday that President
Roosevelt had written him to give his
hearty Endorsement of the object OF
the expedition and to wish him sue
cess. He also bears with him a let
ter from Secretary Root to all the
United States representatives in the
region through which the expedition
may pass.-New York Sun.