CHAPTER XVI 

 THE DESCENT OF THE RIO GY-PARANA 



WHILE we were on the Paraguay River it was decided 

 that upon reaching the Rio da Duvida the expedition should 

 be divided into two sections, as a large party always de- 

 creases the chances of success in an unexplored region. 

 Colonel Roosevelt suggested that Cherrie and I draw lots, 

 or to settle the matter in any way we chose as to which 

 one should accompany him. After due consideration it 

 seemed to me that, as Cherrie* was the older and more ex- 

 perienced man, he was justly entitled to accompany the 

 colonel on the journey down the new river; so I volunteered 

 to join the party which planned to descend the Gy-Parana. 



The eventful day arrived at last, when the expedition 

 must separate; we had looked forward in eager anticipa- 

 tion to the end of the long ride across the Brazilian chapa- 

 dao and the beginning of river work, but now that the goal 

 had been attained without serious mishap, thirty-seven days 

 after leaving the Upper Paraguay, the division of the expe- 

 dition seemed to have come all too soon. 



To better organize the two different forces, our party 

 had halted at a point called Sete de Setembro, ten kilo- 

 metres this side of the Rio da Duvida, while the other 

 division had pushed on to the point of embarkation. We 

 reached their camp early February 27, 1914, just as the 

 tents were being taken down and the canoes loaded, pre- 

 paratory to the plunge into the unknown. A short time 

 later everything was in readiness, and farewells were ex- 

 changed with Colonel Roosevelt and with the Brazilian 

 officers. Then, with a parting "Good luck !" their dugouts 

 swung into the current and were whisked away. For sev- 

 eral minutes we stood upon the fragile structure that 

 bridged the unexplored river and stared at the dark forest 



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