IshouldwishtoplaceuponrecordhereourgratitudetoallourfriendsupontheAmazonfortheverygreatkindnessandhospitalitywhichwasshowntousuponourreturnjourney.VeryparticularlywouldIthankSenhorPenalosaandotherofficialsoftheBrazilianGovernmentforthespecialarrangementsbywhichwewerehelpeduponourway,andSenhorPereiraofPara,towhoseforethoughtweowethecompleteoutfitforadecentappearanceinthecivilizedworldwhichwefoundreadyforusatthattown.Itseemedapoorreturnforallthecourtesywhichweencounteredthatweshoulddeceiveourhostsandbenefactors,butunderthecircumstanceswehadreallynoalternative,andIherebytellthemthattheywillonlywastetheirtimeandtheirmoneyiftheyattempttofollowuponourtraces.Eventhenameshavebeenalteredinouraccounts,andIamverysurethatnoone,fromthemostcarefulstudyofthem,couldcomewithinathousandmilesofourunknownland.
TheexcitementwhichhadbeencausedthroughthosepartsofSouthAmericawhichwehadtotraversewasimaginedbyustobepurelylocal,andIcanassureourfriendsinEnglandthatwehadnonotionoftheuproarwhichthemererumorofourexperienceshadcausedthroughEurope.ItwasnotuntiltheIverniawaswithinfivehundredmilesofSouthamptonthatthewirelessmessagesfrompaperafterpaperandagencyafteragency,offeringhugepricesforashortreturnmessageastoouractualresults,showedushowstrainedwastheattentionnotonlyofthescientificworldbutofthegeneralpublic.Itwasagreedamongus,however,thatnodefinitestatementshouldbegiventothePressuntilwehadmetthemembersoftheZoologicalInstitute,sinceasdelegatesitwasourcleardutytogiveourfirstreporttothebodyfromwhichwehadreceivedourcommissiono