Across Unknown South America

CHAPTER XXV

The Blue Mountains--The Cuyaba River--Inaccurate Maps--A Rebellion in Camp--Infamy of Author's Followers--The Lagoa dos Veados and the Seven Lakes--Falling Back on Diamantino--Another Mutiny--Slavery--Descending from the Tableland pp. 399-432

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

VOL. I

THE AUTHOR Photogravure Frontispiece PAGE RIO DE JANEIRO, SHOWING THE BEAUTIFUL AVENIDA CENTRAL 4 RIO DE JANEIRO AS IT WAS IN 1903 8 DR. PEDRO DE TOLEDO, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, BRAZIL 12 SENADOR ALCINDO GUANABARA, A GREAT LITERARY GENIUS AND PATRIOT OF BRAZIL 16 THE MUNICIPAL THEATRE, RIO DE JANEIRO 20 BARON DE RIO BRANCO 24 DR. PASSOS 28 A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL AT THERESOPOLIS 32 ANTONIO PRADO'S COFFEE ESTATE 32 THE STATION AND SHED OF THE GOYAZ RAILWAY, ARAGUARY. MR. LUIZ SCHNOOR AND HIS TWO ENGINEERS 48 TYPICAL TREES OF THE BRAZILIAN FOREST, GOYAZ. THE STEM DEVOID OF BRANCHES AND FOLIAGE UP TO A GREAT HEIGHT 48 AUTHOR DEPARTING FROM MORRO DA MEZA, SHOWING STYLE OF COSTUME WORN DURING THE EXPEDITION 56 ALCIDES AND FILIPPE THE NEGRO 56 GOYAZ RAILWAY IN CONSTRUCTION: THE CUT LEADING TO THE PARANAHYBA RIVER 64 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN CROSSING A STREAM 64 CHARACTERISTIC TYPES OF BRAZILIANS OF THE INTERIOR. (NOTICE THE DEGENERATE FACES AND DEVELOPMENT OF GOITRE) 68 A TYPICAL VILLAGE OF THE PROVINCE OF GOYAZ 68 PICTURESQUE OX-CARTS OF GOYAZ 76 A HOME IN CENTRAL BRAZIL 80 A CLEVER AUTOMATIC POUNDING MACHINE 80 BRAZILIAN PACK-SADDLES 88 A TYPICAL VILLAGE. (THE HIGHER BUILDING IS THE CHURCH) 88 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN ABOUT TO CROSS THE RIVER CORUMBA 96 BURITY PALMS 96 THE PRESIDENT OF GOYAZ AND HIS FAMILY. (GIANT CACTUS IN THE BACKGROUND) 100 THE MAIN SQUARE OF GOYAZ CITY, SHOWING PRISON AND PUBLIC LIBRARY 108 SOME OF THE BAGGAGE AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS USED BY AUTHOR ON HIS EXPEDITION 108 AUTHOR'S SIX FOLLOWERS 112 VIEW OF GOYAZ CITY FROM STA. BARBARA 120 AUTHOR'S MEN PACKING ANIMALS 120 SOME OF AUTHOR'S PACK ANIMALS 128 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN ACROSS THE IMMENSE PRAIRIES OF MATTO GROSSO 144 THE ARAGUAYA RIVER (LOOKING NORTH) 152 THE ARAGUAYA (LOOKING SOUTH) 152 CARAJA INDIAN OF THE UPPER ARAGUAYA RIVER 160 TYPICAL FLAT-TOPPED PLATEAU OF CENTRAL BRAZIL 168 ONE NIGHT'S FISHING ON THE ARAGUAYA 168 THE PAREDAOZINHO 176 TYPICAL SCENERY OF MATTO GROSSO 176 VOLCANIC SCENERY OF MATTO GROSSO (CHAPADA IN FOREGROUND) 184 PECULIAR FORMATION OF CENTRAL PLATEAU 184 CURIOUS DOMES OF LAVA WITH UPPER STRATUM OF EARTH, SAND AND ASHES 192 GREAT UNDULATING CAMPOS OF MATTO GROSSO 192 TYPICAL BRAZILIAN PLATEAU, SHOWING WORK OF EROSION 200 ON THE PLATEAU OF MATTO GROSSO (ALCIDES IN FOREGROUND) 200 A FINE BORORO TYPE ON A VISIT TO AUTHOR'S CAMP 208 BORORO MEN, SHOWING LIP ORNAMENT 216 BORORO MEN 216 BORORO INDIANS 224 BORORO MEN (THE APRONS ARE NOT ACTUALLY WORN) 228 BORORO WARRIORS 232 BORORO WARRIORS 232 THE HORRORS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: BORORO CHILDREN 236 BORORO CHIEF RATTLING GOURDS FILLED WITH PEBBLES, IN ORDER TO CALL MEMBERS OF HIS TRIBE (Coloured Plate) 238 BORORO CHILD SHOWING STRONG MALAY CHARACTERISTICS 240 BORORO GIRLS 244 BORORO GIRLS (SIDE VIEW) 244 BORORO WOMEN, SHOWING METHOD OF CARRYING CHILDREN 248 BOROROS SHOWING FORMATION OF HANDS 248 BORORO WOMEN 252 BORORO WOMEN 252 BOROROS THRASHING INDIAN CORN 256 A BORORO BLIND WOMAN 256 BORORO CHILDREN 260 BORORO WOMEN 260 ISOLATED CONICAL HILLS WITH TOWER-LIKE ROCKY FORMATIONS ON SUMMIT 268 THE ENDLESS CAMPOS OF MATTO GROSSO 268 GEOMETRICAL PATTERN ON THE SURFACE OF A FLOW OF LAVA (CAUSED BY SUDDEN CONTRACTION IN COOLING) 272 THE OBSERVATORY AT THE SALESIAN COLONY. (PADRE COLBACCHINI IN THE FOREGROUND) 280 BORORO WOMEN AND CHILDREN 280 STRANGE FORMATION OF VOLCANIC ROCK 288 VOLCANIC CAVITIES (MATTO GROSSO) 288 A VERTICAL MASS OF SOLID ROCK OF A BRILLIANT RED COLOUR 292 THE PAREDAO GRANDE (MATTO GROSSO) (Coloured Plate) 294 THE PAREDAO GRANDE, SHOWING VERTICAL ROCKS WITH GREAT ARCHES 300 MUSHROOM-SHAPED ROCKS OF VOLCANIC FORMATION 308 A GREAT EARTHQUAKE FISSURE IN THE TERRESTRIAL CRUST (MATTO GROSSO) 308 STRANGE GEOMETRICAL PATTERN OF LAVA OVER GIANT VOLCANIC DOME 316 AUTHOR'S TROOP OF ANIMALS WADING ACROSS A SHALLOW STREAM 324 CENTRAL CLUSTER OF TREES AND PALMS IN A CUVETTE (MATTO GROSSO) 332 A GIANT WAVE OF LAVA 332 STRANGE ROCK-CARVINGS OF MATTO GROSSO 336 WEIRD LUNAR EFFECT WITNESSED BY AUTHOR (Coloured Plate) 340 A GIANT QUADRANGULAR BLOCK OF ROCK 344 ROCK-CARVINGS IN MATTO GROSSO 344 A PICTURESQUE WATERFALL ON THE S. LOURENCO RIVER 352 A CANON OF MATTO GROSSO 356 HOW AUTHOR'S ANIMALS ROLLED DOWN TRAILLESS RAVINES 360 HIDEOUS TYPES CHARACTERISTIC OF CENTRAL BRAZIL. TWO WOMEN (LEFT) AND TWO MEN (RIGHT) 364 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN MARCHING ACROSS TRAILLESS COUNTRY 368 THE RONCADOR RIVER 368 FOSSIL SKULL OF A GIANT ANIMAL DISCOVERED BY AUTHOR (SIDE VIEW) 376 FOSSIL SKULL OF GIANT ANIMAL (SEEN FROM UNDERNEATH) 376 A GRAND ROCK ("CHURCH ROCK") 384 CHURCH ROCK (SIDE VIEW) 384 QUADRANGULAR ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONNECTED BY NATURAL WALL OF ROCK WITH THE VERTICAL-SIDED RANGE IN BACKGROUND 388 QUADRANGULAR ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOWING ROCKY WALL CONNECTING IT WITH THE NEIGHBOURING RANGE 392 AUTHOR'S CARAVAN IN THE HEART OF MATTO GROSSO 392 A GIANT DOME OF LAVA 396 CAMPOS AND CHAPADA OF MATTO GROSSO 396 MARVELLOUS SCENERY OF THE CENTRAL BRAZILIAN PLATEAU. "CHURCH ROCK" STANDING IN THE CENTRE (Coloured Plate) 400 A STREET OF DIAMANTINO 404 THE DOGS OF THE EXPEDITION 404 MATTO-GROSSO GIRL, A MIXTURE OF PORTUGUESE, INDIAN AND NEGRO BLOOD 412 BRAZILIAN CHILD, A MIXTURE OF PORTUGUESE AND NEGRO 412 MAP SHOWING AUTHOR'S ROUTE 432 MAP SHOWING THE ARINOS AND ARINOS-JURUENA RIVERS 432

