Evening star., 1923-08-19
Braues Perils of the Amazon
To Get Specimens for Museum
C.. X. Ashnlire Lost in
Whirlpools of Riuer
at Night.
Finds Hordes of Ants
Ousta Beasts and Birds
in Jungle.

Lost in the sultry blackness of a
5ungle night in an open boat among the
whirlpools of the Amazon.
Such was the experience Of c. r. Ash
mire. collector and big game hunter for
the National Museum, who has just re-
turned to Washington after six months
in the Brazilian forests, during most of
which time his whereabouts were un-
known to his colleagues here. Mr.. Ash
mtre, with only a native boy as a
guide. had gone about 500 miles up the
great South American river in search
of distinctive species of porpoise.
Night caught them unawares. They
were in a frail, open boat. The water
was unusually rough. Great swarms of
man eating mosquitoes hung every
where over the surface of the water.
They could not see a foot ahead in any
direction.
Paddle About All Night.
The native boy could speak no Eng
hSh. Mr. Ashmire knew only one or
two words of Portuguese With cheese
cloth headnets as their prot ection from
the insects, which have rendered this
section practically uninhabitable even
Tor wandering Indian families, they
padded along hopelessly, waiting for
morning and expecting that their frail
craft would turn over at any moment
Good fortune guided them TO a river
mouse built on bamboo piles some dis
lance from the shore. 1t was deserted
and afforded them shelter from the
mosquitoes until daylight
FhiS adventure, saws Mr. Ashmire
ranks with the most thrilling of his
long career as a jungle hunter dur
ing which he has penetrated the dense
lansLes of African swamps. and
matched wits with all sorts of tropi-
cal monsters.
He has brought back to Washington
ABOUT 800 specimens of birds and mann
mails peculiar to the Amazon coun-
try, which will be placed in the mu-
scum collection.
Find Rare PorpOise.
The pOrpoise. which was the chief
object of his expedition. probably is
Unique in any collection. Before he
set out this giant river dolphin had
been reported only from hearsay.
Wandering Indians had brought back
word to river ports that such animal s
mad been seen but, so far as is known,
none had been captured.
The animal, over eight feet long,
finally was sighted. but was not
caught until after considerable strug-
gle. The river is very deep at this
point. about 500 miles from Para,
and time after time the creature was
able to avoid capture by diving. It
finally was killed by the native hunt
erS who accompanied Mr. Ashmire.
Another peculiar specimen. whose
carcass he brought back, was that of
a tree sloth, also probably unique in
museum collections. This creature is
born and spends its life in a tree top.
descending only in the rare instances
when all the foliage and bark. which
1t uses for food have been exhausted.
Jungle Being Invaded.
The Brazilian jungle is becoming
white mans country, Mr. Ashmire re-
ports. 1t no longer Is the same mys-
terry as it was even in ROosevelts s
day. Rubber hunters have rather
thoroughly explored the land adjacent
to the Amazon for the whole 1900
miles although some of the tributa
ries are little known.
During his present expedition the
Washington man ventured short dis