People missing in the jungle. The terrible death of the Brazilian ethnographic expedition. Aliens are already nearby. Francis Moira Crozier

Secrets of the missing expeditions - one of the most popular stories of myths, urban legends, literary works and films. In itself, the loss of prepared for extreme situations people is a source for many speculations. A vivid example is The Flying Dutchman, but there are plenty of such stories in the new era.

Polar explorers and explorers of the jungle of Africa, South America or Asia, scientists who went in search of secrets, pioneers and groups of treasure hunters ... Dangerous trips often ended in the mysterious disappearance of such expeditions in full force.

Rescue measures in some cases do not lead to any results - from expeditions to inaccessible or dangerous places there is no trace.

In our small selection we will talk about seven mysteriously missing expeditions and some of the most likely versions of their mysterious disappearance.

Laperouse expedition around the world

On August 1, 1785, the Count de Laperouz, on the Bussol and Astrolabe ships, embarked on a perilous round-the-world trip to systematize the discoveries made by Cook and establish trade relations with the native tribes.

For the first year of travel, Laperuz circled Cape Horn, visited Chile, Easter Island and in July 1786 reached Alaska.

The following year, the researcher arrived on the shores of Northeast Asia, and discovered the island of Kelpaert there.

Then the expedition moved to Sakhalin - finding the strait, which now bears the name of the count. At the end of 1787, Laperouz was already off the coast of Samoa, where he lost 12 people in a clash with savages.

In the winter of 1788, the expedition sends through the British sailors the last message to their homeland. Nobody saw them anymore. Only in 2005 it was possible to reliably identify the place of the shipwreck, but the fate of Laperouse is still unknown. Together with him, most of his records also died.

Terror and Erebus (Franklin expedition)

These two British ships with 129 people aboard on the morning of May 1845 left Greenheath Pier. Under the direction of Sir John Franklin, they intended to explore the last white spot on the map of the Canadian Arctic and complete the opening of the Northwest Passage.

For 170 years, the fate of this expedition has been haunting scientists and writers.

But all that was discovered during this time was only a few graves and two wintering camps.

Based on the findings, it was concluded that the ships were frozen in the ice, and the team, suffering from scurvy, pneumonia, tuberculosis and terrible cold, did not disdain cannibalism.

Walking through Australia (Leichhardt expedition)

On April 4, 1848, the German explorer Ludwig Leichgardt, along with eight satellites, set off on a journey. He planned in three years to cross the Australian mainland from east to west on foot.

However, after the agreed time, none of the members of this expedition showed up. In 1852, the first team went in search of it, followed by the second, then the third, and so for seventeen years in a row.

Until one tramp roaming the mainland accidentally mentioned that he lived for several months on the banks of the Muligan River with a certain Adolf Klassen.

When he found out that this was one of those whom they had been looking for so long, he went in search of him, but died on the way.

And only after a long time it became clear that Klassen had lived in captivity with savages for almost thirty years. They killed him around 1876. The last hope of learning about the fate of Leichgart and his expedition died with him.

In Search of Arctida (Toll Expedition)

In 1900, Baron Eduard Vasilievich Toll, on the schooner Zarya, went on an expedition to search for new islands in the Arctic. Toll also firmly believed in the existence of the so-called Sannikov Land and wanted to become its discoverer.

In July 1902, the baron, accompanied by astronomer Friedrich Seeberg and two hunters Vasily Gorokhov and Nikolai Dyakonov, left the schooner in order to reach the coveted Arctida on sleds and boats.

Two months later, Zorya was supposed to come there.

However, due to poor ice conditions, the ship was damaged and was forced to leave for Tiksi. The following year, under the leadership of then Lieutenant Kolchak, a rescue expedition was assembled.

They discovered Toll's parking lot, as well as his diaries and notes. From them it followed that the researchers decided not to wait for the "Dawn" and continued on their own. No other traces of these four people were found.

Hercules (Rusanov's expedition)

Hercules was a small hunting vessel, in which in 1912 an experienced polar explorer Vladimir Alexandrovich Rusanov set sail for the island of Spitsbergen with members of his expedition in order to secure the right to extract minerals there before other countries.

Everything went well. But for unknown reasons, Rusanov decided to return through the northwestern tip of Novaya Zemlya, and if the ship survived, then go east to the first oncoming island. The telegram with his intentions was the latest news from Hercules.

Only in 1934, on one of the islands off the coast of Khariton Laptev, was a pillar with the inscription "Hercules 1913" cut out. And on the neighboring island, things from Hercules were found: a seaworthy book, notes, pieces of clothing, etc. But the bodies of the expedition members were never found.

