Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1912-09-26


for treasure that Mr. George T.
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. lie 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
with Luis, a native guide, and an in
dian boy, Patronina, travelled more
than 900 miles on round trip into
the wilds of Colombia and out of them.
The party found what It went after
gold, as we'll 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.
Il 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
ana into these deep slippery holes We
had to walk, for there Is not 80 much
as six inches OF foot-way beside the
narrow trail
The canoes down there are dug
outs, made by the natives from tn,
massive trees that fill the wilderness
up to a great boat such as we useC
on 200 miles OF our journey. This ca
noe was sixty feet long and four fee
wide and had been worked out OF
monster mahogany log that was with
out a blemish, About twenty-five fee
OF the forward part OF this boat wa
occupied by the four naked natives
who propelled it. They know nothin
of rowing or padding. The boats ar
poled along, and the skill and strengt
displayed in ascending river agains
a current OF Ave miles an hour Is woI
derful.
How Craft Are Pooled.
"One boatman goes to the bow an
sticks his twenty-hvefoot pole int
the mud at the river bottom. Thel
placing his shoulder to 1t, he walk
back along the footway to It's en-,
pushing the boat along. Each IN tur
goes forward for this polling, and {
the end OF the footway he pulls h
pole from the mud, holds 1t aloft an
marches to the bow again, letting h
companions pass under his arms an
y pole.
: But to pole a boat the canoei
!, must keep near shore where II is NJ
a too deep and where, unfOrtunatel
the Jungle foliage overhangs. This
. where the pole often strikes III
, leaves and dislodges millions OF mo
. uuitoes, brings down shower of vi
= lous ants, frequently snake an
worst of all, species OF black was
which is the most dreaded of all II
sting is so strange and powerful thu
Il seems to strike a man as II wit
= a blow from a Jim Jeffries, and III
result is the same, the man got
down and out. All OF us, includin
!, the boatmen were scared enough whe
- the snakes dropped in on us, but III
II reptiles seemed equally scared an
= scrambled out. But when the WASP
9 were seen the natives scarcely breatl
= ed for fear Of disturbing them.
, "In canoeing your way on these ri
9 ers through a temperature in the SUI
= light Of l4O degrees to $50 degree
there are no stopping places say
q where a shack can be seen on shor
. There you are sure of a clearing AM
by the way, a welcome, Always 20