Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-07
ROOSEVELT TELLS
OF BRAZIL TRIP

Para, Brazil, May 5.--Col Theodore
Roosevelt in an interview with the
Associated Press to-day on board the
steamer Dunstan on which he had just
arrived from Manaos, gave many inter-
cstinE details of his exploring trip
through the wilds of Brazil. He said:
The expedition has proved a signal
success. 1t was undertaken originally
for the American Museum of Natural
History.
During our trip George K. Cherry and
Leo G. Miller. the naturalists, collected
over 10 birds and mammals and few
reptiles, batrachians and fish chiefly
from regions not hitherto traversed by
any collector and many representing
species hitherto unknown to science.
"Thc most important part of our trip
was geographical. In the exploration of an
unknown river, We have put on the map
a river nearly one thousand miles long,
the existence of which is not limited at
on published maps. The upper part OF
it's course was utterly unknown to any
body except the wild Indians along its
banks while the lower part was known
to a few rubber men only.
The river takes its rise in the high
uplands Of the western part Of e
State of Matte Crosse, just north of the
18th parallel of south latitude and be-
tween longitude % and 90 west Of Green
, wich.
I'VE embarked in latitude T. degrees
| minute south and longitude 60 degrees Is
| minutes west.
THE river ran with many doublinss and
twistines almost due north into the river
Madeira where its entrance was at about
= degrees 30 minutes south latitude.
I'VE We're sixty days in canoes. In lati-
tude : degrees south We passed the last
rapids and reached the steamer when W.
We're but sc hours from ManaOs.
I'm latitude 10 degrees. 5S minutes
south we struck the mouth of a big
affluent flowing from the right and
in latitude degrees 40 minutes south
we came to the mouth of another big
affluent flowing from the left
The Duvida river in point of volume
! Is like the RhOne the Elbc or the
| Hudson, but is too much broken up by
rapids to be navEable except in the
lower parts. In about degrees 30
minutes south latitude it joins another
river practically the same size flowing
from the right.
| From about IL degrees IS minutes
| to 10 degrees As minutes south latitude
the course of the Duvida is almost an
unbroken series of rapids, there being
} no clear days run without rapids. This
was the hard part of our journey.
I'VE were during six weeks at steady
labor slogging our way. on "A average
making not more than couple Of
miles a day. The last part of this
time we were living on half rations.
1.-TWO sets of rapids were at the bot
tom of Canyons where the river Glove
it's way through mountain chains
"Of the seven canoes with which we
started five We're lost in the rapids. one
of our men was drowned and two others
including Kermit, narrowly escaped death
by drowning.
Under the strain one man went mad
He finally murdered one of his comrades
and fled into the wilderness.
I'VE say no Indians but twice heard
them. While Colonel Rondon, the chief
of the Brazilian mission, was out alone
hunting, his dog was killed by arrows,
The dogs death probably saved Colonel
Rondon's life.
Il had a severe bout with the liver aUd
while working around a canoe IN the rap
ids bruised my leg. which developed a bad
ahscess, but | am now practically all
right"
KERMITS WEDDING JUNE II.
! Madrid. May The wedding of Kermit
Roosevelt and Miss Belle Wyatt Willard,
! daughter Of Col. J. T. Willard. Amer-
| can ambassador to Spain, is to take place
at noon June H. at the British embassy
! chapel here The maid OF honor is To be