The Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific-Expedition and the Telegraph Line Commission


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

The Roosevelt–Rondon Scientific Expedition was the famous survey that took place in 1913-14 to follow the path of the Rio da Dúvida ("River of Doubt") in the Amazon basin. The expedition was jointly led by Theodore Roosevelt, the former President of the United States, and Colonel Cândido Rondon, the Brazilian military engineer known for his explorations of the Western Amazon Basin and his lifelong support of Brazilian indigenous populations. Almost from the start, the expedition was fraught with problems: diseases left the explorers in a constant state of sickness; the canoes were unsuitable to the rapids and were lost; the food provisions were unsufficient, and the encounters with animals and wild native tribes, a source of concern. Of the 19 men who went on the expedition, only 16 returned. On October 1915, the Brazilian leader of the expedition, Colonel Cândido Rondon gave three public lectures in Rio de Janeiro, in which he offered his first hand account of the Roosevelt-Rondon Expedition and of his more encompassing work of laying telegraph lines across the wilderness of Brazil, allowing for the integration of the recent Republic. Throughout his life, Rondon laid over 4,000 miles of telegraph line through the jungles of Brazil, while opening roads, clearing lands, mapping the land, and establishing cordial relations with the Indians. He maintained contact with several indigenous peoples. In his lectures, translated into English soon after their publication in Portuguese, besides describing all the adventures of the exploration of the Amazon, also told by Roosevelt in his well known “Through the Brazilian Wilderness”, Rondon shows his concern and support of the native population, showing a perspective of pacifism and respect towards them which was in stark contrast to the usual treatment received by those peoples at the time. - Summary by Leni (9 hr 51 min)

Chapters

Preface 31:53 Read by KevinS
First Lecture, Introduction 9:51 Read by ToddHW
First Lecture, Part 1. Origin of the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition; Or… 15:15 Read by ToddHW
First Lecture, Part 2. Ascent of the River Paraguay to Corumbá; ratification of… 18:09 Read by CodySpain
First Lecture, Part 3. Jaguar hunting on the River São Lourenço; Visit to the c… 14:45 Read by CodySpain
First Lecture, Part 4. Ascent of the river Sepotuba and arrival at Tapirapoan; … 14:25 Read by Rita Boutros
First Lecture, Part 5. Formation of a new sub-party for the exploration of the … 23:19 Read by Rita Boutros
Second Lecture, Part 1. Reconnoissance and exploration of the river Dúvida; Geo… 25:54 Read by Rita Boutros
Second Lecture, Part 2. Exploration and survey of the river Dúvida from Passo d… 22:17 Read by Rita Boutros
Second Lecture, Part 3. Passing the rapids. Death of Simplicio. Adoption of the… 28:17 Read by Rita Boutros
Second Lecture, Part 4. Difficulties of the voyage and serious incidents; Death… 34:47 Read by TriciaG
Second Lecture, Part 5. Identification of the Alto Castanha; Indian tribes 28:33 Read by Rita Boutros
Second Lecture, Part 6. Meeting of the Roosevelt-Rondon Expedition with Lieuten… 21:39 Read by Rita Boutros
Second Lecture, Part 7. Examination of the criticism of a Portuguese geographer… 27:50 Read by TriciaG
Third Lecture, Part 1. Review of work done from 1907 to 1911: Exploration and r… 20:50 Read by Leni
Third Lecture, Part 2. Resume of the construction work from 1911 to December 19… 29:52 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 3. From José Bonifácio to Barão Melgaço, purveying by the r… 21:27 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 4. From Barão Melgaço to Pimenta Bueno and thence to Arikem… 14:49 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 5. Notes on the construction of the branch lines of Santo A… 19:10 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 6. Geographical exploration accompanied by notes relative t… 14:32 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 7. Affluents of the Guaporé; Basin of the river Madeira; Ja… 21:13 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 8. Region comprised between the Gy-Paraná and the river Roo… 20:27 Read by Rita Boutros
Third Lecture, Part 9. Lieutenant Marques de Souza’s expedition to reconnoitre … 41:52 Read by TriciaG
Third Lecture, Part 10. Exploration of the rivers Sangue and Papagaio 23:41 Read by Leni
Third Lecture, Part 11. Exploration of the river Arinos 20:50 Read by Leni
Third Lecture, Part 12. Exploration of the river formerly called São Manoel 25:37 Read by TriciaG