Theodore Roosevelt and the River of Doubt

           Theodore Roosevelt had carried the lethal dose of morphine with him for years. In 1913 Roosevelt and a small group of men marked to explore and map Brazils River of Doubt. The explorers would face deadly rapids, Indian attacks, disease, starvation and a murderer within their own ranks. The expedition included Roosevelt, his son Kermit, Rondon, his assistant Lyra, the team physician Dr. Cajazeira, and naturalist George Cherrie.The River was nearly 1000 miles long. T.R.  he had referred to as “a delightful holiday” with “just the right amount of adventure.”  Hidden in the rain forest was a group of indigenous tribesmen later known as the Cinta Larga, or Wide Belts. True to its name, the River of Doubt was a complete mystery, its length and course not listed on any map. The men had journeyed on the Rio da Dúvida for a staggering  950 miles.  With a series of six waterfalls, the last of which was more than 30 ft. high. Roosevelt, Kermit and all but three men would survive to place the river--renamed the Rio Roosevelt--on the map of South America.