Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-03

Raleigh-Rimell, rs, OF Los angeles, naQ
persisted at the hands Of Indians in
July, 1925.
Concurring in this. Mr.. Legters said
Besides the tangible evidence every
where we went, can give at least three
reasons why think Col. Fawcett and
the two men with him persisted.
"One is that they started without
sufficient food. The only way they
could have lived was on wild animal
life and the bounty of Indians. But no
man can live on game alone in that
country. And vegetable food is scarce
enough for the indians, who live
chiefly on mandioca and fish
Second, malaria fever. 1t exists
there in very virulent form. 1t comes
upon you almost without symptoms
Now you are we'll and two hours later
suffering with a fever of 103, running
quickly up to los. 1t proStrates you
With all precaution against malaria,
every man In our party suffered from
it except my son Brainerd. / made
him take two grains of quinine daily
from the very beginning. l wasn't TAX
ing any chances with him.
Now IL our expedition suffered so
from malaria, what may have been the
case with Fawcett? l have no means
III hIkUMDl& EAhCGbN WdS WllIAJub
cal supplies, but his expedition was
scantily equipped, and he abandoned
things right and left. The Indians
wondered at him. He didn't seem
normal II was the lavish way he dis
tributed gifts that made Indians de-
mand from us everything we had.
Some Tribes Friendly.
Third, and significant reason is
that Fawcett and his men possibly in
Cured the enmity of the Indians Some
OF the tribes are friendly and some,
like the Nahuqua, In whose midst / dis
covered Fawcett's trunks, are unre-
sponsive. They remain distant When
they take dislike to yoI it Is apt to
manifest itself seriously.
THE expedition in which l hit upon
Fawcett's tracks was the second had
made to Brazil. We left Philadelphia
in March, 1926. year after Fawcett
had begun his Journey into the interior.
AT Simon Lopez, the last outpost of
civilization, our party was increased by
seven Indians l have no doubt the
Indians Dyott is using are the same.
Here We heard the first word about
Fawcett. / found one of his mules in
the possession OF an Indian. The man
in charge of the post told me Fawcett
had been there year before. He had
left with no guides, and was even then
beginning to abandon his equipment.
II don't know why he should have
done this unless he found himself too
incumbered for the tremendous task
ahead. There were only three in his
party 1t is man-killing country To
traverse A man must be more than
ordinary; he must have physical and
mental resources, great endurance and
good aid.
take guides Fawcett lived for time
in India. I was told he may have
acquired the mysticism of that country.
friends, Mr.. and Mrs Philip Lands,
formerly of Philadelphia mfr. Lands
is now a missionary in Cuyaba,
Brazil), that spirit had told him where
he would find traces of lost civiliZa-
ton. A supposed hidden city was be-
lieved located near the Sierra de Ro-
meador In the heart of the State of
Matte Crosse.
Would Work on Trees.
From Simon Lopez our destination
was the headWaterS Of the Xingu River,
We actually had to cut our way through.
When one of our Brazilian helpers
learned where we were going-into
region where the Indians were none
too friendly~-he deserted. Dyott re-
ports that he found marks left upon
trees by Fawcett. They were not FaW-
cett's marks. They were ours.
When we reached the Kulisevu
River I sent our animals back with the
Brazilians to Simon Lopez. The In
dams would certainly have taken them.
There is a particularly savage tribe In
that section, the Kayapa,
THE spot on the Kulisevu where /
found Fawcett had come In contact
with the Indians was $50 miles from
its source. It Is an Indian village OF
the Nahuqua tribe. The ruler OF the
tribe scattered In half o dozen settle
ments along the Kulisevu and some
distance to the east lived there.
This chief seemed to regard us
with suspicion. We could not talk with
him, even through our Indians. but he
indicated bluntly that he wanted all our
possessions. l refused, Finally, how
ever. we won his friendship.
when we entered the chiefs hut
he dragged out o. couple of trunks for
us to sit on. They we're English Army
trunks of greenish-gray cast, about
the size OF United States Army trunks
or a steamer trunk I remember seeing
army labels on them. They were keavy
and closed,
Sat ON FawcettS Trunka.
"The chief told me they had been
left by three white men, "a captain and
two men, as the Fawcett expedition
was designated by the Indians. The
chief was not communicative about
Fawcett and l was not especially in
qliisitiVe OF course. | was there for
other work. not searching for rawcett.
upon whose trail had hit accidentally.
AT that time there was no organized
search for Fawcett, He had told the
Indian agent at Lopez that he was ex~
pecting To return by way OF Goya2.
Another evidence of Fawcett was the
many small periscope mirrors In the
possess on OF the Indians. The Indians
were friendly. but not talkatIve They
said they had received the trlnkets
from white captain. They called him
by his first name, but I can't recall
what IT. was. Later | talked With The
chief of village on the kuluene River.
east OF the Kulisewu. who came to visit