In Search of an Unknown Race — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

IO VAN. you'll hear something that will astonish you, to say the least.” Thus premising, Captain Peterson cleared his throat, and, in a voice suggestive of repressed excitement, began : ‘<Crty or ITAMBEZ, ‘¢ PROVINCE OF ITAMBEZI, BRAZIL. ‘‘ BROTHER JAMES, ‘‘Of course you have thought of me as dead all these years. The bearer of this letter, Robert Martin, will tell you to the contrary. Whatever he says, no matter how incredible it may sound in your ears, you may implicitly believe. For reasons which you may some time understand, I am not allowed to explain how - Martin and myself, the only survivors of the Argonaut, reached this region, hitherto unvisited by strangers, after terrible privation and suffering. Indeed, it is only through a special edict that I have been after all this time permitted to communicate with you through Mar- tin, who, very foolishly, has resolved to leave this wonderful city—but a sailor would grow tired of Para- dise itself in time. ‘‘Of the people of Itambez I am not allowed to say anything in this letter. Their history and character- istics must for the present remain a mystery to you as well as to the outside world. But regarding the wealth of the country I am permitted to say that it is simply fabulous. ‘“Now, to come to the point. By a freak of fortune, I have risen to hold an important position in Itambez, through which I have been granted a favor unprece- dented in the city’s history, namely, to share with my (CORMIEL OO KS se