Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-09
BY HERBERT SPENCER DICKEY,
NJ. d.. and HAWTHORNE DANIEL.


"HE gold fever took possession of me
when man wandered into my Office
and paid me two pounds in gold for
my treatment. He told me that he
had come from the rubber regions
of the Putumayo and as he showed me two
rolls Of money each containing fifty pounds
I asked him how to get to the Putumayo.
had two boys who attended to my nocks
and they said that they would go to the
Putumayo with me. One of these was Manuel,
who was 18 The other was Miguel, who was
20. With these boys to assist me made my
arrangements.
trader of La Plata sold me a good canoe.
The rest of my money went for provisions
native chocolate mixed with brown sugar and
cinnamon, and shelled corn. I traded a suit
of clothes for two enameled ware pots, packed
up trunk full of medicines and once more was
starting journey.
had no money, it is true, but that did not
matter. Manuel, Miguel and I were heading
deep into the Amazonian jungle, where money
was useless. We had food clothes, pots, med
tcine and canoe. OF course, there were only
three of us, and the canoe was of solid ma
hogany and As feet long. But what of
that? The journey was all down stream and
all three of us were young
WE headed for Puerto Pizarro on the
w Caqueta River but after weeks of
padding when we got there we found de-
S@srted village, the houses burned to the ground
1t was impossible to go back. Even had we
been experienced canoe men 1t would have
taken us As days to make that journey up
stream. And as it was we were merely three
adventurous young men there among the ruins
of that desolated jungle trading post
Our food was all gone. Where we could find
more was something we did not know. It was
decidedly tragic, can assure you. For once
my youthful optimism did not measure up to
the situation. I thought very tenderly of
Highland Falls, New York visualized every
detail Of that pleasant town, and wished most
fervently that could be there. But we were
on the bank of the Caqueta, with no one to
help us. and with nothing but tropical jungle
that we did not know stretching for endless
thousands of miles in every direction.
When we went on we saw a group of natives
who stood with rifles in their hands on the
river bank, threatingly awaiting our arrival
We stopped padding, of course, for somehow
five riheS-and these were Immediately aimed
at us-have a qutetng effect on ones activities
r55 The only thing 1 could think to say was
good morning" so I did it, in the most
friendly manner Of which I was capable At
that one of the men detached himself from
the group and came along the bank toward
us, though the Others still kept their rifles
trained on u.s. Then the one who had ad-
vanced addressed us in Spanish-good Spanish
and saw that he was not native at ALL
but was, instead, a white man gotten up to
look like Indian.
After a little conversation learned that he
was Apolinar Cuellar, and after telling me that
he asked who was and what / wanted. In
exchange for my canoe he offered to supply us
with pOrters and guide who would lead us
and carry our small cargo to the Caraparana
trail. Beyond that point, he said, his men
would not go for, he explained, they were
fearful of the PeruvianS.
At La Union, the Peruvian military station
on the Caraparana River were welcomed
by Capt. Raios and Lieut.. Marill, who fed us
and gave us place to sleep.
1t was pleasure to find ourselves once more
In settlement where food was plentiful, and
we made the most of our opportunities. We