It’s 1880 and America is still recovering from its Civil War and trying to come back together as a country. In an effort to help unite the country once more and rally the nation to one purpose, Boston University decided to embark on an expedition to search for the fabled Amazon capital, Choque Cota somewhere in the deepest regions of the Amazon jungle…

Dr. James Anderson was an anthropologist and the head of the university’s Archaeology and Antiquities Department. So the university had put him in charge of the expedition–an honor that he had worked hard for and was greatly pleased when he was selected.

Funded by a generous grant from the government and backed by the university, it was hoped he would bring back relics and specimens to enhance the university’s Archaeology and Science Departments and add to the growing university museum.

Along with him on this expedition, he had Dr. William Hope, an older faculty member and fellow scientist who heard about the expedition and had argued his way onto the crew by means of his knowledge of history and earth sciences. He was fascinated with native lifestyles and hearing the expedition was in the Amazon, he had to come along!

Also accompanying the two doctors was Marcos Alvarez from the university’s Language Department. Marcos could speak a number of different languages and could serve as a translator for the party. There were four other men who came along as well doing various jobs and tasks to insure the expedition's success. One was a native guide they employed once they got to their starting point.

The expedition started by boarding the sailing ship the Independence, bound for Macapá, on Brazil’s northeast coast, at the mouth of the mighty Amazon River. Once there, they planned on unloading their supplies and equipment into two wood-fired steam paddlewheel riverboats similar to the ones used on the Mississippi River in the States, but about half the size.

These boats had small cabins so the occupants could get out of the nearly everyday rains and where they could sleep safely from the dangers of the jungle. Behind the cabin was a good-sized deck where the expedition's supplies were stored and lashed securely with netting to keep anything from getting lost on the long river journey they were about to undertake.

Also onboard each of the paddlewheel riverboats were a couple of canoes that would be used if the river got too narrow or shallow for the bigger paddlewheelers. To power the big paddlewheelers they would cut the wood they needed as they went, trying to find dead wood if possible, but burning green wood if they had to.

The voyage left Boston harbor one spring day in mid-May. The temperature was a comfortable fifty-five degrees and it was sunny with calm seas. It would take fifteen days to reach Macapá by ship so the crew had lots of time to discuss and debate the various strategies and plans for the journey upriver.

Dr. Anderson poured over the maps and what precious little “research” he was able to gather before they set sail. Unfortunately, South America was virtually unknown at this point in time–at least unknown to anyone in the United States. What little information he did have on the country came primarily from other ship captains and crews that had sailed to the coast of the country, there was no information at all about the interior of the continent.

The days dragged on, one day blending into the next. There were many tasks and chores to be done onboard the ship. On a sailing ship like the Independence, everyone worked; there was no such thing as a passenger, and no one got a free ride! The weather, for the most part, was reasonable for a voyage this long.

There were some stormy days and the landlocked Dr. Anderson gave more than one meal back to the sea. The other crew members got a good laugh at the green doctor as he hung his head over the rail on those rough days. But by and large, the ship and crew had good weather for sailing.

They sailed from Boston to Bermuda where they stopped to restock supplies, and then they headed to Barbados for another resupply before going on to Macapá.

One day as they approached Barbados to restock with supplies, Dr. Hope knocked on the cabin door of Dr. Anderson. “Come in,” Dr. Anderson said.

“Hi James, how are things going?” Dr. Hope said.

“Oh, hi William. Just fine. I was just going over the maps a bit more trying to figure out where we could stop for the night once we start heading upriver,” James said.

“I see. Well, the captain says we will be stopping at Barbados to resupply and be there for a day at least. Then its another six days or so to reach Macapá,” William said.

“I will be glad to set my feet on solid ground again!” James said “This rolling ship’s deck is hard to walk on! I don’t know how these sailors do this!”

“I know how you feel. I, too, am used to the floor under me being stationary! It’s like a two-week-long earthquake!” William laughed. “Anyway, the reason I came by was to talk to you more about the story of this Choque Cota. It intrigues me very much, that’s why I was so adamant about wanting to come along! You know I am fascinated by native tribes and cultures.“

“Yes, I was pleased to learn you wanted to come along. Well, there isn’t a lot to tell about the legend, I’m afraid. All I know is that there is supposedly a city called Choque Cota somewhere in the Amazon jungle. 

