COLONEL FAWCETT'S SILENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20191, 31 August 1927, Page 12

COLONEL FAWCETT'S SILENCE.

More than two years have passed since news was received of Colonel P. H. Fawcett, who set out in the early part of 1925, | in face of great risks, on an expedition ;to the interior of Brazil. Dr D. G. i Hogarth, in his presidential address to the Royal Geographical Society in London on June 11, referred to the long silence which had followed Colonel Fawcett’s departure, and said: “We hold ourselves in ' readiness to help any competent and "'ellaccredited volunteer party which may | propose to proceed on a reasonable plan to | the interior of Brazil in order to try for I news of Colonel Fawcett. Before his departure, Colonel Fawcett stated that he proposed to go where none but he could hope to penetrate and pass. He insisted ; that no uneasiness need be felt if nothing was heard of his fortunes for two whole years, or even more. His line was to strike north from Cuyaba, in the province of Mat to Grosso, to the head waters of the Xingu, and on reaching the eleventh parallel of south latitude to turn ."*ross ] more than one thousand miles of unknown country to the Atlantic. Almost from ; the start his expedition had to hope to ; live solely on the country, although this, is, in part, of more or loss desert character. Farther on it would have to make contact with the wildest of Indian tribes out of reach of white races. Since Colonel Fawcett more than two years ago left the extreme range of effective Brazilian authority at Bakairi post, all has been dark. No mission of search could attempt to follow him far beyond that point, for if the party that he led could not penetrate and push through, much less can anyone else. The only thing to do will be to prospect in various directions, just so far as is consistent with reason able prospects of safe return, and gather from natives such information of what is beyond as may be procurable.”