Matto-Grosso

An expedition of twelve men, including Floridian George Rawls, cameramen, a sound technician, an artist, a naturalist, an author and a university professor specializing in the study of primitive man, travel to the forests of Matto-Grosso in Brazil in order to record the unknown native and animal life of the area. The explorers travel with a pack of trained dogs to be used for hunting jaguars. The voyage from New York to Montevideo, Uruguay takes seventeen days. From there, the group takes a small river steamer to the frontier town of Cuyaba. Before entering the jungle, they travel through the region of great cattle ranches. In Cuyaba, they are met by Alexandre Siemel, a famous jaguar hunter. The Matto-Grosso area covers over 500,000 square miles of forest. The expedition reconnoiters the area from the air with the help of an amphibious airplane. They sight an Indian village and plot an overland course. After sending their scientific equipment ahead, the expedition sets off toward the village, led by native guides. George travels by river in a launch. When they reach the village, they trade with the Indians. The Indians catch fish in traps, or shoot them with bow and arrow. In the jungle, they encounter armadillos, anteaters, bats, river otters, capybaras, tapirs and jabiru storks. When a jaguar is spotted, the Indians hold a jaguar dance and then a hunt is organized. The jaguar is killed and a celebratory dance is held. The next day, the expedition returns to Montevideo. They sail for home, bringing with them specimens of the animals, birds and reptiles of Matto-Grosso.