The main goal of "Z" (Fawcett expedition)

In 1925, an expedition of three people disappeared in the vast expanses of the poorly explored Mato Grosso region: Colonel Percival Fawcett, his son Jack and their friend Reilly Reymilom. They all went in search of a lost city that Fossett called "Z".

Much of this expedition is shrouded in mystery. It was funded by a group of London entrepreneurs called The Glove.

The colonel himself, in case of loss, asked them not to look, since all expeditions will suffer the same fate.

The latest report from a group of researchers described how they wade through thickets, climb mountains and cross rivers, and that, in fact, it's all very boring.

No one heard anything more about these three people. Now there are various rumors, beginning with the fact that all of them were eaten by cannibal Indians, who are not uncommon here, and ending with the fact that Fawcett found the city “Z”, met with its inhabitants and did not want to go back.

Leontief Group

In the summer of 1953, communication with the Tuva expedition of Lev Nikolaevich Leontiev was interrupted. In the place of her last parking, the search engines found a smoldering fire, tents and a full set of equipment.

However, neither people nor horses were in the camp. The only traces of hooves led from the forest to the camp. All expeditions nearby were sent in searches. But they ended in failure. Leontyev’s group is still listed as missing, and many theories related to its disappearance still walk on the Internet.

Missing Expedition

Captain Morris reported that, at the insistence of Colonel Fawcett’s wife, he was on his third expedition to the Brazilian jungle in search of his friend, Colonel Fawcett, who had been missing there eight years ago.

"- ... If we don’t return, then you will have to go on our searches!" "These were the last words of Colonel Fawcett, when he, saying goodbye, shook my hand in Rio de Janeiro in 1925," wrote Captain Morris. “... And after a few weeks I’m leaving for the third expedition to central Brazil, to places not yet explored on the Mato Grosso Plateau, to find the traces of my friend.” Both Fawcett’s wife and I are firmly convinced that Fawcett is alive and located somewhere in the dense jungle of Brazil. ”

In 1906-1909, Colonel Fawcett took part in the refinement of the state borders of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. During his stay in these countries, Fawcett became firmly convinced that the rumors about some kind of Native American tribe and an unknown ancient city located in central Brazil were based on. Fawcett hoped to find a clue to Atlantis by penetrating the ruins of the city. He knew how to speak several Indian dialects and used every free minute to talk with the Indians. So he managed to collect enough information about this mysterious place. Some Indians spoke of him with fear, others with religious awe. He was told that this city once sank during a great flood, and then again appeared on the surface of the earth by the will of the gods. One Indian claimed that evil forces protect the ruins of the city and do not let anyone near them. Another said that some white people live in the ruins of the golden city, who catch everyone who falls into the jungle and sacrifice their bloody and cruel god.

Toward the end of his work, Fawcett had a definite opinion that the ruins of the city are in the center of the unexplored part of the Mato Grosso plateau and that in the mysterious city remains of a culture even more ancient than the Inca and Mayan cultures are preserved.

In 1925, Fawcett went in search of a “white city”, deeply convinced that the descendants of the Atlanteans could still survive on Mato Grosso, in the heart of the inexhaustible rainforests. In addition to Fawcett, the expedition was attended by his son Jack and young geographer Raleigh Rimmel. The expedition was accompanied by only one Indian conductor.

The Mato Grosso Plateau is the least explored part of Brazil. Its space covers an area equal to Germany, France and Belgium combined. And its jungle is so dense and dangerous that it is aptly named “The Green Devil”.

To explore this gloomy and impassable forest, river and swamp wilderness, a whole army of travelers would not be enough. Already at the border of the jungle, a person is in danger. Each meter forward is a battle with the “green devil” and its inhabitants. Step by step, you have to cut your way through the dense thickets of shrubs and vines. Spines and spikes tear clothes, mosquitoes sting the body. Bats - vampires - suck alien blood, weaken them and make them incapable of further struggle. Here you have to pass through swift rivers on fragile shuttles, wander through turbulent streams that are voluntary helpers of the “green devil”. But even worse, the inhabitants of these streams and rivers - reptiles and fish. Crocodiles with dagger-shaped sharp teeth, electric eels with fatal blows, gluttonous caribbean fish and various other monsters. Woe to the man who will fall into the water!

