i88 Through the BraziHan Wilderness 



inally, as described in the first chapter, my trip was under- 

 taken primarily in the interest of the American Museum 

 of Natural History of New York, to add to our knowl- 

 edge of the birds and mammals of the far interior of the 

 western Brazilian wilderness ; and the labels of our bag- 

 gage and scientific equipment, printed by the museum, 

 were entitled "Colonel Roosevelt's South American Ex- 

 pedition for the American Museum of Natural History." 

 But, as I have already mentioned, at Rio the Brazilian 

 Government, through the secretary of foreign affairs. 

 Doctor Lauro Miiller, suggested that I should combine 

 the expedition with one by Colonel Rondon, which they 

 contemplated making, and thereby make both expeditions 

 of broader scientific interest. I accepted the proposal 

 with much pleasure ; and we found, when we joined Col- 

 onel Rondon and his associates, that their baggage and 

 equipment had been labelled by the Brazilian Govern- 

 ment "Expedi^ao Scientifica Roosevelt-Rondon." This 

 thenceforth became the proper and official title of the 

 expedition. Cherrie and Miller did the chief zoological 

 work. The geological work was done by a Brazilian 

 member of the expedition, Euzebio Oliveira. The astro- 

 nomical work necessary for obtaining the exact geo- 

 graphical location of the rivers and points of note was to 

 be done by Lieutenant Lyra, under the supervision of 

 Colonel Rondon; and at the telegraph stations this 

 astronomical work would be checked by wire communi- 

 cations with one of Colonel Rondon's assistants at Cu- 

 yaba. Lieutenant Caetano, thereby securing a minutely 

 accurate comparison of time. The sketch-maps and sur- 

 veying and cartographical work generally were to be 



