(SA) 70-01-31 (x) Drums Along the River

by Ron Evans is entitled, Drums Along the River. At this moment a great road is being laid through the dense Brazilian jungle in an attempt to open up this vast territory for settlers.

Before this could be done several aerial surveys had to be made since many hundreds of miles of road was relayed where no civilized human had been before. My name is Ken Driver, I'm a geologist working for International Mineral Exportation Company in Brazil.

A female colleague Sue Nolan and I had been invited by Art Monroe and American Surveyor to visit a small jungle outpost near the Columbian border for a few days. The small outpost was accessible only from the air, and the three of us set off from a small town on the banks of the Amazon in a plain piloted by Rika Gomsh, one of the few

men who was familiar with the area and the Indian towns. The river looks so beautiful from up here, inviting. I mean, invitation to death, Miss Nolan. It's so hard to believe. That river is full of piranhas and on the banks you'll find any kind of big enough to swallow me.

And not only that, Mr. Munro. There are the Indians, when they're poisoned out. Have chakantri. Heydunters. Oh, glad I'm up here. I hope it's not like that at the camp you're taking us out. Oh, La Camporona is all right. So long as you don't try to buy it in the river.

It's been cut out of the riverbank and is located. The government has a small detachment of soldiers stationed there. No danger. So long as you follow the rules. What time will we get, Erica? About an hour. Say, uh, just about ten.