“My first expedition was unsuccessful,” wrote Captain Morris. - Almost at the very beginning, the bandits robbed me, and I had to urgently return. Then I equipped the second expedition. I quickly got to the last camp of Fawcett before he went deep into the jungle. And then I managed to trace his path from camp to camp. One of them consisted of a hut made on an earthen hill, and I suppose Fawcett was here waiting for the rainy season. I searched the hut very carefully and found nothing but a few empty cartridge cases. Then I met the Indians, who reported that indeed three whites lived in this hut, that one of them was sick, and that then they headed towards the small river Kutuena. At this river I was able to establish that the three whites continued on their way towards the Xingu River. At the confluence of the two rivers, I met the Indians and found out that they also saw three whites. From here I walked for a very long time west, then down the San Manoel river, then east and all the time I found traces of three whites, - therefore, I went in the right direction.

And just from there I was forced to return, because the Indians who accompanied me refused to move on. They called the area into which I wanted to penetrate "evil." No power in the world could force them to move on. They had a mortal fear of what was beyond the Iriri River. And I had to make sure with a heavy heart that Fawcett three years before I nevertheless penetrated into this mysterious, fanned-out secret area. But I was alone, and there were three of them!

In the Indians I met, I gradually found a revolver with the inscription “P. Fawcett, ”then a bag for cartridges, then a compass, then a metal box that belonged to my friend. On some things black stripes were painted. This was a sure sign that they belonged to the Fawcett expedition. In order to avoid misunderstandings in the case of searches, he painted all the objects of his expedition with black stripes.

I had to go back with nothing. But in recent years, I have finally made sure that Fawcett is alive. One of the inhabitants of Paraguay, by the name of Ratin, informed me that he had heard rumors about Indians living in the upper reaches of the Madeira and Tapayos rivers who had captured a white man several years ago.

Then I met in Porto Allegro with General Vasconcellas, who had been captured by the Indians for fifteen years and was considered dead. And only after fifteen years he managed to escape! Signor Leon d’Albuheraque, a famous Brazilian planter, told me a similar incident. Albugerakve met in Mato Grosso a man who fled there after some crime he committed. He was captured by the Indians, and for a long time he lived as a captive in their village, not even in the village, or rather, in a city surrounded by a high wall made of huge marble boulders. There was only one single entrance in this marble wall and so well camouflaged that there was no way for an outsider to enter the city. In the center of this city, hidden behind the wall, stood a huge temple, also built of marble. In this temple, white-skinned Indians worshiped the Sun. The inner walls of the temple were lined with copper and sparkled like gold from the glare of the sacrificial fire. After heavy wanderings but the jungle, during which the man was almost eaten by bloodthirsty insects, he finally managed to escape.

Is Fawcett really facing the same fate? .. But my friend has an amazing diminution in getting along with the Indians ... I don’t even exclude the possibility that Fawcett, with his intelligence and resourcefulness, is now playing the role of a wise god in this mysterious marble city. ”

Members of the Society for the Study of Atlantis have made inquiries about Colonel Fawcett and Captain Morris. It turned out that Fawcett went to South America in 1925, announcing to newspaper reporters before leaving that he would soon make “a discovery of great importance that should hit the whole world”. Fawcett intended to go north from the small village in Brazil, Cuiabá, to the Paranathinga River, then go down through it in shuttles to about 10 ° south latitude and from there go east to finally go to the San Francisco River.

Three Europeans entered the green thicket of the jungle, and no one else heard anything about them. In search of the missing expedition, a special detachment was sent under the command of a naval officer Dyott. He made a difficult journey through the tributaries of the Amazon, but found no trace of the Fawcett expedition. Captain Morris also searched in vain for the expedition, as detailed in the newspaper.

After writing to Captain Morris, the atlantologists voluntarily collected a significant amount to help his expedition. They hoped that discoveries in the Brazilian jungle would shed some light on the origins of America’s ancient cultures, and thereby on the existence of Atlantis.

At the beginning of 1934, together with Captain Morris, a young French ethnographer Louis Malepin went on an expedition in search of Colonel Fawcett.

Two years from the captain Morris there was no news. The expedition was considered dead, and still the Mato Grosso plateau was surrounded by mystery. Did the researchers penetrate the ruins of a mysterious city, do they still live in captivity with the Indians, or have died, unable to withstand the struggle with the "green devil" of the jungle?

Another year passed, and suddenly in the newspaper "New York American" was published a travel diary of Captain Morris.

Before him was a brief message on behalf of the publisher that the unknown Governor had brought a package to the Governor of the state of Mato Grosso don Jimenez de Garcia, on which the address of the governor was written in Captain Morris's hand. The Indian said that a bag wrapped in a gutta-percha shell lay next to the human skeleton in the jungle, where hunter Indians accidentally wandered. The human skeleton was headless. According to shreds of clothes in him recognized the European.

Opening the package, the governor found in it a diary of captain Morris, who had disappeared in the jungle, which the newspaper decided to publish.

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