Through the Brazilian Wilderness · Character

Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon

A Brazilian army colonel who has spent decades stringing telegraph wire through uncharted jungle, he co-leads the expedition with a quiet rigor Roosevelt openly reveres.

major

Also known as Colonel Rondon, Rondon

First appearance: The Start

As a major figure in Through the Brazilian Wilderness, Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Pictured with Colonel Roosevelt at Navaïté on the River of Doubt.

In the storyFrontispiece 1Open this moment free

Rondon is the expedition's Brazilian spine: a sertanista who knows the backcountry, its peoples, and its rivers, and whose name Roosevelt inscribes with the words 'Gallant Officer, High-Minded Gentleman, and Intrepid Explorer.' His authority rests on discipline and self-effacement — he reads Thomas à Kempis on deck while others skin jaguars — and on a lifetime of pushing lines through country that resists them. His partnership with Roosevelt sets the expedition's tone: two stubborn men of very different nations bound by the same appetite for the unmapped.

See Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon in Frontispiece 1 Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Character Web

23 connections

A slice of how Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Core Expedition Team
Specialist Contributors

+18 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it captures the emotional and psychological peak of committing…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon appears across 17 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Frontispiece 1
Pictured with Colonel Roosevelt at Navaïté on the River of Doubt.
Dedication
Dedicatee, described as a gallant officer, high-minded gentleman, and intrepid explorer.
Frontispiece 2
Rondon accompanied Roosevelt on the expedition shown.
Through the Brazilian Wilderness
Co-leader and guide, providing expertise on the region.
The Start
Brazilian Army colonel and explorer who is to meet Roosevelt at Cáceres with assistants and scientists.
III: A Jaguar Hunt on the Taquary
Inspects the outfit and participates in the jaguar hunt.
IV: The Headwaters of the Paraguay
Reading Thomas à Kempis on the Nyoac; his past explorations and mapping of the Juruena and Gy-Paraná rivers are detailed, including the discovery of the River of Doubt.
Up the River of Tapirs
Leads the expedition, shares a tent with Theodore and Kermit, and is noted for his prior explorations of the Sepotuba and the Gy-Paraná.
VI: Through the Highland Wilderness of Western Brazil
Gave presents to the Parecís Indians, including calico prints and scented oil; named a river and mountain range after the explorer Franco; established a telegraph station in the former palace of the captain-general.
VII: With a Mule Train Across Nhambiquara Land
Leads the expedition, demonstrates diplomacy with the Nhambiquara, and is fondly regarded by them.
VIII: The River of Doubt
Takes compass readings for surveying, discusses possible river routes with Lyra, and goes on a hunt.
Down an Unknown River Into the Equatorial Forest
Receives reports on side rivers, notes the uniqueness of ancient rock carvings, and kills game for food.
X: To the Amazon and Home; Zoological and Geographical Results of the Expedition
Roosevelt credits Rondon and his Telegraphic Commission for the previous six years of exploration that made the descent of the River of Doubt possible.
Appendix A: The Work of the Field Zoologist and Field Geographer in South America
Mentioned as a leader in geographical exploration of unknown country in South America.
Appendix C: My Letter of May 1 to General Lauro Müller
Acknowledged as a colleague and leader in the exploration work.
Endnotes
Cited for his official report and letter exposing the fraudulent claims of Mr. Savage Landor.
List of Illustrations
Featured in photographs with Colonel Roosevelt and at the monument erected by him.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon unlock in the free preview.

See Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon in The Start

See Colonel Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon in Frontispiece 1