Charlevoix county herald., 1912-03-23

bean, they declared it would be
Tcmpting Providence TO venture among the ruth
less savages who inhabit the forests and ilanos
watered by the Ornoco and its ailments. SO
great, however was his desire TO visit this little
1known part OF the world that he determined, in
spite OF the difficulties and dangers predicted, to-
make at least the attempt to accomplish his long
cherished purpose.
lie has always been GLAD that he paid no heed
70 the horrible fOrebodinGs that were volunteered
10y well-meaning bat ill-adW5ed people. Had he
done So he would have deprived himself OF one OF
the most delightful experiences of his life. For,
outside OF certain discomiorts inseparably con-
nected with roughnG it in the Wild the entire trip
was one OF agreeable surprises and Unalloyed
pleasure And, in lieu OF bloodthirsty sayages
seeking to transtx him with poisoned arrows, he
found the Indians all along his route to be not
only harmless, but hospitable and o5lging In
deed some of the most pleasant recollections lie
has of his wanderings i'll the wilds OF Venezuela
and Colombia s the kindly treatment he invaria-
bly, received at the hands OF the children OF the
forest.
These observations. says writer in the Pan
American Bailetin, have been suggested by
work which has recently been published IN Ber-
lin on the Indians iuhaDiting the region between
the Rio Negro and the lapura. 1t is by DR. Theo-
dor Koch -Ciruuberg, distinguished German tray
eler and ethnologist, and Is entitled "Zwei Jahre
unter den ndianern' (rWo Years Among the In
,dians) 1t has appealed to us In a special man
zion it contains regarding the manners and Gus
toms Of the various tribes of Indians which the
author visited during mis- two years peregrinations
IN this comparatively unknown part OF the world;
rnot only account OF its numerous and valuable
illustrations reproduced from photographs which
constitutes so valuable an aid to the right under
standing of the narrative but also and chiefly, be
cause the doctors experiences among the red men
of the regions visited were almost identical with
our own in other parts OF the continent.
lt was in August 1905 that Dr. Koch-Grunberg
reached the little town of Sac Felipe the Up
per Rio Negro. Using this place as base, he
proceeded without delay to explore its western al
Huents, the lcana. the Uapes the Curicurary, and
their chief tributaries and to study the manners,
customs and languages OF the divers Indian tribes
that live on or near their banks. After spending
nearly two years among these people some o.
whom never saw white man before he returned
30 Manaos, the mouth of the Hio Negro, by
way of the Yapura ana the Amazon.
sic was welt equipped for his work, which for
him was ever a labor OF love He had previously
accompanied Dr. Hermann Meyer during his eX-
ploraticn Of the Xngu in southern Brazil, and had
chen learned to admire the many notable quail
ties OF the unspoiied denzens OF the jungle.
Outside OF a young Brazilian. OF German descent.
his sole companions during his long wanderings
among many tribes-some Of whom, he had been
warned were antropofagos (cannibals were In
dians whom he employed Gs porters and boatmen.
And these we're in most instances what are known
as indios braves wild Indians) who had little or
no contact with civilization. But so completely
did he from the first win the confidence and al
lection OF these simple kindly people, that they
at once treated him as one OF their own and made
him feel at home wherever he went
And so consideratc and just was he in all his
dealings with them that his reputation preceded
him from tribe to tribe Everywhere he was
known and welcomed the friend OF the In
dans" and any service they could perform for
him was freely given. lie lived in their malokas
communal honest. shared in their repasts and
festivities, took part in their dances and their
hunting expeditions was q witness CT their strange
marriage and burial ceremonies. and romped with
their children, helped TO entertain frionds and
guests. lie had every opportunity CT familiarizing
himself with the peculiar manners, customs. tradi
Nons and supersttions OF his hosts. for they were
ever willing to mpart to MIN all the information
m their power and assist him in his ethnCgraphic
researches in every way possible
Besides treating them with justice aud kind
uess, he made IL rule never to accept any serv-
5ce, however slight without making some COM
pcnsatiOn for It. The remuneration offered might
Oe trihing but tho effect was magical They were
all--meD, women and children-at his beck ana
cali every hour OF the day night.
OF tho Indians OF Cururii lcuaraD the author
declares that they did everything TO make his So
fourn among them comfortable and pleasant For
a few glass heads and hshhooks they kept us lib
srslly supplied with meat and drink Fowl or