Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1914 — KING’S MEDAL TO AMERICAN [ARTICLE]

KING’S MEDAL TO AMERICAN

Dr. Rice of Boston Honored for Perilous Explorations in South America. j. London, England. —The Royal geographical society has awarded the king’s gold medal to Dr. Hamilton Rice of Boston, Mass., for his work of exploration in South America. Dr. Rice started from 'London in December, 1911, for Barranquilla, at the mob th of Magdalena river, and 25 days later reached Bogota, capital of Colombia. From that city he started for San Martin, 100 miles south of Bogota. For 21 months he explored southeast Colombia and northwest Brazil, traversing almost 100,000 square miles of virtually unknown country. The trip ended at Manaos, Brazil, 1,000 miles up the Amazofc river.

Dr. Rice said afterward that the record of the party was one of physical horrors. Insects made existence horrible, there were periods of starvation and consequent mutiny and constant prevalence of disease. A race of light colored Indians was discovered, as was also a colony composed entirely of male Indians. For the most part, however, the region explored was uninhabited. Progress through the country was extremely difficult, and machetes were necessary to cut a track almost the entire way. In being forced to swim small streams the members of the party were attacked by dangerous sword fishes, which inflicted ugly septic wounds. From the result of one of these attacks Dr. Rice suffered from poisonous ulcers and was compelled to operate upon himself by candle light, cutting his leg to the bone. During a period of starvation the party was reduced to eating monkey meat.