Appendix A 361 



not have been if they had not written good English. The 

 thought is essential, but ability to give it clear expression 

 is only less essential. Ability to write well, if the writer 

 has nothing to write about, entitles him to mere derision. 

 But the greatest thought is robbed of an immense pro- 

 portion of its value if expressed in a mean or obscure 

 manner. Mr. Haseman has such' excellent thought that 

 it is a pity to make it a work of irritating labor to find 

 out just what the thought is. Surely, if he will take as 

 much pains with his writing as he has with the far more 

 difficult business of exploring and collecting, he will be- 

 come able to express his thought clearly and forcefully. 

 At least he can, if he chooses, go over his sentences until 

 he is reasonably sure that they can be parsed. He can 



way, Fiala's tri^ down the Papagaio, Juruena, and Tapajos was 

 infinitely more important than all the work Mr. Lander did in 

 South America put together). Lieutenants Pyrineus and Mello, 

 mentioned in the body of this work, informed me that they accom- 

 panied Mr. Landor on most of his overland trip before he embarked 

 on the Arinos, and that he simply followed the highroad or else 

 tbe telegraph-line, and furthermore. Colonel Rondon states that the 

 Indians whom Mr. Landor encountered and photographed were 

 those educated at the missions. 



Colonel Rondon's official report to the Brazilian Government and 

 his letter to me are of interest to all geographers and other scientific 

 men who have any concern with the alleged discoveries of Mr. 

 Landor. They contain very grave_ charges, with which it is not 

 necessary for me to deal. Suffice it to say that Mr. Landor's ac- 

 counts of his alleged exploration cannot be considered as entitled 

 to the slightest serious consideration until he has satisfactorily and 

 in' detail answered Colonel Rondon ; and this he has thus far signally 

 failed to do. 



Fortunately, there are numerous examples of exactly the opposite 

 type of work. From the days of Humboldt and Spix and Martius 

 to the present time, German explorers have borne a conspicuous 

 part in the exploration of South America. As representatives of 

 the men and women who have done such capital work, who have 

 fronted every hazard and hardship and labored in the scientific 

 spirit, and who have added greatly to our fund of geographic, 

 biologic, and ethnographic knowledge, I may mention Miss Snethlaf e 

 and Herr Karl von den Steinen, 



