One of the unsolved mysteries of the history of research in South America remains the disappearance of the expedition Colonel Percy fausett in the heart of the Amazon jungle in 1925.

Working since 1906 at the border of Brazil and Bolivia, the Colonel was maps of the area for the Royal Geographical society of great Britain. In 1908, the work was continued in Paraguay, and in 1910-1912 - on the border of Peru and Brazil. In those days there were no maps of these regions. Due to impassable jungles and hard-to-reach mountains, these areas unexplored until now.

Fawcett reports from their Geographic society reported humid forests, homeland malaria and exotic diseases, teeming with wildlife and stinging insects, as well as cruel tribes head hunters. Great danger represented a huge Anaconda, Colonel personally killed a snake of length-9 meters and a thickness of 20 cm.

Fawcett was obsessed with the idea that the green canopy of thick forest hides a lot of secrets. In his opinion, there should live people, the descendants of the ancient Atlanteans, who survived after the Holocaust and moved to the mainland. In addition, the researcher believed that conditions in the rainforest are such that there might well survive animals Mesozoic period. In 1911, the researcher gave a lecture at the Royal Geographical society. The audience was thrilled by the statement of Colonel that civilized humanity virtually nothing is known about the country, which lies a few hundred metres from the banks of major rivers of South America. In his expeditions he had heard legends about forest pygmies, living in the ruins of ancient cities, lost in the jungle silver mines. Fawcett, in particular, said that local people were talking about the great traces of some animals left on sand shores of the lakes in Northern Bolivia, and saw the traces, sketches of which was presented to the audience of the report. This intriguing lecture honored with your visit is already known author Arthur Conan Doyle, which is the story of Colonel inspired to write his famous book "the Lost world".

In 1912 Percy lived in the East of Brazil among the unusual tribe of Indians of tapuia. The latter had, like the Europeans, light skin and small hands and feet. The researcher believed their descendants more ancient and great civilization, perhaps Atlantis. Facial features of these people were very proportional, and the hair had wheat or red color, which sharply distinguishes them from other indigenous people of South America. White-skinned Indians wore numerous ornaments of gold, jade and emeralds, and skill in working with gold and precious stones struck the Englishman.

During his expeditions Fawcett has made many surprising discoveries. The Indians of tapuia showed him the cave with petroglyphs on the walls, which is the words of some unknown language. The cave has burned untiring cold fire. According to the Indians, the fire lit up the cave always. A similar phenomenon, the researchers found in the burials of Tibet and India. The secret of this phenomenon is still not disclosed. But the main object of the search Colonel was always lost cities reported another Jesuit missionaries in the 1700's. Focette managed to gain the trust of the leaders of some Indian tribes, and they told that in the area of the Rio Xingu is the ancient city of giants, located on a plain surrounded by impassable jungles and mountains. The city has a moat, cobbled streets and statues. City walls guarded by fierce tribe of Indians suyas. In the vicinity of the lost city of animals like dinosaurs and giant monkey growth of 2.5 meters. One of the Indian chiefs showed Focette small and very old stone from the area. It was carved by man wearing sandals and a Roman toga.

Fawcett found in Rio de Janeiro in one of the oldest documents dated 1753 year, data of the big ancient city without inhabitant in the area of the jungle, known as Serra-to-Roncador near the Rio Xingu in northeastern Brazil. Later, one of the owners rubber plantation showed researcher of the unusual stone idol, to touch to which an electric discharge. According to the Colonel, this idol was associated with ancient lost cities of Atlantis, which he was looking for. One of the Indian chiefs visited a lost city. Here is his story:

"We must move up the river Xingwana, inflow of Xingu, until you will not meet the lake is overgrown with reeds, which is home to beautiful marsh birds with raspberry Pappus. In the middle of the lake is an island on which the rise of large square plate laid on each other. To the island through the reeds can hardly be reached by Canoeing. On the island there is the entrance to the tunnel with a length of tens of meters. The other end of the tunnel goes to the wall, enclosing the ancient city. In the city of stone buildings, cobbled streets, pretty squares and temples, covered with moss. Statues in full size depict beautiful men and women dressed in togas. On the walls of temples words are written in a strange language.

In a city inhabited by people, obviously, having nothing in common with the builders. They have light skin and a strange reddish eyes. Representatives of fierce tribe have poor mental development".

In the last expedition, headed by Fawcett were his son Jack and each son Ralph Rimell, newspaper photographer. With it, the Colonel had hoped to record the history future discoveries. The work of the porters did the Indians. Although the Indians treated Focette with respect, it is not always been able to find guides: aborigines did not dare to visit areas that wanted to explore the Colonel, considering them to be the abode of evil spirits.

The travelers made from Sao Paulo in April 1925. In his last letter to his wife Colonel wrote that goes in search of the lost city, called Manoa. Reported that according to the latest information of the statue in the city entirely carved out of quartz. In may 1925 came latest news from the traveler. More of it no one has ever seen. Percy disappeared in the jungle of Brazil.

Numerous expeditions undertaken over the last 75 years, failed to establish what happened to Fawcett. Many participants of these search parties had died of malaria and snake bites. There are many different rumors that the Indians living in the jungle, kept the old Englishman as a prisoner, and that the bones of the traveler. According to another version, Fawcett and his companions were killed by Indian guides. All these assumptions seem unlikely. In 1949, German anthropologist D. ermann, traveled to the North-East of Brazil, said that he saw the Indians dried his head, which had a resemblance to the Fawcett. The people of the tribe told that the Englishman was killed as he defended his son, breaking a taboo.

Mystery of disappearance of Colonel fausett continues to haunt the minds of people all over the world. In 1998, the journalist Benedict Allen tried to solve the mystery, going into the jungle with the next expedition. He said that he found the bones of English travellers, but this statement remains unproven. But even if the remains fausett will be ever found, ancient towns with their secrets still remain deeply hidden in the impenetrable forests, waiting for its time.

Maria BOOK