Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
17
In Hostile Territory, Part 2
Ex-party Report from da Cunha to Baron Rio Branco
Senhor Ministro:
So as not to miss the first secure mail that offers itself, here is the quick report that I have the honor
to send to Your Excellency. It naturally has all the imperfections of a work hastily realized, but has no
other end than to give Your Excellency an outline of our efforts. I will have the opportunity to com-
plete and amplify the study in all its points later. Given my hurry, I also ask that you forgive me for not
always having subordinated myself to the norms of official redaction.
The map that travels with this missive will diverge little from the definitive one. Unfortunately, as
muchaswetried,wecouldnotextendittoLábreawithoutunderminingtheoverallqualityofthework.
It is at a scale of 1:100,000 and very useful for addressing your main concerns. The enclosed photos
are just samples that we took in great numbers and that we will send to Your Excellency at an oppor-
tune time. Also, in our next communication I'll send the detailed statistics that I produced on the Purús
between Barcelona and Sobral, which like other clarifications we have left out for lack of time.
Figure 17.1.
Da Cunha leaping from his canoe onto the beach, wearing headgear to protect him from
gnats.
I very respectfully greet your Excellency in the name of all our expedition companions, and with
greatest consideration.
Euclides da Cunha
Field Report
*1
Senhor Ministro:
On my return [to Rio] from the Upper Purús, whose reconnaissance I carried out, I will expound on
the key facts that occurred during our travels, but at the moment I have to attend to many tasks, so I
will limit myself to those topics that most merit attention and which will be detailed or clarified later.
DuringthetripIhadthehonorofsendingYourExcellencymanycommunications.Thesewere,ingen-
eral, incomplete because of the haste with which I wrote them and the absence of the guarantee of a
seal on the letters, which had to pass through many hands prior to arriving in Manaus.
I will remind you of information that I have already presented to you in those missives, and I begin
this exposition with our departure from the confluence of the Chandless—up to that point I know you
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