“The city was the capital of this branch of the pre-Columbian Incas and was ruled by a King Pachacuti, reportedly a very great warrior and very good king to his subjects, but terrifying to his enemies. I am hoping to find the ruins of this once great city and perhaps bring back some relics for the museum. I don’t know if there is any gold or other treasures as some tales of Inca riches goes… I would be happy with some pottery, arrowheads, or tools,” James replied

“I am quite eager to get off this ship and get underway. I want to learn more about the people of this strange land and how they live,” William said. “Bermuda was interesting, although I already knew something of what to expect there. But the rest of this exploration will be a complete surprise!”

“For all of us, I fear. There are no reliable maps showing anything but the coastline, and the cities and villages along it. The interior is a vast, unknown blank spot. I’m sure the natives know something about it, and I hope to employ one or two as guides for the trip into the heart of this strange new land. But we are sure to come upon sights and sounds that are as foreign to us as we are to them!” James said.

A full seven days later, after they had restocked and resupplied the ship, they were nearing their landing port of Macapá. Macapá was a resupply port itself, used by several countries who traded back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean. The countries who sailed into the port city had built two very sturdy and spacious docks for the tall ships which made loading and unloading a lot easier than trying to use smaller service boats, like they’d had to use in Barbados a few days ago.

All hands were called upon to get the ship to the dock and get the expedition’s supplies and equipment offloaded and fresh supplies loaded on board so the ship could continue its journey.

Once they arrived and their supplies and equipment were unloaded and stacked on the deck, the men began organizing the paddlewheeler’s loads. They split the crew and the supplies between the two large riverboats, with Dr. Anderson on one of the riverboats and Dr. Hope on the other.

The expedition would head up the Amazon River, following it until they reached the Juruá River. They would follow the Juruá about halfway to its headwaters and then it would be a two-day hike through the jungle to the spot where the legendary pre-Columbian civilization of Choque Cota supposedly lies. If they could locate these ruins, the party hoped they could find some interesting pieces for the museum there.

Of course, the expedition party didn’t know the names of these rivers or how far they would have to travel up them... for them it would be a matter of leaving it up to their native guides and trusting that they knew where they were going.

Marcos, the language expert from the university, found the Macapian people spoke a broken dialect of Portuguese that enabled him to converse rather well with them and he was able to procure a couple of native men to serve as guides for the party.

Two days after the ship had arrived at Macapá, the expedition was ready to take up the next leg of their journey. But in order to get a fresh start and make the first overnight area, they decided to hold off until morning and get a full’s day travel. So with the American’s sleeping on the riverboats and the two native guides sleeping in their home one more night, the last night in “civilization” was a peaceful one.

The next day, just before dawn, the party pushed off the dock and the paddlewheeler’s mighty steam engines began powering the large riverboats upstream. The boats made good headway against the river’s current, as the paddlewheels churned the muddy brown water. Dr. Anderson stood, leaning against the gunwale as he watched the riverbank go by.

It would take nearly a month of daily travel up the river before the group would reach the point where they would leave the comfort of their steam-powered boats to begin the arduous cross-country leg of their trip. During that time, they would pass many native villages, most of them small, although some were quite large and well-developed for such primitive peoples.

They would encounter wildlife such as crocodiles and capybara, anacondas and jaguar, a myriad of beautifully plumed birds and insects beyond their abilities to catalog. Unfortunately, photography was still in its infancy and the cameras of the day were big, cumbersome, and unreliable behemoths and far too delicate for the rigors of jungle exploration.

There were times when their progress was slowed river conditions–a hot spell would lower the river volume, resulting in more snags and shallow areas. Conversely, a lot of rainfall would swell the river and it would then have more force working against their progress.

Also, the Amazon river splits and separates in many locations and sometimes the channel they took wasn’t the main channel and they would have to stop and float back until they found the main channel.

They also had to stop on occasion to cut more wood for the boilers or to hunt for fresh meat. Capybara were a favorite of the crew–easily caught, they provided a lot of good meat with little expenditure of time or effort. They also fished and their native guides showed them which plants were good to eat as well so they could vary their diet.

Seven days' journey upriver from Macapá was another large village known as Santarém. There they stopped to rest and talk to the locals. With Marcos as translator, Dr. Hope talked to them about life on the river and their culture and ways.

