278 THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN WILDERNESS 



system and drainage basin. The rubber-gatherers reported 

 that they had gone many days' journey up the river, to a 

 point where there was a series of heavy rapids with above 

 them the junction-point of two large rivers, one entering 

 from the west. Beyond this they had difficulties because 

 of the hostility of the Indians; and where the junction- 

 point was no one could say. On the chance Colonel Ron- 

 don had directed one of his subordinate officers, Lieutenant 

 Pyrineus, to try to meet us, with boats and provisions, by 

 ascending the Aripuanan to the point of entry of its first 

 big affluent. This was the course followed when Amil- 

 car had been directed to try to meet the explorers who in 

 1909 came down the Gy-Parana. At that time the effort 

 was a failure, and the two parties never met; but we might 

 have better luck, and in any event the chance was worth 

 taking. 



On the morning following our camping by the mouth 

 of the Rio Kermit, Colonel Rondon took a good deal of 

 pains in getting a big post set up at the entry of the smaller 

 river into the Duvida. Then he summoned me, and all 

 the others, to attend the ceremony of its erection. We 

 found the camaradas drawn up in line, and the colonel 

 preparing to read aloud "the orders of the day." To the 

 post was nailed a board with *'Rio Kermit" on it; and the 

 colonel read the orders reciting that by the direction of 

 the Brazilian Government, and inasmuch as the unknown 

 river was evidently a great river, he formally christened 

 it the Rio Roosevelt. This was a complete surprise to me. 

 Both Lauro Miiller and Colonel Rondon had spoken to me 

 on the subject, and I had urged, and Kermit had urged, as 

 strongly as possible that the name be kept as Rio da Du- 



