The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-26
WATERS or BITTERNESS.
A Rude Assault From Fall River on the
Colonel's TeOdorO


To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN--Sir: Tues
day evening Mr.. Roosevelt will lay before
the National Geographic Society at
washington his alleged discovery OF the
Duvida River, in Matte Crosse Brazil, an
afi'uent OF the Madeira or the Tapajos. or
perhaps OF the Amazon itself, all depend 3
upon where Mr. Roosevelt will put II. I
happen to have travelled over more rivers
In Brazil than Mr.. Roosevelt and to have
been In the same and many more regions
or that wonderful land. Everywhere
found very good maps and everywhere the
region was known. Every creek in the
Amazon Valley Is known, and certainly
every important creek or afiuent In the
whole OF the Amazon basin is also known,
for the first have all been searched for
rubber many years ago and the second
are selected as natural commercial routes
and means OF penetration to the interior.
L used tho expensive maps OF the Uni
versity OF Gotha. Germany, and obtained
also the latest ofY1cial map OF each
province at Its capital and from its Gov
ernor.
The allegation of Mr.. Roosevelt that a
river OF one thousand miles can be dis
covered in Brazil to-day amounts to about
the same thing as II some we'll known
English tourist was coming to tell us that
he had Just discovered a new and i'm
portant desert In Arizona, one that no
man mas ever seen ana IHht Is not on tne
map. just as in Arizona there are many
desert and arid lands In which an mex
perienced traveller without a good map
would often doubt where he was, so in the
southern basin OF the Amazon there Is
an intricate system OF rivers In which
an inexperienced traveller without a good
map is often doubtful what river he
travels on. Many of these rivers are not
named even on good Brazilian maps, al
though they are marked: but all are
known locally. and the big ones are all
named. 1t Ia. besides, relatively easy to
take any one OF the many rivers flowing
north or northwest as natural route TO
the Amazon. as they all lead there. and II
Is also easy In that country, and par
tcularly for an amateur, TO make a
mistake. In a country bigger than the
United States and where everything Is
so big Il Is easy to take a small river
for a big one and to think one is on a
main stream when in reality he Is on an
affiuent.
SO l will say that far from finding any
thing new Mr.. Roosevelt undoubtedly fol-
lowed one OF the many natural commercial
routes. no doubt one selected for him
by his guides taking. to reach the ANA
zon Valley after leaving the Paraguay
one OF the many tributaries OF the many
af'iuents of the Amazon River, probably
an affluent of the Tapajos or OF the Ma
uelTd, anu no uOuDt one tnht Will pe IOunu
on good Brazilian maps
ALBERT PERREsop.
Former officer OF the Brazilian navy.
former officer OF the Paragusyah army.
matchmaker OF the navy. France MEM
Der OF the Astronomical Society OF the
Pacific. San Francisco: membre de la
Societe d'Astronomie de Paris. men,
bre de la societe Beige dAstronomie,
member Of the Solar Commission Of the
Astronomical Society OF France. former
director OF the Astronomical and Me-
neurological Observatory OF St Pierre,
Martinique former correspondent OF the
Harvard College Observatory. Of the
Photographic once OF the United States
Navy, of the United States Weather
Bureau. &C: and having resided over
fourteen years In the interior OF South
America and the West Indies and made
in 1894 probably the second white
mans expedition UP one OF the rivers OF
north Brazil the Csrsevenne IN the con-
tested territory OF the Brazilian Guiana,
and the first detailed map Of the region.
FALL RIVER. Mass. May 2b.