TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 8

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

There is still a large field Surgery for exploration in South in the America. Following on Jungle. Mr Landor's story of ad-

venture in Brazil, which wo summarised in these columns a few months »go, comes a tale of successful exploration.and dreadful hardship, told by Dr. Hamilton Rice, an American. Dt. Bice wont to Bogotaj the capital of Colombia, and then struck into Brazil, coming out at Manaoe, a thousand miles up the Amazon. He traversed 100,000 square . miles of almost unknown country, and his march was a record of "bad weather and physical horrors which only South America can supply, of insects which made existence horrible, of periods of starvation and consequent mutiny, and the constant presence of disease." At one stage his party could only cover three miles a day, every yard having to be cot with machetes and axes. The country wae intersected by hundreds of small streams, which swarmed with a savage sword-fish, "whose attack inflicted an ugly eeptic wound. Attacks by these fish caused Dr. Rice to suffer greatly from ulcers,'and ho had to operate on himself in the jungle without assistance. The operation, in which he cut down to tho bone, was done by candle-light, and lasted two hours. He also performed over a hundred operation on Indians under the most primitive conditions, without tbe services of an anesthetist. One man, suffering from anthrax, was operated on three times, and recovered. Some of this surgical work was done amid starvation and other physical miseries. "We were reduced to one meal of monkey per day. Continuous thunderstorms, with great trees being struck by lightning all round ns, made our, retreat a perfect nightmare. Soon we hod to abandon everything except our hammocks. Presently the rain stopped and myriads of ants, 2>e£* and mosquitoes came out and further tortured us. Our condition was desperate. Every day the eyes of my people assumed a more curious and glassy appearance, our faces became sunken and an ashy yellow, and we were so depressed that we rarely exchanged a word. One of the men lost all power of speech, and could only whino like an animal." It was under such conditions that Dr. Rico had to do some of his difficult and delicate work, and his success is a tribute to his race and his training. The career of a "whisky In deputy" in the "Wild the West" must be an cx"WiM. tremely thrilling one. West." judging from some of the incidents in the life of Mr W. E. Johnson, who for a number of years was at the head of the service organised by Mr Roosevelt to suppress the illicit sale of liquor to the Indians. "'Pussyfoot" is the name by which Mr Johnson went among the outlaws of the Western States, a sobriquet which testifies to the caHike secrecy and swiftness of his methods. One incident related by "Pussy-foot" himself in the "Daily Teleerapb" serves to show the dangerour character of the "whisky deputy's" work. A surveyor having reported that owing to a mistake in demarcation a tract of land three-quarters of a mile long and 12 feet across at its widest part existed which did not belong technically to either Kansas or Indian Territory, three gaol-birds conceived tho idea, of setting tip a drinking and gambling establishment on this noman's land. Drink being taboo in

both Kansas and Indian Territory, the three men naturally expected a roaring trade. A house 60ft by 12ft was built, containing a gambling don and a saloon, which rapidly became the crimecentre of the district. The United States Commissioner in Indian Territory was communicated with, and Mr Johnson was sent out to deal with the situation. "Pussy-foot" realised that half measures would be worse than useless. With one. companion he arrived suddenly on the scene, "held up" tho three law-breakers, and wrecked the place, smashing every bottle of drink, and burning the whole, of the furniture* and gambling outfit. Tho men were convicted, and one of them is still sen-ing a life-sentence for murder. Another of tho men, Lewis, on the expiry of his term, swore that he would have the lives of "Pussy-foot" and his companion. "When I heard that." saw Mr Johnson, <; I just rode into Bartleyville and made a little play at Lewis's livery stable, but he wouldn't come out. I saw I had taken tho sand out of him, and I rode away." Shortly after Lewis was killed in an affray with a couple of deputy sheriffs. Mr Johnson's fame as an enemy of the illicit liquor trade was so great that the owners of several gambling dons in Indian Territory on one occasion combined, and offered 3000dol. as a reward for his murder. One man, at least, was killed in mistake for him, and half the reward was spent in a glorious drinking-bout hy the assassins before they discovered their error. During hLs six years at the head of the preventive service Mr Johnson smashed over half a million bottles of whisky, burned out 76 saloons and gambling places, and had 3400 men cent to gaol.

Some months ago wo pubPolito lished particulars of the Bargees, movement .iniong Medway

bargemen to abolish tho bad language that is traditionally associated with this kind of sailor. Readers of Mr W. W". Jacobs's stories will bo interested to learn that, according to tho "Datly Mail," the movement is making fine progress. In future it will bo a libel to write of these bargemen that tbo barge was brought alongside "under the able profanity of the mate." Many of the men have joined the Bargemen's Brotherhood founded by the Vicar of Sittingbourne, and besides doing their best to suppress bad language, are cultivating graceful manners and attending garden parties. But it has been a hard struggle. The mate of the barge Belinda, who was unloading sacks of coal without saying anything rude to the ehip'e cat that would get between his legs, said it was ''like 'avin' to speak a new language all of a sudden, and thore was some shockin' mistakes made." But it had been very funny sometimes. "Myekipper, 'c 'as a terrible temper, and when 'c tried to say wot 'c thought o , tho cat when she upset 'is breakfast on 'is shore-going suit, we thought ho was goin , to 'aye a fit. Nearly burst a blood-vessel, 'c did. I 'ad a 'ard time of it meself, too, and more'n onco I 'ad to give the boy a good 'idin' to relieve my feelin's. Sometimes down 'ere you'd see three or fouT men stampin' around and waving their fists in the air. They simply didn't dare to open, their mouths for fear of saying somethin' they ought not. They 'aye to do all manner of things to keep themselves 'from breakin' out liko they used to. Some of them tries to -whistle, but most /of them finds it's a good thing to put something in their mouths, not solid things, you know, ?cause they might swallow them." The mate drew the visitor's attention to a man near-by who looked "as if Yd swallowed a •wasp." Th© man, who showed signs of suffering extreme agony, suddenly ran hard in the direction of a public-house. "It's getting too much fr 'im. He's going to put/something in. his mouth. It'e tm? only way. Think I'll go and see how Vs getting along." Apparently -the hint was taken, and the mate put something in his month at the visitor's expense.