Evening star., 1952-01-11
Exploring the Orinoco'

It was with much interest that I read
The Stars editorial, Exploring the Ori-
noco," on DR.. Jose M. Cruxent's message
of Greeting From the Headwaters of
the Orinoco River" sent to DR.. Charles
B. Hitchcock, executive secretary of the
American Geographic Society. The edi-
torial states that eff this means that
the expedition sponsored by the gov
ernment of Venezuela actually reached
the source of the great stream referred
to- a notable triumph of man over ma
ture must have been achieved" That
is very true statement. The difficult
ties involved in overcoming the endless
series of rapids and falls, particularly
in the non-rainy season, are much
greater than the average home-sitting
geographer can easily imagine. To trace
this enormous river to its source during
the rainy season when the torrential
doWnpour of water increases the size
Of the flow as the river narrowS toward
its origin in the Sierra Parma and per-
mits the passage of dugouts loaded with
equipment is less difficult but by no
means an easy task.
AS a member of the American expedi-
tion led by the late Herbert S. Dickey,
which discovered and mapped the source
of the Orinoco in 1881, can easily re-
call many Of the difficulties involved in
overcoming the strength of the current
as it surged around the huge boulders
and rocky curves of the river This
expedition was deliberately planned to
coincide with the rainy season so that the
dugout could be floated through diff
cult portions of the river which because
Of the lack of a sufficient amount of
water had defeated the attempts of
earlier expeditions It is possible that
when the full reports of DR.. Cruxent are
read, it will be found that his party
reached the source by following the
final upper reaches of the river afoot
when their boats could no longer be
foated upstream. On more than 20 oc-
casions the Dickey party, with the help
of the Marquitari Indians, had to drag
their boats ashore and cut trails through
the jungle to get them around the sue
ceeding rapids and falls and into the
quieter water above.
Your editorial only infers, while ear
lier news appearing in New York and
"ooAAAA5OOAA " PokOAS AAaFC 4A1O4C OpCC41ls
cally stated, that DR.. Cruxent's expedi-
ton is the first of many to penetrate
this turbulent river to its source The
record shows that it was not the first.
Without detracting in the least from
the successful conquest of DR.. Cruxent' S
expedition, believe it is only fair to
ask you to give DR.. Herbert S. Dickey
the credit of leading the expedition
which discovered the source of the Ori-
noco River. July IA, 1881. His persist
ence in organizing this expedition after
two attempts which did not succeed was
characteristic of this exploring American
physician whose affection for our good
neighbors in Latin America was so well
known.
It was my good fortune when the
final small rapids proved too steep to
permit further progress by water, to be
assigned by DR.. Dickey to climb nearby
mountain in order to report what lay
ahead. The thrill of sighting the end
of the narrow valley nosing into the
ridge of the Sierra Parma miles ahead
temporarily erased the memory of the
previous weeks of grueling toll I can
fully appreciate the feelings which must
have been experienced by DR.. Cruxent
and members Of his party.
Sargent B. Child.