up the River of Tapirs 159 



It received no recognition by the geographical societies of 

 Europe or the United States. 



The work done by the original explorers of such a wil- 

 derness necessitates the undergoing of untold hardship 

 and danger. Their successors, even their immediate suc- 

 cessors, have a relatively easy time. Soon the road be- 

 comes so well beaten that it can be traversed without 

 hardship by any man who does not venture from it — 

 although if he goes off into the wilderness for even a day, 

 hunting or collecting, he will have a slight taste of what 

 his predecessors endured. The wilderness explored by 

 Colonel Rondon is not yet wholly subdued, and still holds 

 menace to human life. At Caceres he received notice of 

 the death of one of his gallant subordinates, Captain Car- 

 dozo. He died from beriberi, far out in the wilderness 

 along our proposed line of march. Colonel Rondon also 

 received news that a boat ascending the Gy-Parana, to 

 carry provisions to meet those of our party who were to 

 descend that stream, had been upset, the provisions lost, 

 and three men drowned. The risk and hardship are such 

 that the ordinary men, the camaradas, do not like to go 

 into the wilderness. The men who go with the Tele- 

 graphic Commission on the rougher and wilder work are 

 paid seven times as much as they earn in civilization. On 

 this trip of ours Colonel Rondon met with much difficulty 

 in securing some one who could cook. He asked the cook 

 on the little steamer Nyoac to go with us ; but the cook 

 with unaffected horror responded: "Senhor, / have never 

 done anything to deserve punishment !" 



Five days after leaving us, the launch, with one of the 

 native trading-boats lashed alongside, returned. On the 



