Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-27
LETTER To BRAZILIAN MINIS
TER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FIR
TELLS OF HARBSIrPS ENeOTN
TERED ON TRIP.
TWO MEN WERE KILLED
one LOST LIFE IN RAPIDS AND
SERGEANT IN PARTY WAS
KILLED BY MAN WHO WENT
MAD FROM STRAIN.
Wy Associated Prcss.l

River Doubt was pat on the map IL
explained IN Il letter read by TN. colonel
before the National Geographic society
here last night. Six weeks were spent
by the party in forcing their way down
through what seemed a literally oidlcss
succession of rapids and cNtaracts. One
man went mad from the strain and shirk-
ing his work was upbraided by a ser.
gcant in the party. and in retaliation
killed Kim. One of the best men lost his
life in the rapids ssd out of seven canoes
with which the trip was started five
were lost and had To be- replaced with
others.
Colonel Roosrseli's letter. explaining
the cation Of the River Doubt" 10 the
Brazilian minister Of ~fercign affairs.
Esllews:
TO His Exccllcncy. the Minister of
Foreigs Affairs. Rio de JasRso.
MY Dear General Lauro Miller
wis first 10 express ma profound ac.
acknowledgements L. You personally and
e. the other members Of the Brazilian
gov%ernsIont. whose generous sourtrsv
alone rcndecd possible the Expcdicac
Scicntifira Roosevelt Rondon. ] wish
also To express my high admiration for
Colonel Rondon aud ms ~assosates
who have been Isy colleagues in this
work of exploration. la the third place
] wish 10 point cut that what We have
ilsi done was rendered possible only by
the hard and p%criloHs labor Of the Bra
lillian ~Tclcsraphie commission G the
UNEMPLOYED WESTERN wilderness Of Matte
Crosse. during tks last seven wears. We
have iscreas PUT the cap ON the pyramid
Of which aloS had previously laid deep
and broad the foundations.
w have had a hard and n somewhat
dangerous but very successful trip. No
less than six weeks were spent in slowly
aud with peril aud exhaustinc Labor
fsfcirg our way down through what
seemed a literally endless succcssoH Of
Rapids and eataracts. For ~forty-sght
days wo saw no humaH l0ng. la pass
ing these rapids we lost five of the seven
~isoee with which We started and hal Ia
build sthers. Ono of our best men lost
his life in the rapids. Under the strain
ono of talc men went complctcly mad.
NHii n'N I'LL H> Ntfh. NlNIt HIS tShlFllf~
food and when punished BY the sergeant
he. with cold blood@l determination.
murdered he sergeant and fled into tho
wilderness.
Colonel Rondos', dog. running ahead
of him while hunting. was shot bv two
Indians. BY his death he in all prob
ahIlay saved the life Of his master. We
have put "a fl.. aaas. Il. etxnr .l.rt f-nn
kiiSmctcrs in length running frupl iu,t
sosth Of Tho :;ath degree to north If the
Goth degree aud the biggest a%fflucnt IL
Madeira.
Until now it~ upper course has bscn
utterly unknown 10 every one and its
lower course. although known for years
L. rubber men. was utterly unknown to
all photographers. Its course is between
the l2tL and 18th parallels. If latitude.
south, and between Longitude ~ degrees
ami longitude 60 degrees west from
GrcSnw ich. We embarked on il about at
latitude l. degrees. one maiutc south
aud longitude G0 degrees. Is west. After
that IT, entire course Was betwcon the
6oth and 6lst deytrs of longitude. ap.
preaching the latter more closely and
abest in latitude ; degrees. II minutes.
The first rapids were al Navariie in II
degrees, II inmates and after that they
were continuous and Nry difficult and
dangerous until the rajids named after
the murdered Sergeant Pcisham. in III
dser~s L. minutes. AT II degrees. X,
minutes IL received the Rio Kermit from
the left. AT Ill degrees - minutes, the
Marciano .Avila entered il from ,he righ,.
Al III degrees. l. minutes the Tuanav en-.
tered from the left. At 10 degrees. -
minutes the cerieza entered from the
right. At 10 degrees. "a ~rrinuts~ Ne ~
countcrcd The first rubber men The Rio
Bramcu entered FROM thu left AT y a~
grccs, = minutes. We campcd ats do
grecs. ~ minstcs. or approximately, the
boundary line bctSeen the IIsRe Crosse
"a Amazon. The confluence. with ArI.
pusna. which essercd FROM the left. was
in . degrees, 81 mhmtes. the Nosth
where il cntcrcsi the Madeira wac in !
degrees. 20 minutes. The stream w have
followed down 10 that which rose Earth
est away from the mo,sh and its general
couI>c j. aliso>t due north.
My lear sir. ! thank Won from my
heart for the chance 10 take part ~ this
great work of explorations. With high
regards and respect believe me. Sincerely
vour>. Theodore Roosevelt"