The Washington times., 1920-06-20
American Wild Men Worse Than South Sea Savaees

AMcI1C0u w III NCu w OIS
last June that Doctor Alexander Hamilton Rice
of Harvard University Gold Medalist explorer Of the
= Royal Geographical Society and member of the best
known social circles of New York. Newport and Boston,
sailed for the Amazon River with his wife their yacht
The other day the little party Of scientists and Mrs.
Rice stepped ashore again in New York. In the inter-
venng Of their absence they had learned much had
mapped many square miles Of unknown Jungle had pene.
rated to the headwaters of the Amazon River but the
chief purpose Of the explorers expedition left unac.
complished-instead Of finding and studying the "whte
cannibals'' Of the South American wilderness these
vicious savages discovered Doctor Rice and his scouting
party with the experience narrated above in the
plorer's words.
Fortunately Mrs. Rice remained behind on this
occasion and safely protected board the yacht
little further down the river.
Just before his departure last June Doctor
Rice thus described what he hoped to accomplish.
From where it empties into the Amazon we shall
ascend the Rio Negro to the Casqure Canal and into
the Ornoco and eastward to its The Indians of
that region reputed to be blond white perhaps
considerably lighter than usual ordinarily their color
corresponds to number Broca SCALE which an olive
brown All of the Guarhairibas have matched this
scale number
According to his statement on his return recently he
went up the Amazon and reached point 160 miles east
of Esmeralda the Ornoco River, and did considerable
mapping and exploration connecting with his previous
map work.
Accompanied by two white assistants and seven
Indian bearers January 81 last the explorer
prised by the cannbals who drove him to make hasty
retreat, told above.
In consequence of the expected turn in events Dr.
Rice unable to any Of the bodies for photog
raphy, chronological measurements cultural descriptions,
and embaming for the Peabody Museum thus losing one
OF the supreme quests Of his expeditions. Naturally the
reader would suppose that such expedition would be
strongly equipped for just such OCCASION and would
be able usual with dangerous exploration to surround
and conquer the savages.
Dr. Rice, however had always pursued other methods
with the wild tribes He had in previous expeditions
carefully extended his fame all over the Amazonas,
among the nnumerable tribes Of Indians, their friend
benefactor and healer Of their diseases Runners had
carried the everywhere. He used almost tons Of
medicines in healing their sick and had performed many
operations besides sending many extreme cases to the
great tropical hospital at Bogota.
Also he had been accompanied down there previously
by Dr. w. I. Councilman, pathologist OF Harvard, to
study and work cures Of unknown diseases Heretofore
the wild tribes gladly welcomed him everywhere and
aided him in every way return for his work in
healing He had in consequence, necessity to resort
to firearms and deenses and supposed that his fame had
extended into the Orinoco region. 1t had extended
there but not far enough seems and his system failed
him at the most critical time Of his really dpriv
ing him of realizing the chief object of his work.
DR.. Rice stated his return that, far as he knew
the only white man who had these white can
nibal Indians, was one Ensign Bobada, Spanish gov
eminent explorer in the year 1863 However, French
mining engineer Albert de Laureppe, did 60 completely
through the haunts Of these savages twenty years
ago, meeting all Of the enemy.
NJ de Lautreppe was in the South American jungle
many months and made interesting observations OF
the various native tribes Of which friendly to
visitors but others are Wild hostile to all strangers are
bad terms with neghboring tribes and are heaters
The reasons for their practice Of cannbasm curious
and not generally understood It to still further
study the cannibal tribes that Dr. and Mrs Rice organ
lied their recent expedition.
canniba Is who eats human Hesh not because he
desires for food. but to degrade in most repelant