The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-04
CHERRIE PROVES
RIVER Of DOUBT
!. 81. ,,1.,a..oAI .is,s,s AIA| IAIRT[ 2
,eptlS lNlN WIZ | LII
Interesting Lecture by Natural
ist Of Roosevelt Party
TALE OF MANY HARDSHIPs
Incidental Tribute to Character
Of Man now Known as
Great American

George X Cherrie, who accompanied
the Roosevelt expedition into the viii
derness Of the upper Amazon for tho
purpo of collecting material for the
American Museum of Natural History,
last evening told the story of that re-
markable journey to small but In.
tensely interested audience at the
First Baptist Church.
MIR. Cherrie, who was introduced By
John ~ Leonard made little or no at
tempt at explanation hut told sim.
pie consecutive narrative OF an ac-
cOmpishment that must go down IN
istofy as one OF the most remarkable
ventures into the few remaining unex.
pIUred corners OF the world.
The speaker made little attempt at
elaboration The subject was too biz
In itself 10 require It. The description
OF the hardships endured and the dan
gers encountered was more gripping
than thrilling; the thrills came to the
audience from the things that were
left un aid.
In only one respect was the speaker
emphatic and that in refutation Of the
criticism and refutation of the discov.
cry OF the River of Doubt by the Roose-
welt party The illustrations Of the
miles OF rapids and the speakers de-
scription Of the difficulties overcome
must have convinced the audience
that had this stream ever before been
tTayersed by white men the knowledsA
of the accomplishment would bavo
been given to the world.
The river journey was made In du;-
outs rude canoes followed from sin
gle logs SO many of these craft were
wrecked ~ attempting to run tho
numerous rapids that il was necessary
to construct FIVE more from timber
growing on the banks of tho stream.
Much of the equipment and provisiona
was lost in these disasters and for
days the party was on reduced rations,
the reduction at times approaching the
vanish ns point.
10 addition TO the hradships created
by the flooding of the country by CON
unuous rains, which made hunting for
much needed game almost impossible.
there was the uever-ending torment OF
singing. biting, destroying insects
and the knowledge that for days tho
explorers were under the silent sur
veillance Of hostile Indians.
The speaker paid tribute to tho
character CT the man whom we have
come to know as the Great American
and added something to that recogni-
tion. During the later stages OF the
journey Colonel Roosevelt was III. 50
Ill that there were days on which no
member OF the party expected that
be would survive TO reach civilization.
and yet there was no word Of com
plaiut and his thoughts were ever cou-
cerned with the welfare of his COM
pauions.
Mr. Cherrie, who has bad 30 years
experience IN South America and the
West Indies, is now slowly recovering
trop the effects of an accident OF
which he was the victim some months
ago in Ecuador. Infection following a
wound in the arm made nee
essary the removal of the small bono
which has been replaced by the graft
ing Of one OF his ribs. He is now ablo
to use the arm to considerable ex-
tept but is awaiting more complete
recovery before venturing into the
tropics