44^ Heath's Bolivian Explorations . [August, 
largest portion of Bolivia, found a slow and toilsome transit 
on the backs of mules over two chains of Cordilleras with 
their barren connecting plateau, and, when once embarked 
on the Pacific Ocean, made a long voyage around Cape 
Horn, or through the Straits of Magellan. The exploration 
of the Beni River in 1880, by Dr. E. R. Heath, was there- 
fore an important event to that Republic, because the natural 
outlet for the largest portion of Bolivia is through the Ama- 
zon and its affluents to the Atlantic Ocean. 
Previous attempts had been made to find a river outlet to 
the Amazon. Palacios, Prefect of the Department of the 
Beni, was commissioned by his Government in 1846 to ex- 
plore the fluvial outlets of Bolivia. He descended the 
Mamore and Madeira Rivers as far as the lowest fall in 
Brazil, and ascended the Beni River 18 miles, where a fall 
placed an obstruction to his further progress. The same 
year a Prussian named Bursa attempted, with one hundred 
and fifty men and ten canoes, to ascend the Beni River. 
According to his report he encountered hostile Indians, and, 
all his ammunition having been exhausted in conflicts with 
them, he was compelled to return. His men claim that 
they ascended the river for thirty days, and were occupied 
ten days in descending it. As they found no rapids, but 
discovered a large island where there were hills and floating 
patches of foam on the river, it is believed they only ascended 
12 miles. Lieut. Gibbon was sent out in 1852 by the United 
States Government, but did not succeed in opening the Beni 
River. 
Prof. James Orton, accompanied by Dr. J. D. Heath, 
attempted in 1877, as the crowning work of his South 
American explorations, to unveil the mysteries of this un- 
known region, over which had hung a superstitious fear for 
more than three centuries. But his twelve Bolivian soldiers, 
to whom he had paid in advance 1200 dollars in gold for 
their services during the expedition, mutinied, on account 
of their fear of encountering cannibals on the Beni River. 
While in camp beside the Mamore, which they had descended 
in canoes to within 24 miles of the mouth of the Beni, 
about 4 o’clock one afternoon, they suddenly placed their 
bayonets at the breast of Prof. Orton, and held them there 
defiantly a few moments in silence, and then marched off in 
a body. Taking possession of one of the boats, they drove 
into it ten of the Indian rowers at the point of the bayonet, 
and then turned the prow of the boat up stream, and left 
Prof. Orton to his fate. Forced to abandon his expedition 
Prof. Orton turned back heart-broken. When he reached 
