Evening star., 1927-11-06
by CNMDR. GEORGE II. DNOTT.

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by C0MDR. GEORGE II. DlOTT.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. November 5.-To
rescue Col. +. H. Fawcett and his
companions from the stranglehuld OF
the Brazilian Jungle is the main object
of my coming expedition TO South
America.
Three years ago, this gallant British
explorer set out with his son Jack, II
wears old. and Raleigh Rimell. %. to
probe the secrets of a lost civilization
he believed to lie hidden somewhere IN
the vast eXpanse of unknown territory
stretching between the NinGu and
Ia pa jos Rivers.
The last dispatch sent to the out
side world by this band of scientific
adventurers was dated May 80, 1928
Since then-silonce. Not a word has
been received from any member of
the partN. and friends hoh h in New
York and London have grave fears
for their safety.
Reported Seen Recently.
Some seven or eight weeks ago.
Frenchman named CourteVile re-
ported having met last November in
Matto Crosse a man he says he sup
poses TO have been Fawcett 1nvesti
cations by the Brazilian government
have not confirmed this.
II is possible the man Courteville
saw was Fawcett, hut if 50. he has
vanished again. and this only
heightenS the mystery. Fawcetts
wife, however. does not believe her
husband would have come so close to
civiliza ton without having communi
Gated with his anxious family and
friends
II Courteville actually saw Fawcett
and in this case his statement seems
somewhat obscured by errors. the ex
plorer's presence would have been
because he was crazed by misfortune
and had gone out of his mind 1t
~ possible To conceive that his Young
companions might have succumbed to
fever or bites from poisonous rep
tiles. Such Calamties always con
front expeditions into unknown lands
And II they do occur. the sanity Of
the survivors is apt to he affected
] have come across number of such
cases, | am sorry TO say.
X such misfortune has been the
fate of Col Fawrott. the sooner he
is found and brought hack the better
II is quite certain none of the local
Call Explorers Crazy.
They regard explorers as crazy
people. They cannot understand the
urge which makes such men court
danger and hardship in the interest
of science. They live too close to
the unknown themselves Life is
enough of struggle without braving
additional hardships
That is why Fawcstt found it so
hard To get men In accompany him
on his perilous venture. have
always met this reluctance on the
part of natives to join me- and | ex-
pect to be troubled the same way
on this occasion. On my River of
Doubt trip, from which returned
last Spring. the same difficulty crop,
ped up. and in the end men had To
do the work of y.
| am convinced that Col. Fawcett
is alive. but he must be in a very
serious predicament by now. Some
years ago | was caught In the claws
of the jungle, and the feeling Of
desperation that overcame me as |
waited for assistance that never ma
terialized was incredible For sev.
eral months | was held virtual pris
nner by forest Indians. Then good
fortune rather than good manage
ment came to my aid and | managed
to get hack to civilization.
IT is now more than two years since
Col. Fawcett disappeared. and I pic
tUre him and his compa Mons camped
in some remote corner of the primeval
forest. unable to come or go. Their
reserve food supply must long since
have been exhausted. their clothing
torn to shreds or rotted to pieces, the
%rav n ipeS in that humid heat of the
Amazon.
Fawcett's High Courage.
Sickness and privation may have
left their marks on his brave com
panions. and, haraSsed by the warlike
tribes of Indians who infest the Xingu
area. their powers of endurance must
now be exhausted.
One thing is certain, and that Is
If Col. Fawcett is alive his courage
will not have failed. His friends agree
lie Is q man Of indomitable will and
cour3ge. II is his supreme courage
thai will have held his party together
anf instilled in them the will to live
Two years is a long time to survive
hand-to-hand struggle with the vii
derness. and unless help arrives soon ii
may prove too late. Furthermore, the
tracks made by F'awcett's party as
dense underbrush would become obit.
Grated IN time, and every month that
passes makes the work of following
Their footsteps Increasingly difficult
There is also that third and last ter
rible alternative possible. Starvation.
sickness and hostile Indians may have
combined TO destroy the entire party.
ana that green monster. the all-pow.
'rful jungle, may have swallowed
them UP.
No matter what fate has befalIen
Col. Fawcett's expedition. my task is
70 learn what has happened. and 10
carry speedy relief 10 the survivors
u 1t Is humanity possible To locate
them in that tangled network of green
covering more than I00.900 square
mites, will be no easy task.
and my party will sail from New
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES