Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1912-10-10

Newell's chief diversion was to induce
the cuckoos to mock his calls, and i'm
ltate all sorts of cries.
Days Never to Forget.
Shall we ever forget that burning,
corcbing heat, The dead breathless
hours, the wearyilg, monotonous
scenery, the cramped, aching mus
cles, the dizzy, throbbing heads? When
the men moved from one end of the
canoe to the other, they crawled over
the piece of thatch that formed our
only protection from the bistering
heat and downp rur of dirt, insects
and chowdered leaves was the result
each time. Several times the fish, that
so constantly showed themselves in
the turbid water, Topped into the
boat. Once one of the clammy things
landed squarely on the back OF my
neck, and twice they slipped down
into the bed. At night, tied up TO a
tree, we listened nervously to the
noises of the wild creatures on one
side of US and the flop, flop of alliga-
tors on the other. What most i'm
pressed me during those ghostly
hours was the frailty of our little
canoe, yet the adequate protection it
seemed to afford US. The polemen
slept audibly and undisturbed by
fears of any sort. Actual fears are not
| necessary to disquiet one unaccus-
toned to the strange, unaccountable
noises of South American forest. The
very birds have night calls like
nothing ever heard on this continent
and the deadliest enemy to man, the
snake, make no noise whatever unless
attacked. One would need to hold
his Imagination we'll in check and to
be an exceptionally good sleeper, to
rest TRANQUILITY uader such clrcu n
stances.
Whole Family PeriSheS.
This journey down the Lebrija is
the only way out of Bucaramanga to
the Magdalena. It took us seven days
from the city to this great artery. But
the journey up the Lebrija, against
the current, lodging the sandbanks,
takes from two to three times as long.
Several times passengers have been
forced to spend IL or Is days on the
river. This is exceedingly dangerous,
because of the fevers, malaria and yell
low, which so infest the region. One
English family of five perished miser-
ably on the river some years ago. They
were detained, midway on the trip,
bee ause of low water and their food
and water supplies gave out. With
insufficient food and obliged to
drink the foul river water, they easily
fell victims to fevers and not one of
them escaped death, either then and
there or little later.
Critical Moments.
We reached the Magdalena about
o'clock OF the fourth day, on dark
heavy night. We encountered the
greatest difficulty in crossing the
river which spread out before us like
broad lake. The poles were too short
to be of any use in this great stream,
yet the rude paddles, intellectually
battling with the swift current,
seemed unable to make any Roadway
whatever. Several times we were
whirled madly down the river, but
the struggles of the oarsmen would |
laborously right US again and we
would founder on. After two hours
of this and many critical moments
when the issue seemed uncertain, we
crawled up to the opposite bank.
Here Mr.. Williams landed to hunt a
hotel and some porters. Instantly the
poIemen were off. Some one seized
the mail bags and was left alone
with the sleeping child. For half an
hour sharp lightning and heavy peals
If thunder had been announcing the
rapid approach of terrific storm. The
of the lonely spot, the
yierdness of the hour, my dependent,
nelpIessI condition brought viva
ealization of the meaning of the
words of the psalmist. "God is our re-