White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-11
VII.
Tomorrow We Disappear Into the IN
known"

.a
Tomorrow We Disappear Into the In
known"
WILL not bore those whom this
narrative may reach by an ac-
count of our luxurious voyage
upon the ocean liner. nor will l
tell OF our weeks stny at Para Save
that II should wish to acknowledge the
greafAkindness of the company In help
ing us to get together our e~quipment)..
l will also allude very briefly to. our
river Journey up a wide. slow moving.
clay tinted stream in a steainer which
was little smaller than that which had
carried us across the Atlantic. Eventu-
ally we found ourselves through the
narrows. OF obidos and reached the
iowa, Of Manaos. Here I'VE were res
cued froms s.se limited attractions Of
the local Inn by AIR. shortman. the rep
resentatite of the British aud Brazil
ian, Trading company. In his hospital
Fazenda WI spent our time until the
day when we were empowered to open
the letter of instructions given to us
by Professor Challenger. Before 1
reach the surprising events of that date
l sho~uld+desire 10 give n clearer sketch
of myscomrades in this enterprise and
of the associates whom we had already
gathered together in South America. |
speak freely, and | leave the use of my
material TO your own discretion. Mr..
McArdle. since 1t is through your hands
that this report must pass before 1t
reaches the world,
The scientific attainments of Profess
sor Summerlee are too well known for
me TO trouble to recapitulate them. He
Is better equipped for a rough expedi
ton OF this sort than one would i'm
agine at first sight. His tall, gaant.
stringy figure is insensible TO fatigue.
and his dry, half sarcastic and often
wholly unsympathetic manner is unin-
flucnced by any change in his sur
roundings.i Though I'm his sixty-sixth
year, I have never heard him express
any dissatisfaction at the occasional
hardships which we have had to en-.
counter. l had regarded his presence
as an encumbrance TO the expedition:
but. as a matter of fact. ! am now well
convinced that his power of endurance
is as great as my own In temper he
Is naturally acid and skeptical.
Lord John Roxton has some points
In common with Professor Summerlee
and others In which they are b very
antithesis to each other. lie is TWEEN
ty years younger. but has something
of the same spare, soraggy physique.
AS to his appearance, I hive. as l req
ollect, described 1t In that portion of
my narrative which l have left behind
me in London. He Is exceedingly neat
and prim I'm his ways. dresses always
and high brown mosquito boots and
shaves at least once a day. Like most
men Of action. he Is laconic In speech
and sinks readily into his W
thoughts, but he is always quick to
answer IA question or join In a con-
versatlon, talking in n queer. jerky.
half humorous fashion. His knowl-
edge of the world. and very especially
of South America. Is surprising. and
he has Il whole hearted belief In the
possibilities of our journey which is
not he dashed by the sneers of Profess
sor Summerlee. He has a gentle voice
and a quiet manner, but behind his
~twinkling bkle eyes there turks a ca
pacity for furious wrath and implaca-
BILE resolution. the more dangerous be
cause they are held In leash.
SO much for the moment for my two
white companions. whose characters
and limitations viii be further *
posed. as surely as my own, as this
narrative proceeds. But already We
have enrolled certain retainers who
may play no small part in what is to
come. The first is a gigantic negro
named Zambo. who Is n black Her.
cules. as willing as any horse and
about as intelligent. Him We enlisted
ut Para on the recommendation of the
steamship company, on whose vessels
he bad learned to speak q halttng Eng