He scribbled furiously in his notebooks–he had brought along dozens of notebooks to take notes as well as many drawing books to sketch the things he saw. Dr. Hope was a fairly decent sketch artist and used his talent to record things he couldn’t take samples of.

While Dr. Hope busied himself with learning about the native population, Dr. Anderson took stock of their supplies. They had brought along several rifles and pistols along with a good stock of ammunition but he preferred to use them only if needed. He didn’t know how long this expedition might take and he didn’t want to run out of ammunition and be left defenseless!

So when hunting for food, he would bring a couple of the guns for protection, but he left the hunting to the natives and their bows, spears, and blowguns.

One of the other men was working on sharpening their axes for cutting firewood and yet another was tending to the care of the boats themselves. Everyone was busy on this rare day they weren’t traveling up the river. A couple of hours after he left, Dr. Hope and Marcos returned to the boats.

“James, it would seem we have been invited to a village welcome party in our honor! Apparently word of our travels has beat us here! I guess word spreads fast through the jungle!” Dr. Hope said.

“Well, William, it would be poor manners if we didn’t show up to a dinner party thrown for us! We will attend... you, Marcos, and I. The others will stay here and watch over our boats and belongings,” James said.

So the three Americans attended the welcome party and Dr. Anderson showed his gratitude by giving his pocketknife to the village chief. The village chief then gave Dr. Anderson a bow and arrows for his trip. Other niceties were exchanged and Dr. Hope got a few gifts and trinkets as well.

The women of the party gave them a few pottery pieces and some of the men donated old arrowheads for the museum, once Marcos explained the reason for their coming all this way was to pick up some items of their culture to learn about them back home.

The villagers were happy to donate items and everyone smiled as the pile of relics grew larger. There were blankets and items of clothing, weaponry, cooking and eating utensils, and a variety of other things all given by the villagers who took pride in showing off their belongings.

Finally, with full bellies and a treasure trove full of mementos, the three headed back to their boats to get a good night’s sleep before resuming their journey in the morning. When they got back to the boats, the rest of the crew had already turned in. So Dr. Anderson and Dr. Hope set their gifts and treasures on the deck and went to bed themselves, they could sort through what they had received another time.

The next day it was back to business as usual. The party left Santarém with the whole village coming to see them off. Some of the village elders had told them through Marco’s translation, about the hazards of the river ahead of them and that the next village of any size would be Manaus, about 8 days travel upriver.

With this information and advice on which channel to take to get around obstacles, the next few days' travel was uneventful.

The party stopped every night–travel on the river was too dangerous at night–and anchored several feet off the riverbank. That would prevent any wild land animals from getting on board and the high sides of the boat would keep the water-born threats away. But just to be on the safe side, a night watch was placed on each vessel to make sure everything stayed as it should until morning.

The eight days of travel went by and before they knew it, the expedition was approaching the village they had been told about. And just like in Santarém, the village of Manaus had already heard of the strange white men and their noisy smoke-belching boats.

They had been told the white boat people came in peace and were just curious, still several of the native men showed up on the riverbank to welcome them carrying their spears, knives, and clubs, just in case.

The women and children came out as well but stayed further back on the bank until everyone was convinced this was a peaceful meeting. Being even further inland, the people of Manaus had even less contact with white people and only a couple of the elders had ever seen one.

Once again Dr. Hope and Marcos talked and shared with the villagers and once again trinkets and gifts were exchanged. The three brought back far more than they had traded off and they added it to the gifts they had already received.

Fortunately, in the previous eight days, the two doctors were able to sort and categorize the gifts from Santarém, so this new collection from Manaus was set in the same place to be sorted likewise.

Dr. Anderson received a spear from the village chief this time, having learned that he had gotten a bow and arrows from the chief of Santarém. The chiefs of these villages were always trying to “one-up” the others to show how much more powerful he is.

Once again the village threw the expedition a feast of celebration, only this time it was held close to the river so that all the men, including the crew, could attend. Everyone had a fine time and some good friendships were established. The crew looked forward to stopping by again on the way back downriver.

The next day they all said their goodbyes and the expedition was back on the river. Four more days of travel brought the party to Coari, the last village of any real size that they would come across until they started back. The reception was the same and after spending the night there, the trip continued upriver.

