New-York tribune., 1920-05-12
Scientist and Party Almost
Trapped; Several of
200 Huge Tribesmen
Slain in Sudden Attack
Natives for Four
Days Dog Canoes
Expedition Obtains Rare
Specimens; Record ais
Explorer by a Woman

The story OF hazardous. cxped ton
into the wids of the Amazon Valley
during which the members of the ex-
annihilation bV tribe Of 200 sx-foot
cannibals, was told by Dr.. Alexander
Hamilton Rice, who arrived here yes
terday with his wife and companions
on the Booth liner Alban from Para,
Brazil.
Mrs Rice, who was the widow of
George d. Widencr, of PHILADELPHIA
and who had accompanied her present
husband on previous trip up the
Amazon on the steam yacht Alberta
in 1916, was not with the party when
it encountered the savagcs, but she
shared all the other discomforts at
tending the long journey through the
fronGed areas Of the jungle
Reports of the encounter with the
wild men were received in Newport, r
l., last month in letter sent north by
Chester Ober, geographer Of the party
but they gave only an nkling OF the
narrow escape the explorers had from
determination.
Many Specimens Obtained
Dr.. Rice said that he and IS asso-
clatcs had explored and charted outlets
OF the Rio Negro and other tributaries
Of the Amazon and had brought back
quantity Of specimens of fauna and
fora which he would rive to Peabody
Museum of Harvard University
1t was while working his way up the
Amazon near place called Esmc ra Ida
that he had his encounter with the
tribcsmen whom he describes as canni-
balls.
early in January" he said, 1--WE left
our base at Esmcralda to map out a
small island called Raudaul Guahari-
bos, which is about seven days journey
by canoe. This particular party in
cluded MIR. Ober Lilo Fuentes, Vene-
zuelan, and a small group OF friendly
natives. On the seventh day VIC arrived
at destination, and had about COM
pleted our survey of the island when
one of our Indian guides excitedly
called our attention to a place on the
opposite side of a nearby stream. Pres
entity we saw 4 massive human creature
picking his way through the jungle ap-
parently trying 20 come upon us un-
aWares.
"Thinking to frightcn him, we fred
several shots from pistol, but it did
not have the effect we had desired.
There was wild cry from the other
side OF the water. 1t was signal for
attack, and was followed by an onrush
Of about two hundred of the tribe. |
have had long and trying experiences
in the jungle, but | never saw anything
more menacing or terrifying than this
mass of approaching wild men, for the y
were beyond the shadow of a doubt
cannibals- men of enormous stature
and superhuman strength. Almost all
Of them were armed with bows and
carried long, sharp spears, and some
OF them had blow guns. | know now
that they were of the Guaribos tribe
peculiar to the mountainous regions
and the most ferocious savages of
Venezuela, Colombia or Brazil
Attempts at Farley Fail
"Our first impulse was to try to hold
them off by signs. We sought to par
ley with them and our guides spoke a
dozen dialects in the hope of making
some sort of compromise that would
enable us to escape, but our efforts
were in vain.
"Neither signs nor words would stop
them and they rushed us as one man.
AS a prccaution we had seized our
weapons. which consisted Of few
shotguns. rifles and revoivers. and we
fired right into them. bowling over a
few of them. This made a SLIGHT check
in the rush. but did not stop it. Four
times they charged, and as they came
(CoLtlnued en- page soyen)