Across Peruvian Deserts, Up the Andes, and Down the Amazon

In 1919 an expedition of explorers left the harbor in New York City, passed through the newly constructed Panama Canal, and landed on the shores of Peru. They crossed the Peruvian desert, climbed the trails over the Andes, and rafted down the headwaters of the Amazon River in search of petroleum reserves. This is the story of William Power who served as the team's photographer, Spanish interpreter, and provision chief. The team encountered ancient tribes of Andean Indians and while in the Amazon basin came upon tribes of head hunters and pygmies. Mr. Power left his family photographs, artifacts, and a diary which traced each days events from their departure from New York to their return to the United States. His grandson, Jack Power used newspaper articles describing the events of the journey, historical documents, and the diary to create this fascinating narrative.