The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-05


II FEAR THAT / AM A
FEW MINUTES TOO LATE"
that, had I told you all my inten
tons, should have been forced to
resist unwelcome pressure to trave
out with YOU
Not from me, sirp' exclaimed
Professor Summerlee, heartily. "St
long as there was another ship upor
the Atlantic!'
Challenger waved him away with
his great hairy hand.
Your common sense will, I am
sure, sustain my objection and re.
alize that it was better that ]
should direct my own movements
and appear only at The exact mo.
rnent when my presence was need
ed. That moment has now arrived.
You are in safe hands. You will
not now fail to reach your destina.
ton. From henceforth / take com
mand Of this expedition, and I must
ask you to complete your prepare
tons tonight, so that we may bt
able to make an early start in the
morning. My time is Of value, ant
the same thing may be said, nj
doubt, in a lesser degree of YOU
own. I propose, therefore, that VIZ
push Oh as rapidly as possible unit
have demonstrated what you have
come to see."
Lord John Roxton has chartered
a large steam launch, the Esme
ralda, which was to carry us up the
river. So far as climate goes, it was
immaterial what time we chose fol
our expedition, as the temperatur.
ranges from 70 to 80 deg Aes botf
summer and winter, with no appreci
able difference In heat. In moisture
however, it is otherwise; from De
cember to May is the period of tn.
rains, and during this time the rive,
slowly rises until 1t attains height
Of nearly forty feet above its low
water mark. 1t floods the banks
extends IN great lagoons over a mon
strous waste of country, and form.
huge district, called locally the
Capo. which IS for the most part toe
marshy for foot travel and too shall
low for boating. About June tn,
waters begin to fall, and are at thei,
lowest at October or November. Thu,
our expedition was at the time o.
the dry season. when the great rive,
and its tributaries were more or les.
In a normal condition.
The current of the river is 9
slight one, the drop being not
greater than eight inches in a mile
No stream could be hore convenient
for navigation, since the prevailine
wind is southeast, cad sailing boat.
may make a contiguous progress e
the Peruvian frontier, droppinf
down again with the current. Ir
our own case the excellent engines
of the Esmeraldo could disregard the
sluggish flow of the stream. and We
made as rapid progress as IL we
were navigating a stagnant lake
For three days we steamed north
westwards up a stream which ever
here, q thousand miles from its
mouth was still so enormous that
from it's center the two banks were
mere shadows upon the distant sky
line. On the fourth day after leav
ing Manaos we turned into tribu
tary which at its mouth was little
smaller than the main stream. II
narrowed rapidly. however, and aft
er two more days steaming we
reached an Indian village, where the
Professor insisted that we should
land, and that the Esmeralda should
be sent back to Manaos. We should
soon come upon rapids, he explained
which would make it's further use
impossible. He added privately that
we We're now approaching the door
Of the unknown country, and thai
the fewer we took into our conf
dence the better it would be. To thi,
end also he made each of us Civ,
our word of honor that we should
publish or say nothing which would
give any exact clew as to the where
abouts OF our travels. while the serv
ants were all solemnly sworn to tn,
same effect. 1t is for this reasol
that am compelled to be vagu,
in my narrative, and would war;
my readers that in any map or dia
gram which may give the relation
o.. places to each other may be cor
rect, but the points of the compass
are carefully confused, so that II
no way can II be taken as an aetna
guide to the country. Professor
Challenger's. rcasons for secrec,
NAV be valid or not. hut we had n,
choice but TO adopt them for h,
was prepared to abandon the who'll
expedition rather than modify tn
conditions upon which he woult
/ guide us.
It was Aug 2 when we snappe'
y .I