156 Through the Brazihan Wilderness 



peccary. Thus far we had seen but one dog as good as 

 the ordinary cougar hound or bear hound in such packs 

 as those with which I had hunted in' the Rockies and in 

 the cane-brakes of the lower Mississippi. It can hardly 

 be otherwise when every dog that shows himself worth 

 anything is promptly put out of the category of breeders 

 — the theory apparently being that the dog will then last 

 longer. AH the breeding is from worthless dogs, and no 

 dog of proved worth leaves descendants. 



The country along this river is a fine natural cattle 

 country, and some day it will surely see a great develop- 

 ment. It was opened to development by Colonel Rondon 

 only five or six years ago. Already an occasional cattle- 

 ranch is to be found along the banks. When railroads are 

 built into these interior portions of Matto Grosso the 

 whole region will grow and thrive amazingly — and so will 

 the railroads. The growth will not be merely material. 

 An immense amount will be done in education ; using the 

 word education in its broadest and most accurate 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 movement for the vital 

 betterment of his people, the people of Matto Grosso. 

 The poorer people of the back country everywhere suffer 

 because of the harsh and improper laws of debt. In prac- 

 tice these laws have resulted in establishing 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 



