Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-10-15


venture and danger in the search
for treasure that Mr.. George T.
II .Kenly of Baltimore can tell his
friends when they induce him to
talk.
Mr.. Kenly, who is a civil and mining
engineer, recently returned from an
arduous trip in the United States OF
Colombia, In South America, whittier
he went prospecting for the lnterna-
tional Land Improvement company,
which has Offices in this city He ex-
poets to leave again within two weeks
to prosecute his work further In the
tropical country.
The Baltimorean, with Mr.. Louis F.
de Montmorency, also an engineer, and
wiz Luis. a native guide, and an in
dian boy, Patronina, travelled more
than 1000 miles on round trip into
the wilds of Colombia and out of them.
The party found what 1t went after
gold, as well as other minerals, includ-
ing coal, but Mr.. Kenly says there
is as much wealth above ground as
under its surface
He brought a bottle Of gold with
him; the other things he could not
bring, because when wealth is in the
shape of giant mahogany trees six
feet in diameter they are bit I'M
handy to carry. o
81 left Baltimore last July" said Mr..
Kenly, and Joined Mr.. Montgomery in
Panama We started our real explo-
ration from Barranquilla the heavy
work beginning 300 miles from that
town. Part Of our journey lay on a
route that took us up the Magdalena
and other rivers, and part of 1t was
over the toughest mountain trails man
ever encountered, where the jungle
lay on each side of us as an impene-
trable wall.
"Boatmen we hired to take us in
their native canoes as we needed them.
and one such journey was 200 miles
long. For land service we hired pack
men or porters, and upon one trip Of
forty miles we had, besides our orig
inal party Of four, ten packmen and
two oxen. To add to our difficulties
we travelled in the rainy season when
the water at times poured down In
sheets for hours at a time.
This forty miles consisted Of only
a cattle trail, and 200 cattle had gone
over it only few hours before. They
go in single file. each planting his feet
in the footsteps Of the one In front
and into these deep slippery holes we
had to walk, for there is not so much
as six inches OF foot-way beside the
narrow trail.
"The canoes down there are dug
outs, made by the natives from the
massive trees that fill the wilderness.
They run anywhere from ten feet long
up to great boat such as we used
on 200 miles Of our journey. This ca
noe was sixty feet long and four feet
wide and had been worked out of a
monster mahogany log that was with
out blemish. About twenty-five feet
Of the forward part Of this boat was
occupied by the four naked natives,
who propelled Il. They know nothing
Of rowing or padding. The boats are
poled along, and the skill and strength
displayed in ascending a river against
current of five miles an hour is won
derful
How Craft Are Pooled.
"One boatman goes to the bow and
sticks his twenty-fve-foot pole into
the mud at the river bottom. Then,
placing his shoulder to 1t, he walks
back along the footway to its end.
pushing the boat along. Each in turn
goes forward for this polling, and at
the end of the footway he pulls his
pole from the mud, holds 1t aloft and
marches to the bow again. letting his
companions pass under his arms and
pole.
But to pole boat the canoeist
must keep near shore where 1t is not
too deep and where. unfortunately,
the jungle foliage overhangs This is
where the pole often strikes the
leaves and disodges millions of mos
quitoes, brings down shower OF vic
ious ants, frequently a snake and,
worst of all, species Of black wasp
which Is the most dreaded of all. Its
sting is so strange and powerful that
1t seems to strike man as IL with
blow from a Jim Jeffries, and the
result is the same, the man goes
down and out. All Of us, including
the boatmen. were scared enough when
the snakes dropped in on us, but the
reptiles seemed equally scared and
scrambled out. But when the wasps
were seen the natives scarcely breath
ed for fear OF disturbing them.
I'm canoeing your way on these riv-
ers through a temperature in the sun
light of 140 degrees to $50 degrees
there are no stopping places save
where a shack can be seen on shore.
There you are sure of clearing and,
ly TIE way, welcome. Always you