Three days later they approached the mouth of the Juruá River. They had traveled some 1280 miles upriver from their starting point of Macapá. There, where the Juruá empties into the Amazon, was a tiny little village of Tamaniquá, the last settlement and the last people they would see for a long time.

These people were completely astonished by the white visitors, no one had ever seen a white man before! They whispered and gawked at these strange people and one of the women went up to cautiously touch Dr. Anderson on the cheek to see what they felt like.

The villagers thought these white people might be ghosts! The village people were all a deep golden brown, so the pale white skin of the Americans was a real shock. But once they were satisfied the Americans weren’t there to haunt them or drag them to some underworld lair, they felt better.

After establishing a working friendship with this last village and restocking with wood, native fruits, and fresh meat, and getting an idea of the what the Juruá River was like and what to expect, the party turned their craft into the mouth of the new river and began the next leg of their journey.

The first thing they noticed was that the Juruá was considerably smaller than the Amazon they had been traveling on. The Amazon River is, by volume discharged, the largest river in the world and many experts also claim it is the longest in the world from source to mouth.

By contrast, the Juruá is the forty-third longest river in the world by length and not even one third the discharge volume. Still, there was 1153 miles of navigable waterway on the Juruá–they would not need all of it to reach where they needed to go.

Like the Amazon, the waters of the Juruá were a muddy brown color and the pilots of each boat had to be watchful and “read” the river, watching for debris floating down the river and partially submerged obstacles that could damage or worse, sink, their boats.

They had to keep an eye on the water to watch for signs of shallow water and for rapids as well. Fortunately for them, this end of the Juruá wasn’t as dangerous to travel as the upper parts, and they didn’t have much to worry about. As they got further up the river that might change, but for now it was fairly smooth, fairly easy going.

After nine days and four hundred and fifty miles of travel on the Juruá, they had finally reached the point at which they would leave the comfort of their riverboats and begin the last, and most arduous, part of their trip, the overland trek. They pulled their riverboats into a small quiet tributary until it turned a bend and the boats would not be seen by anyone traveling the main river.

There they anchored them firmly to large trees front and rear and on each side so they would not drift away. After the boats were anchored and the supplies and equipment they needed were unloaded, they covered the boats with tree branches to camouflage them and hide them even more from prying eyes.

With their boats anchored and hidden, they were satisfied they would be safe until their return. The party turned to face the formidable jungle and its dense undergrowth. With their machetes, the party began the laborious task of hacking their way through the near-impenetrable jungle forest.

It was aggravatingly slow hard work and the crews rotated often to allow for rest so they could keep going. Instead of the fifty miles or more they were making on the river each day, they were lucky to make ten miles through the jungle now.

At the end of the first day they made camp and discussed the progress they were making. “It sure is slow going now that we are on foot,” Dr. Anderson said.

“The men are going as fast as they can, doctor, this jungle is so thick that they are having a tough time cutting through it. They follow animal trails when they can, but the animals don’t know where we are headed!” Marcos said.

“I know, Marcos and I appreciate the work they are doing. I’m just anxious to get to the location and see if the legends hold true!” Dr. Anderson said.

“How much further do you think it is to the spot where you believe this Choque Cota lies?” Marcos asked.

“I’m not sure Marcos, but I believe it to be about two more days travel if we can keep this pace up. If you noticed on the way here, most of these villages are either on the riverbank or very close to them. I have no reason to believe the people of Choque Cota would be any different. The river provides easy travel between villages and is a source of water and food. It would only make sense to stay close to it,” Dr. Anderson said.

“Let us hope so… I’m afraid if we have to go too far, our crew may decide the trip isn’t worth the efforts!” Marcos said.

“Indeed. I find myself wanting to get to the location and either confirm or repudiate the legends so that we can begin our return to Boston. I am missing the comforts of my own bed!” Dr. Anderson said.

The next day, the party picked up their machetes and resumed their way through the rain forest. Progress this second day was no easier than the day before as they slowly made their way through the jungle.

They rotated the men wielding machetes as they tired so they could keep moving forward without completely stopping to rest very often. Still, they had to take breaks once in a while just to keep from getting too exhausted.

It was early evening and the party was about to make camp for the night when suddenly their plans and timetable would take a quite unexpected turn…