By Captain Paul McNamee Frontier Partisans New England Ranging Company
(Editor’s Note: Captain McNamee has a particular interest in the wilds of South America. His report on the Roosevelt-Rondon expedition has been recovered from a chest full of documents that was dredged from the River of Lost Souls after a dugout overturned during the relocation of Frontier Partisans headquarters).
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In 1914, former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was restless, as usual. Embarking to South America for speaking engagements and a ‘cruise on the Amazon.’ Roosevelt instead was courted by the Brazilian government to engage in an expedition to explore “the River of Doubt.” The river was uncharted and unknown to white men. Roosevelt, ever craving adventure and another claim to fame — this time, as a bona fide explorer — seized the chance.
The expedition was co-led by Candido Rondon, a famed Brazilian explorer who had spent years running telegraph lines through the unforgiving Amazonian rain forests. Rondon was the “Lewis and Clark of Brazil.” Wiry, 5’3″, he already had numerous credits to his name by way of discovering unknown rivers and unknown — sometimes hostile — native tribes. (Rondon has even been declared as a Badass Of The Week, deservedly so.
PBS’s American Experience—which had covered the Roosevelt clan’s sweeping saga in 2014—returned to that fertile ground in 2018 with the premiere of Into The Amazon. The nearly two-hour film detailing the exploits of the Roosevelt-Rondon expedition.
The Americans — fitted out for a “river cruise” — were both over-equipped and ill-equipped. Needing to hike through dense forest just to reach the mouth of the river, pack animals where shed of extra weight. Some of the provisions would be sorely missed later in the expedition.
The Brazilian forest swallows people whole — swarming insects, drenching rains, flood-swollen rivers, rapids, disease, and bacteria. It wasn’t long before the usual tribulations of men put together in a hostile environment began to manifest. A dearth of game, hunger, discomfort, alpha wolf bickering between Roosevelt and Rondon. There would even be murder before they were through.
“South America makes up for its lack, relatively to Africa and India, of large man-eating carnivores by the extraordinary ferocity or bloodthirstiness of certain small creatures of which the kinsfolk elsewhere are harmless.”
– Roosevelt, Through The Brazilian Wilderness
Infection nearly killed Roosevelt, who at one point told the others to go on without him. Rough Rider, cowboy, big game hunter, Roosevelt did not conquer the River of Doubt–he survived it.
I, of course, would like to have seen more details concerning Candido Rondon but there is enough information here to impress. For his efforts, Roosevelt was awarded a medal from the National Geographic Society. He insisted a medal be struck for Rondon, as well.
Into The Amazon is a worthy viewing for any of us Frontier Partisans. It is now available streaming on various platforms and on DVD.
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A curious tangent:
I had only learned of Rondon recently from a most unexpected source: Tarzan.
In 1966, the movie Tarzan And The Valley Of Gold was novelized (with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.’s approval) by none other than Fritz Leiber. Leiber elevated the story from its limited budget and clunky plot into a fully fleshed out novel. One change (among many) Leiber made was to move the action from Mexico into the Brazilian jungle. Leiber did his research, including visits to the Brazilian consulate. The result is a Tarzan adventure in South American that rings with veracity and history.
“…Servico de Protecao Aos Indios, SPI, we call it for short.”
“You’ve probably heard something of that service, Tarzan,” Juarez interjected. “It was established at the beginning of the century by a Brazilian Army major, Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon, later a great friend of the American president Theodore Roosevelt. The state of Rondonia…is named for him. He died only in 1958 after a long lifetime spent in making the Service an instrument for help and pacification of the Indians, without interfering with their way of life or tribal customs. …”
Tarzan nodded. “And I know its great motto: ‘Die if necessary, but never kill’–a motto several of Rondon’s men literally lived up to.”
Tarzan And The Valley Of Gold, the movie, is available streaming and on DVD. The novelization by Leiber is out-out-print in North America, unfortunately. There is an e-book version available in the UK. We can hope it will be reprinted or digitized for more markets in the future.
Rick Schwertfeger says
Bravo, Paul. Loved it. I’ve read about the expedition. But I didn’t see the PBS show. Now I’ll watch it.
Paul McNamee says
Thanks Rick!
I’ve been enjoying your posts, too!
Matthew says
Great piece!
About Leiber he was always professional. In his novel Our Lady of Darkness his character Frank Weston is writing a media tie in piece but he believes in doing his best even then. I consider his Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories classics of sword and sorcery.
Paul McNamee says
True. Probably self-referential. You can tell he did a ton of research. Pre-Internet, of course. He visited the Brazilian consulate. He either knew from memory or re-read a bunch of the original Tarzan novels, too–there are lots of cross references to other adventures.
I am reading Philip Jose Farmer’s TARZAN AND THE DARK HEART OF TIME now. I am enjoying it, and yet I can’t help feel Leiber had a better handle on the character.
Matthew says
I read Dark Heart of Time a couple years ago and enjoyed it. I also read the Tarzan novel that Joe Lansdale completed from a Burroughs manuscript. I haven’t read Valley of Gold unfortunately.
Paul McNamee says
One more Brazilian connection;
Mike Henry starred as Tarzan in three movies; TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD, TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER, and TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY.
TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD was filmed on location in Mexico.
TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER and TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY were filmed on location in Brazil. They were also shot back-to-back. TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER takes place in South America. In TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY, Brazil substitutes for an African setting.
