Page 19 - Amazonia
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Amazonia | 19
Magazine Name 19
city” he named “Z” (Zed) some- an artillery brigade despite
where in the Mato Grosso re- being nearly 50 years old. He
gion of Brazil. He theorized that was promoted from major to
a complex civilization once ex- lieutenant-colonel on 1 March
isted in the Amazon region and 1918, and received three men-
that isolated ruins may have tions in despatches from Field
survived. Fawcett also found Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, in
a document known as “Manu- November 1916, November 1917,
script 512”, written after explo- and November 1918, and was
rations made in the sertão of also awarded the Distinguished
the state of Bahia, and housed Service Order in June 1917.
at the National Library of Rio
de Janeiro. It is believed to be After the war Fawcett returned
by Portuguese bandeirante to Brazil to study local wildlife
João da Silva Guimarães, who and archaeology. In 1920, he
wrote that in 1753 he’d discov- made a solo attempt to search
ered the ruins of an ancient for “Z”, but ended it after suf-
city that contained arches, a fering from a fever and shoot-
statue, and a temple with hier- ing his pack animal.
oglyphics; the city is described In 1925, with funding from a
in great detail without provid- London-based group of finan-
ing a specific location. This city ciers known as ‘the Glove’,[21]
became a secondary destina- Fawcett returned to Brazil with
tion for Fawcett, after “Z”. (See his eldest son Jack and Jack’s
Fawcett’s own book Exploration best and longtime friend, Ra-
Fawcett.) leigh Rimell, for an exploratory
Percy Fawcett At the beginning of the First expedition to find “Z”. Fawcett
Image World War Fawcett returned to left instructions stating that if
inside the amazon
Britain to serve with the Army as the expedition did not return,
a Reserve Officer in the Royal no rescue expedition should be
Artillery, volunteering for duty sent lest the rescuers suffer his
in Flanders, and commanding fate.
Percy Fawcett
working
in Amazon
