Across Unknown South America | Page 3

America.
A mere glance is sufficient to see how well Australia fits in along the
Chilian and Peruvian coast, the great island of New Guinea along part
of Peru and Ecuador, and the west coast of the Central American
Isthmus. The Philippine Islands lay probably in those days alongside of
Guatemala, while California bordered on Japan.
Such immense rivers as the Amazon, and its portentous tributaries
flowing from south to north, were also formed perhaps at that time,
great fissures caused by the sudden splitting and cooling of the earth's
crust becoming the river beds. So perhaps was formed the giant cañon
of Colorado and the immense fissures in the earth's crust that occur in
Central Asia, in Central Africa, and, as we shall see, on the central
plateau of Brazil.
Undoubtedly the Antarctic continent was once joined to South America,
Australia and Africa. During the last Antarctic expeditions it has been
shown that the same geological formation exists in South America as in
the Antarctic plateau. On perusing this book, the reader will be struck
by the wonderful resemblance between the Indians of South America,
the Malay races of Asia, and the tribes of Polynesia. I maintain that
they not only resemble each other, but are actually the same people in
different stages of development, and naturally influenced to a certain
extent by climatic and other local conditions. Those people did not
come there, as has been supposed, by marching up the entire Asiatic
coast, crossing over the Behring Straits and then down the American
coast, nor by means of any other migration. No, indeed; it is not they
who have moved, but it is the country under them which has shifted
and separated them, leaving members of the same race thousands of
miles apart.
I was able to notice among the Indians of Central Brazil many words of
Malay origin, others closely resembling words of languages current
among tribes of the Philippine Islands. The anthropometric
measurements which I took of South American Indians corresponded

almost exactly with those of natives of the Sulu Archipelago and the
island of Mindanao.
I hope some day to use the wealth of material I have collected among
innumerable tribes on the Asiatic coast, on the islands of the Pacific
Ocean, in South America and in Africa, in making a comparative study
of those peoples. It should prove interesting enough. I have no space
here to go deeply into the subject, as this is merely a book descriptive
of South America. I may add that the most ardent supporter of the
above theory is the celebrated explorer and scientist, Colonel Marchand,
of Fashoda fame--a man who has studied and understands the mysteries
of this world better than any man living.
My sincere thanks are due to the following gentlemen for much
politeness shown me in connection with the expedition: To Mr.
Gustave Babin, the famous writer of Paris; to Mr. Manoel Bomfin
(ex-deputy of Brazil), to Senador Alcindo Guanabara, for the keen
interest taken in the expedition and for proposing to Congress after my
return that a grant of £4,000 should be given to me as a reward for the
work done. I herewith also express my gratitude to the Brazilian
Government for paying me that sum, which came in usefully to defray
part of the expenses of the expedition. To H.E. Dr. Pedro de Toledo,
Minister of Agriculture, for the intelligent desire shown to help as
much as he could in the venture, and for kindly giving me the free use
of all the telegraphs in Brazil, including the Amazon Cable, and other
important privileges; to Dr. José Carlos Rodriguez for hospitality and
much valuable advice; to Dr. Paolo de Frontin, Conseilheiro Antonio
Prado, Dr. José Pereira Rebonças and Mr. Mockill and their respective
Companies for the many privileges granted me upon the various
railways of which they were the Presidents; to Colonel R. E. Brazil and
Commandante Macedo for their kind hospitality to me while navigating
the lower Tapajoz river; to Dr. A. B. Leguia, President of the Peruvian
Republic; to the British Ministers at Petropolis, Lima, La Paz, and
Buenos Ayres, and the British Consuls of Rio de Janeiro, Pará, Manaos,
Iquitos, Antofogasta, Valparaiso; finally to the British and American
Residents at all those places for much exquisite hospitality offered me.

Special thanks are due to Mr. Regis de Oliveira, ex-Brazilian Minister
in London, for valuable credentials given me before my departure
which paved the way to the hearty reception I received everywhere in
Brazil.
A. HENRY SAVAGE-LANDOR.
SAVOY HOTEL, LONDON.
September 1913.

CONTENTS
VOL. I
* CHAPTER I The Heart of Brazil--Brazil, its Size and its Immense
Wealth--Rio de Janeiro--Brazilian Men of Genius--São Paulo--The
Bandeirantes--The Paulista Railway pp. 1-25
* CHAPTER II Coffee--The Dumont Railway pp. 26-37
* CHAPTER III