This makes for some silly mismatch moments of stock wildlife footage and reuse of footage between the movies. The flora, fauna, and natives are quite mixed up. 😀
deuce says
Yeah, I learned about Rondon from the same source! Good ol’ Fritz.
lane batot says
Great post! I DID see the PBS “American Experience” episode–ENTHRALLING! And I’ve read of many of Rondon’s ensuing followers and their struggles to protect the Amazonian Indian tribes–the struggle that still goes on today……I also have the Fritz Leiber novelization of the first of the Mike Henry Tarzan films(found it cheapo in a used bookstore years ago)–definitely better than the actual film. All those films are FRUSTRATING to me, as they had such potential(unrealized). There are moments in each that make them worthwhile(for the true Tarzan fan) to watch, but definitely “B” films, for sure! As, alas, most Tarzan films are…. The behind-the-scenes tales of the filming are FAR more interesting–the on-location efforts being rather rugged themselves! Physically, Mike Henry was perhaps one of the BEST of the film Tarzans, in that he fit the Burrough’s descriptions of his character best, as well as Tarzan being–at least AFTER his civilized education in adulthood–the more worldly personage of most of the 24 novels. The filming was so debilitating, however, that Henry ended up sueing his employers, and refusing to continue with a proposed TV series, which DID get done, with Ron Ely(who ALSO has HIS share of interesting tales about rough filming conditions and many injuries!). But the films, alas, do not live up to the real-life adventures of the actual filming! I saw them all as a kid, and was entertained by them then, so they have some sentimental value to me now…..Andas for Teddy R.–I also certainly enjoyed his own account of his grandiose African Safari–where he fared a lot better than he did in the Amazon! WHAT a President! If only we could have one of his caliber today……
Paul McNamee says
Agreed on all points, Lane.
I enjoy the movies as rainy weekend matinees. I’ve re-watched the later Gordon Scott movies with my son and he really enjoyed them. Seeing as how he is an 8 yr old in the 21st century used to CGI and video games, I’m happy he’s getting a kick out of the old movies.
They’re fun!
lane batot says
Of course, the last two or three Gordon Scott efforts were probably the BEST, most realistic, gritty, well-done Tarzan movies to date. They were serious movies made for adults(which I still appreciated as a kid). No doubt the Johnny Weissmuller efforts(especially the first few) were BLOCKBUSTERS in their day, and I think still great FUN now–they certainly created marvelous fantasy worlds in the “jungle”. And I did think the most recent effort was good(despite the inevitable, tiresome, urban critic, politically correct set, automatic knee-jerk negativity towards such). But I’m STILL waiting for a definitive, Burrough’s-esque effort. And a REAL Howard’s-esque Conan, for that matter! If they can do Tolkien decently and fairly faithfully on film, why not these authors and characters?
JimC says
The eternal question…
Matthew says
It takes someone who has a love of the material but also a deep understanding of it. They also have to restrain their own creative desires if they are out of sync with the original work.
JimC says
Neither party would have TR nowadays. Too liberal for the right and too “aggressively masculine” for the left. Which explains why I have no political home.
Paul McNamee says
“hard same,” as the kids today would say.
lane batot says
…which also explains WHY we need such a Prez these days!!!
Ugly Hombre says
The Amazon expedition broke TR’s health- the man was amazing- a tough smart rugged individual- not born that way- he made himself what he wanted to be.
But the tropics and infection weakened him at the end.
He had a ju jitsu gym in the white house for a while and a Japanese instructor.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/vintage-jiu-jitsu-lessons-theodore-roosevelts-personal-instructor/
http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-strenuous-life-theodore-roosevelts-mixed-martial-arts
He voluntarily subjected himself to a staggering number of brutal sparring sessions with championship-caliber fighters,” writes Finkel. “Boxers; wrestlers; martial artists—it didn’t matter to Roosevelt. If they’d be willing to punch him in the face or pin him to the ground, he’d take them on. He felt it was the only way he could maintain his ‘natural body prowess.’”
“In a further effort to maintain said natural body prowess (and to control his weight, which was expanding in the early twentieth century), Roosevelt took judo lessons from Japanese master Yoshiaki (Yoshitsugu) Yamashita. He’d acquired a taste for the sport when a wrestling instructor taught him a few moves he’d picked up while working in Japan and was eager to learn more. Roosevelt then practiced those moves on every willing participating/victim he could find.”
He was a hardened western boxer and had champ wrestlers train him in the white house as well.
A man- who could kill with either hand- bully! *
We will never see his likes in the White House again.
* Translation to 2019 lingo “cool as hell!” lol
wayne says
I could go on about my hero, Theodore Roosevelt, all day. I’ll spare ya’ll that and, instead, put in a plug for Candice Millard’s excellent account of the Colonel’s Amazon adventure, The River of Doubt. It’s the best thing I’ve read on the journey. More Tarzan!
Paul McNamee says
RIVER OF DOUBT is on the wishlist now. Thanks!
Keith West says
Great post, Paul. I wasn’t aware of the PBS film. I have a copy of THE RIVER OF DOUBT around here somewhere. I need to dig it out and read it.
Paul McNamee says
Thanks, Keith.
Now to get ERB Inc to pay me to write a Roosevelt 1909 African safari Meets Tarzan and Fights a Sino Assassination/Revenge Squad novella!
Bully!
Keith West says
I would buy and read that.