The Washington times., 1912-08-26
FAMOUS EXPLORER
SAYS GREAT DANGERS
LURK IN BIG CITY
Tropical Traveller More Sc
cure Than New York
Messenger Boys.

"A messenger boy in New York ~
exposed to more dangers than a tropi-
cal explorer" says Russell Hastings
Millward, who was in washington re-
Gently, between trips to Central Amer
lea. ''The only real danger In the jungle
is disease. Snakes and wild animals
are not great menace"
Millward. VINO is a member of the Ma.
tional Geographic Society, recently re-
turned from two years trip through
practically unknown parts of Central
America. He left Washington for New
York, where he maintains headquarters,
and whence he expected to go to New
Orleans to undertaken an expedition
into Quintania Roo, Yucatan.
His mother, Mrs. Margaret A. Mill
ward, ard sister live at the Kenesaw.
While Millward was here recently he
met his brother, F. L. Miilward, OF
Cincinnati, for the first time in fifteen
years. Mrs. Millwards apartment. con-
tains many trophies of her sons travels.
Once In Consular Service.
After graduation from Columbia he
entered the consular service, and was
stationed in the Congo Free State
Natal and Mexico. The service bred in
him a love Of the tropics, On his
Yucatan trip, he expects to take a
moving picture machine with him.
Millward started on his last expedl-
ton In January, 1911 He started at
Belize, British Honduras, went to FL
Cayo and thence to the southern border
City. In relating something Of his ex
perience he said:
"On this expedition I was accompa-
MED by about sixty natives, Caribs,
short time 1 had white man, Billy
Farrand. But the malignant malarial
fever got him and he died in June, 1911,
at San Lazare, Peten:
This territory of Peten Is the most
remarkable country l have ever seen.
1t Is absolutely virgin jungle, and about
the richest in the world. Its principal
resources are mahogany, rosewood,
cacao, chicory, logwood,, and rubber
Mahogany is the most valuable asset.
Found Traditional Lakes.
For years the Caribs have been
bringing in mahogany from the interior
to the trading posts near the east coast.
But they kept their interior haunts
secret and the sources of their superior
mahogany supply were not known to
white men.
Peten, which 1 did, passing through
these virgin mahogany forests. I ex-
plored four lakes known heretofore only
by tradition and made maps of them.
The National Geographic Society will
name the lakes.
Another lake in which I took much
interest is the Lago del Peten, a large
lake In the interior of the territory.
Tradition has it that into this body Of
water the Indians dumped the famous
white horse of Cortez. The story was.
you remember. that Cortez's splendid
horse was greatly revered by the ma
tives. They thought 1t had supernatural
power, and so they fed it with honey,
the food of the gods
when the horse died the awed saw
ages made great horse of white stone
and set 1t on pedestal and worshiped
1t. When Cortez came they pointed out
the stone animal as his horse. The
idol was dumped into the lake.
Il dragged the lake carefully, but was
unable to find anything that would sug-
gest the horse-idol," said Mr.. Millward.
Caribs Are Strange People.
1.-The Caribs are a strange people.
They are a mixture of negro and In
dian. in which the negro element Is pre-
dominant. They are black, but when
very angry or emotionally aroused a
reddish tinge surges over the black.
Booker Washington Is making an in
interesting Central American people.
They are all Jack Johnsons. They are
great-boned men, with enormous mus
cular development, capable of tremen-
Mahogany cutting is their special
activity. Anything else they consider
beneath them. Agriculture, working on
the rubber plant or the cacao, and all
such employment is left for the Indians
to do.
Moral Standards High.
''Tht Caribs are very moral also. They
are monogamists, and in their family
Organization are very strict Parental
discipline Is severe and moral standards
are high. If child lies his tongue is
out; If he steals a bandage is placed
about his wrist and it is soaked in oil
and set atire, manning the hand for life.
remember one case In which the child
came near death from the burns.
1.-THE religious ceremonies of the Ca
ribs are kept secret from outsiders.
They have a large element of panthe-
ism. Natural elements are deihed and
worshipped. The sun is a principal god.
and there are gods of the harvest, of
rain, of the flowers, and of the South
ern Cross. Human sacrifices are still
made, but generally the sacrifice is a
sheep.
"I came in near contact with one case
of human sacrifice. The victim was a
young girl. Her heart was cut out with
q stone knife and offered as sacrifice
to the sun-god."