The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-10
CHAPTER XVI

n n H~TOCeSSiOn.
I should wish to place upon C
ord here our gratitude to all our
friends upon the Amazon for the
very great kindness and hospitality
which was shown to Is upon our
return journey. Very particularly
other officials of the Brazilian Gov
eminent for the special arrange
ments by which we were helped
upon our way. and Senior PeerejTa'
Of Para, to whose forethought we
owe the complete outfit for a de-
cent appearance in the civilized
world which We found ready for us
at that town. 1t seemed q poor
return for all the courtesy which
we encountered that we should de-
ceive our hosts and b~enefactors, but
under the circumstances we had
really no alternative, and I hereby
tell them that they Will only waste
their time and their money If they
attempt to follow upon our traces.
Even the names have been altered in
our accounts, and / am very sure
that no one, from the most careful
study Of them. would come within a
thousand miles of our unknown
land.
The excitement which had been
caused through those parts of South
America which we had to traverse
was imagined by us to be purely
local, and I car assure our friends IN
England that we had no notion Of
0ur uproar which h rumor OF
our experiences had caused through
Europe. II was not until the
Ivernia was within five hundred
miles OF Southampton that the wire
less messages from paper after
paper and agency after agency,
offering huge prices for a short re-
turn message as to u actual re-
suits, showed us how strained was
the attention not only Of the scienti-
fic world but Of the general public.
Tt was agreed among u.s., however,
that no definite statement should be
given to the Press until we had met
members Of the Geological Institute,
since as delegates 1t was our clear
duty to give our first report to the
body from which we had received
III commission or investigation.
Thus although we found Southhamp
ton full OF pressrnen, we absolutely
refused to give any information,
which had the natural effect of
cocussing public attention upon the
meeting which was advertised for
the evening of November 7th. For
this gathering, the Geological Hall
which had been the scene, Of the
inception OF our task was found to
be far too small, and it was only
in the Queens Hall In Regent
Street that accommodation could be
found. It is now common knowl-
egde the promoters might have
ventured upon the Albert Hall and
still found their space too scanty,
It wac for the second evening
after III arrival hat the great
meeting hac been fixed. For the
first, we had each. nc doubt, our
own pressing persona affairs to
absorb us. OF mine I cannot yet
speak.
And now I turn to the last
supreme eventful moment Of our ad'
venture. AS I was racking my
brain as to how I should best de-
scribe It, my eyes fell upon the issue
of my own Journal for the morn
ing Of the eighth Of November with
the full and excellent account Of my
friend and fellow-reporter Macdona,
What can I do better than transcribe
his neutrality-suspicious. and all7 !
admit that the paper was exuberant
in the matter, out Of compliment I'd
its own enterprise In sending a cor
respondent, but the other great
dailies were hardly less full in
their account. Thus, then, friend
Mac In his report:
THE NEW WORLD
GREAT MEETING AT THE