LITTLE TROD TRACTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1862, 23 September 1913, Page 8

LITTLE TROD TRACTS.

OF SOUTH AMERICA,

THE MIGHTY HINTERLAND,

ITS BEAUTY 6 HORROR. Among present visitors to Wellington is the Rev. G. Whitfield Ray, F.R.G.S., a pioneer missionary, who for fourteen years lived in the "Neglected Continent," and earned the title of the "Livingstone of South America." Seen yesterday by a reporter, Mr. Ray gave very interesting reminiscences of hia explorations.

Mr. Ray went to the Argentine as a self-supporting missionary in 1889. This vast tract of the Continent iB 2600 miles from north to south, and contains over 29 million cattle, 77 million sheep, 7} million horses, 5} million mules, and six million other stock. Buehos Ayres, the capital, grows at the rate of 4000 adults a week from oversea influx with a birthrate of 1000 a week added, and it has 189 nowspapers, which aro printed in almost every known language. Here Mr. Ray was stoned by instigation (he believes) of zealots of a creed not his own, had dogs set on him, and was taken to the police station and reprimanded for snatching a bottle from the hand of a boy who was in the act of throwing it at his head. When preaching in Parana he inadvertently dropped a, certain word when, quick as thought, a man dashed at him with gleaming steel, and had not a Paraguayan friend seized his arm th? man's knife would have added one more • victim to the long_ list that fall that way in South America.

Shadowland and the lnoaa. Mr. Rav then proceeded to Bolivia, the Hermit Ropublio of South America, which is a, world in itself —a world of variety in scenery, climate, products, and people. Here, Lake Titicaca, the most wonderful body of water in the world, is quite in the clouds, two and a half miles above sea-level, its-lonely waterß being guarded by gigantic ruins of prehistoric empire, palaces, temples and fortresses, forming silent, mysterious monuments of the long-lost golden age of tfie Incas. Some or. the largest and most remarkable ruins of the world are found on the shores of Titicaca. These include wonderful remains, to build which stones 38 feet long", 18 feet wide, and six feet deep were (married, carried, and elevated. From the Temple of the Sun alone, Pizarro, the Span-ish-conqueror, took 24,000 pounds weight of gold and 82,000 pounds of silver. Mr. Ray formed one of the expedition sent by the Bolivian Government in 1900 to locate and explore Lake Gaiba, on the line dividing Bolivia and Brazil, and during the.voyage the thermometer in the shade registered from 110 to 114 degrees, and, on one or two memorable days, even 118 degrees, whilst in the saloon of the steamer it rose as high as 130 degrees. As Mr. Ray puts it, "Wo seemed to be running right into the brazen sun itself." Little Known Paraguay. Paraguay, which is called the Paradise' of South America, produces so much indigenous tea (called mate) that one year's production would make a cup for every inhabitant of the globe. '•I have visited sixteen different countries," said Mr. Ray, "but I think of Paraguay with tender longing." He added: "Mexico comes first as a land of beggars, and poor Paraguay comes second." Hero whilst one tribe merely loaVes the aged people to die alone, another tribe kills their aged parents, whilst still another tribe will not permit one member to go into the spirit world alone. You can perhaps imagine what that means. "Many are the experiences I have had in the Chaco," continued Mr. Ray, "and some of them haunt me still. The evening camp fire, the glare of which lit up and made more ) hideous still my savag© followers, gorging themselves until covered with filth and gore: the times when, from sheer, hunger, I have, like them, torn up bird or boast and eaten it; the draughts of water from some unspeakable Indian sink " hole; the joiirneys through miles of malarial swamps and pathless wilderness; the revolting food and tho want of food; tli© memory of these is a bad dream from which I must

Adopted by the "Tribe of tho Toad."

After describing Brazil and Uruguay, Mr. Ray went on to state that, ho had lived for fourteen years in South America and had fever thirteen times, and had fraternised with tho wildest of savages, 1500 miles from the nearest railway. All in that region were abso> lutely homeless, and wore no clothing, made no attempt to build the slightest shelter, and slept on the grass at nights. "You can readily understand, said Mr. Ray, "that it was a very hard life. I visited this tribe of savages m company with the AVifcch Doctor, whoso name was 'Father of Kittens. 1 Ho introduced me to tho tribe, who adopted me, and a woman named 'Mop-ilink-alana' painted my faco, with two streaks down each cheek, and one down the centre of myj noso, . whilst _in tho middle of my forehead she painted a toad with yellow dye, this .being the 'l'ribo of tho Toad. The.y gave me tho name of 'Wang-pang-gap-thling-ithma, which, being translated, means, 'big cactus red mouth.' Being one of the tribo 1 had the privilege of travelling without let or hindrance up and down their country. I was trimmed with quite a deck-out of feathers and I, found tlieir lifo very interesting. This tribe had some horriblo customs which I frequently witnessed." Mr. Ray then described these and they were* certainly horrible enough.

Amongst the Sun Worshippers. Asked how ho camo to become an explorer, Mr. Ray stated that he was at first a Baptist missioner, _ but sixteen years ago ho was appointed explorer for the Bolivian Government. Ho discovered a lake and a mountain, and the latter was given tho name of Mount Ray after its discoverer. "My most interesting exploration," Mr. Ray added, "was when I discovered a tribo of Sun Worshippers, right in tho heart of th'o forest. They lived in little huts, and' every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset thoy camo out in procession, led by an old man who was their high priest, and who lived in a hut apart from the rest of the tribe.- In front of his doorway wasan altar on which wis a sacrcd fire. This, tribo claimed that the Sun —their god —turned into a man many moons ago and lit that fire. Ho told the leaders of the tribe that they must never lot the fire dio out or the tribo itself would die. Ever since, that fire has been kept burning, and twice a day the tribe of-260 men and women stand in a lino chanting and rattling gourds." Three Hundred Different Languages. Mr. Ray explained that there wero some 300 distinct and separate Indian tribes in South America, each speaking a different language. "It was a very hard lifo," said Mr. Ray, "and these | tribes were absolutely out of the world; they might just as well have been in the moon. I travelled four months on horseback after covering 2300 miles by river before 1 reached my destination. Thero are tracts of country there as large as Now Zealand on which a white man has never trod. Sir Conan Doyle s novel 'The Lost, Worlddescribes tho heart of Brazil and, though.a novel, is by no means impossible."