152 THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN WILDERNESS 



sense, as applying to both mind and spirit, to both the 

 child and the man. Colonel Rondon is not merely an 

 explorer. He has been and is now a leader in the move- 

 ment for the vital betterment of his people, the people of 

 Matto Grosso. The poorer people of the back country 

 everj^where suffer because of the harsh and improper laws 

 of debt. In practice these laws have resulted in establish- 

 ing a system of peonage, such as has grown up here and 

 there in our own nation. A radical change is needed in 

 this matter; and the colonel is fighting for the change. 

 In school matters the colonel has precisely the ideas of our 

 wisest and most advanced men and women in the United 

 States. Cherrie — ^who is not only an exceedingly efficient 

 naturalist and explorer in the tropics, but is also a thor- 

 oughly good citizen at home — is the chairman of the school 

 board of the town of Newfane, in Vermont. He and the 

 colonel, and Kermit and I, talked over school matters at 

 length, and were in hearty accord as to the vital educa- 

 tional needs of both Brazil and the United States : the need 

 of combining industrial with purely mental training, and 

 the need of having the wide-spread popular education, 

 which is and must be supported and paid for by the gov- 

 ernment, made a purely governmental and absolutely non- 

 sectarian function, administered by the state alone, with- 

 out interference with, nor furtherance of, the beliefs of any 

 reputable church. The colonel is also head of the Indian 

 service of Brazil, being what corresponds roughly with our 

 commissioner of Indian affairs. Here also he is taking 

 the exact view that is taken in the United States by the 

 stanchest and wisest friends of the Indians. The Indians 

 must be treated with intelligent and sympathetic under- 



