The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-06

GOMEZ WHIPPED OUT HIS
KNIFE
one wizened and cantankerous, the
other formidable and overbea ring.
yet each with brain which has
put him in the front rank OF his
scientific age. Brain, character, soul
only as one sees more of life does
one understand how distinct is each.
The very next day we did actually
make our start upor this remarkable
expedition. We found that all our
possessions fitted very easily into the
two canoes, and we divided our per-
sonnet. six in each, taking the OBJ
vious precaudon in the interests of
peace Of putting one professor into
each canoe. Personally, / was with
Challenger, who was in a beatific
humor, moving about as one in a
silent ectaay and beaming benevo-
lence from every feature. have
had some experience of him in other
moods, however, and shall be the
less surprised when the thunder
storms suddenly come up amidst the
sunshine. 1t is impossible to be at
your ease, it is equally impossible
to be dull in his company, for one is
always in state OF half.tremulous
doubt as to what sudden turn his for
midable temper may take
For two days we made our way
up a good-sized river. some hun
dreds OF yards broad, and dark in
color, but transparent, so that one
could usually see the bottom The
affuents of the Amazon are, half
Of them, Of this nature, while the
other half are whitish and opaque,
the difference depending upon the
class of country through which
they have flowed. The dark indi-
cate vegetable decay. while the
others point to clayey soil. Twice
we came upon rapids, and in each
case made a portage of half mile
Or SO to avoid them. The woods
on either side were primeval,
which are more easily penetrated
than wods of the second growth,
and we had no great difficulty in
carrying our canoes through them.
How shall I ever forget the solemn
mystery Of It? The height Of the
trees and the thickness of the
holes exceeded anything which I
in my town-bred life coulc have
imagined, shooting upwards in
magnificent columns until, at an
enormous distance above our heads.
we could dirnly discern the SPOT
where they threw out their side
branches into Gothic upward curves
which coalesced to form one great
matted roof Of verdure, through
which only an occasional golden ray
of sunshine shot downwards to trace
Q thin dazzling line of light admidst
the majestic obscurity. AS we
walked noiselessly amid the thick,
soft carpet of decayiEg vegetation
the hush fell upon our souls which
comes upon us in the twilight of the
Abby, and even Professor Challeng-
er's full-chested notes sank to a
whisper. Alone, should have been
ignorant of the names of these giant
growths, but our men OF science
pointed out the cedars, the great silk
cotton trees, and the redwood
trees. with all that profusion OF
various plants which has made
this continent the chief SUPPLE,
to the human race Of those gifts
Of nature which depend upon the
vegetable world. while 1t Is the
most backward in those products
which come from animal life.
Vivid orchids and wonderful col.
ored lichens smoldered upon the
swarthy tree-trunks and where q
wandering shaft Of light fell upon
the golden allamanda. the scarlet
star-clusters of the tacsonia. or the
rich deep blue OF imopaea, the eff.
feet was as a dream CT fairyIand.
In these great wastes OF forest, life,
which abhors darkness, struggles
ever upward othe light. Every
plant, even the smaller ones. curls
and writhes to the green surface,
twining itself round it's stronger and
taller brethren in The effort. Climb.
ing plantsN are nonstrous and lux.
uriant, but others which have never
beer, known to climb elsewhere learn
the art as an escape from that som.
Der shadow, SO that the common net.
tie, the jasmine, and even the jaci.
tara palm tree can be seen circlins
the stems OF the cedars and striving
to reach their crowns. or animal
life there was no movement amid
the majestic vaulted aisles which
stretched from US as we walked, but
constant movement far above our
Heads told Of that multitudinous
world OF snake and monkey, bird and
sloth, which lived in the sunshine.
and looked down in wonder ct our
tiny, dark, stumbling figures In the
obscure depths irnmcasurably below
them. At dawn and ait sunset the
bowler monkeys screamed together
and the parrakeets broke into shr11I
chatter, but during the hot hours