CHAPTER I. The Heart of Brazil--Brazil, Its Size and Its Immense Wealth--Rio

The Heart of Brazil--Brazil, its Size and its Immense Wealth--Rio de Janeiro--Brazilian Men of Genius--Sao Paulo--The Bandeirantes--The Paulista Railway

"MORE than three months to reach the spot?" asked the cinematograph man in amazement. "Then perhaps Monsieur is on a journey to Mars or the moon! There is no spot on earth that takes so long to reach." (Hearty laughter at his own wit.)

That exclamation, and wise words that follow, came from the assistant of one of the largest firms of cinematograph appliances in Paris, where I had called in order to purchase a moving picture apparatus and 10,000 metres of film to be used on my forthcoming journey across the South American continent.

The shop assistant had very honestly warned me that if the films were to be used in a damp, tropical climate, they must be exposed and developed within three months of their manufacture. After that time they would become so perforated and fogged as to be quite useless. I had remarked that it would take me more than three months to reach the spot where I should begin to take cinematograph pictures.

"Will Monsieur please tell where is the spot where he would be likely to use the films?" continued the assistant, still overcome with surprise.

"In the heart of Brazil."

"In the heart of Brazil ... in the very heart of Brazil?... Oh, mon Dieu! mon Dieu!" (More laughter and a look of compassion at me.) "Mais nous avons une de nos maisons tout a fait pres de la!" (Why, indeed, we have one of our factories quite close to there.)

It was then my turn for hearty laughter and the look of compassion.

"Pray," I inquired, "tell me more exactly. Where is your factory close to the heart of Brazil?"

"It is quite, quite close. It is in Montreal, Canada.... You will send your films there ... two or three days' journey.... It will take us a week to develop them ... two or three days for their return journey. In a fortnight you will have them back again."

Quite close, indeed: only a distance of some 65 deg. of latitude--or some 7170 kilometres as the crow flies--with no direct communication by land or water!

That was the Frenchman's knowledge of geography; but I find that the average Englishman, unless he is directly interested in those countries, knows little better, and perhaps even less. Time after time I have been asked in London if Brazil were not a province of Mexico, and whether it is not through Brazil that the Americans are cutting the Panama Canal! There are many who have a vague idea that Brazil is a German colony; others, more patriotic, who claim it as an English possession. Many of those who have looked at the map of the world are under the impression that Spanish is spoken in Brazil, and are surprised when you tell them that Portuguese happens to be the local language. Others, more enlightened in their geography by that great play Charley's Aunt, imagine it a great forest of nut trees. Others, more enlightened still, believe it to be a land where you are constantly walking in avenues adorned with wonderful orchids, with a sky overhead swarming with birds of beautiful plumage. I have been asked in all seriousness whether I found the Andes quite flat--great prairies (the person had heard of the Argentine pampas and got mixed up)--or whether "it" was merely a large lagoon!

I could quote dozens more of these extreme cases of ignorance, but of one thing I am certain, and that is, that there are few people in the British Isles who realize the actual size of the great Brazilian Republic.

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