The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

Kermit convinced Lyra and Cherrie that he would be able to get the empty boats over the waterfalls using ropes, with which Kermit was skilled. While Rondon did not think the plan would work, he agreed to help.

The Brazilian members of the group were to carry the baggage over steep canyon cliffs. At this point, the group shed almost everything except their provisions. While it took four days, the men managed to carry the baggage through the canyon and five boats were successfully lowered over the falls. One boat was smashed, however, causing all but Roosevelt and the paddlers to walk when the expedition commenced again on April 2.

The difficult job of repeatedly getting through and around rapids was destroying the health and morale of the men. The ingredients for mutiny were present but Rondon was confident in his men. Roosevelt won the men over by giving them chocolate bars from his stash and sharing his rations with them. On April 3, the group lost another boat while attempting to get through the rapids.

Pedrinho, one of the Brazilian soldiers, caught de Lima stealing food and reported the theft to Paishon, the leader. Paishon reprimanded him for the theft and then again for not pulling his weight in hauling their luggage. In retaliation, de Lima proceeded to take a gun and kill Paishon.

Fearing that de Lima was heading to shoot Pedrinho next, even the ailing Roosevelt went in pursuit of him. The group found his rifle but de Lima was not seen. Rondon pledged to bring him back with them to face Brazilian justice if found, while Roosevelt felt that it would be “folly to subject themselves to a dangerous man and to ask their camaradas to share their scarce rations” (292) with him. Paishon was buried in a shallow grave and Rondon named the falls and surrounding mountains for him. With de Lima on the loose, the group feared for their safety.

Roosevelt was deteriorating with a 103-degree fever. Although the physician injected quinine into his abdomen, Roosevelt was in and out of consciousness. He managed to tell Rondon to proceed without him if he fell into a coma. At dawn, however, Roosevelt’s fever broke. In a weakened state, he refused to be carried and walked to the next camp with assistance.

Kermit was also suffering from malaria but understated his illness. He managed to hunt a couple of monkeys and a turtle to contribute to provisions. The group had a good start on April 6, as the river was widening and the hills were dropping away. Hills and mountains were synonymous with rapids. As the men were finally able to ride in boats, they saw de Lima crying out for them on the shore.

Refusing to acknowledge de Lima, the expedition proceeded without him. After seven miles, they came across a large tributary entering the river. At that point, Rondon claimed that he wanted to pause the expedition to send two men back in search of de Lima. Outraged, the Americans thought this was a ruse to allow Rondon time to survey the tributary. Since he was in charge, Rondon prevailed in a clash with Roosevelt. He spent the day of April 7 surveying, while two men went in search of de Lima and others scouted ahead. The scouts captured a big fish but brought the bad news that rapids were ahead.

The men did not locate de Lima and the group concluded that he must have tried to approach the Indigenous people for help. Years later, they learned of a tale about a Brazilian giving the Cinta Larga his knife in exchange for food. While the man was eating his food, the Cinta Larga cut his throat.

On April 8, the expedition encountered so many rapids that it only traversed three miles. The following day was worse. In less than one month, the group had lost six of their boats to rapids (308). The Amazonian jungle was depressing all the men with its dangers and monotony. Everything looked the same and the men were barely eating enough to stay alive. A previous explorer had referred to the Amazon as a “cauldron of hatred and brutality” (310). Some of Cherrie’s shells for his rifle were stolen in a sign of decaying trust among the men.

With 200 miles to go until they would reach the fork in the river where Pyrnineus was ordered to wait for them, the men were struggling to survive. Cherrie and Lyra had been dealing with dysentery for weeks, while two Brazilian soldiers were so ill that the physician feared for their lives. Kermit had a fever from malaria and Roosevelt was very ill. To keep sane, Roosevelt had read books but they were now discarded. Kermit brought three bottles of Scotch on the expedition and he shared them with Cherrie. They were on the last bottle.

To Cherrie’s dismay, the expedition paused on April 11 to find Kermit’s dog. The search not only turned up the dog but the promising news of evidence of rubber tappers. Someone found a place where a bejuca had been cut with a knife or ax, which the Indigenous peoples did not have. This meant that salvation was within reach.