Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
D. c. ATTORNEY CUT
/ WAY INTO JUNGLE
Robert R. Benefits Tour in
Yucatan More Tedious
" Than Lindbergh's.

The ease with which the Lindbergh
r,arty few to the seat of the Maya
civilization on the Yucatan Peninsula
Is in sharp contrast to the hardships
az a Washingtonian who made the trip
ON muleback and afoot four years ago.
Robert r. Bennett, an attorney, whose
hobby is exploring the Maya country,
was forced to cut his way through the
creepers into the jungle, painfully, ana
at the rate of from to 10 miles day,
Part of the distance Mr.. Bennett RODE
hut for the most part he ana the MEM
hsrs of his uarty proceeded on foot along
An obscure trail that often led over
Mr.' Bennett on that occasion was
leading his eighth expedition into the
innoles Of the vicinity. on and on Tor
a. Years he has visited lower Mexico,
each time prompted by an intense
curiosity to learn of the early inhaoit-
ants.
Trim Took Four Days.
It took the Lindbergh party less than
half an hour to accomplish journey
which cost Mr.. Bennett four days OF
l,esrt-breaking toll. and for this reason
Tire exnlorer believes the seaplane even
tually will lead to the CONQUEST OF tne
Jungle and to the revelation OF Ine
secrets it has hidden for almost z'uOV
years. -. ..t Amer.
,csn nrocliyity for chewing gum is one
~ the most important factors IN bring
inc the MAYA civilization to light MT
Bennett said.
Industry is asserting a strong mnuence
On Y1catan country. Buyers are
mingling among the natives ana pay
ing good prices for chicle gum. many
inhabitants, heretofore reluctant 10 ols-
cuss the mysteries OF the BACK counsIS
with the white interlopers' are N.io a,.s
cid tn explorers. The newcomers are
,eonening ancient thoroughfares and es-
tablislairg contacts with remote sections
Mr. Bennett's extensive explorations
have convinced him that "the surface
of the Maya country has not oeen
scratched" He is sure that almost I'M
believable cities lie crumbling into rum
in great numbers amid the impentraple
tropical foliage which covers the PENN
sula.
Lakes Afford Landings.
Civilization typihed by the airplane
and chewing gum, however, must soon
bring the cities to light. Mr.. Bennett
pointed out that nine large lakes within
the interior afford landing areas loE
seaplanes. The lakes, ne salo, were
formed by. atolls thrown up from the
he'd of the sea during a prehistoric dis
turbance from which the peninsula
emerged.
Near one of these lakes, Chinchank-
anob, on which I.indbergh brought his
seaplane to rest, is perhaps the Oldest
city yet discovered in the region-Cona.
It was this city, Mr.. Bennett said,
which Lindbergh was flying over sew
eraI months ago when his curiosity was
excited by what, he afterward reported,
appeared to be two green eyes" This
hint of mysterious things in the jungle
expanse beneath led Lindbergh to un-
dertake the expedition in conjunction
with the Carnegie Institute.
The Carnegie Institute has been pre-
pared to essay the expedition by the
conviction. expressed by one OF It's ex-
perts q few months previously. that
great chain of odd Empire" Maya
cities lay to the south OF Cuba in the
jungled country that stretches toward
Guatmala and Honduras.
Trace "Appian way"
A primary aim Of the flying expedi-
ton, Mr.. Bennett said, was to see II
the rumored "Appian Way" Of the
Maya clVl1zaLlOn COulO DC Traced 1TOun
the air southwark through the inter-
twining maze Of tropical timber.
Mr.. Bennett said little has come to
light of this great roadway. supposedly
rivaled only by the famous Roman
highway constructed before the fall Of
the empire.
Such sections of the road as have
been uncovered-all near Cuba-have
been as wide as q lesser automobile
highway and laid of great blocks Of
stone.
Although it is believed, Mr.. Bennett
said that the roadway can be traced
to the sites of unknown cities. the
Lindbergh expedition was unable to
get glimpse Of 1t through the roof
of trees after leaving Coba.
Mr.. Bennett and other students Of
the subject are convinced the greatest
cities of the forgotten civilization lie
to the south of Coba, and that they
can be reached only through the air
or after the growth Of the chewing gum
business has completely civilized the
Yucatan country.