Page 27 of Flying Saucers Magazine - February 1961

By 0lavo T. Fontes, M.D.

(Reprinted from The A.P.R.O. Bulletin)

When Navy officers, competent technicians and experts on meteorological and atmospheric phenomena, from a military Meteorological Station and Oceanographic Post doing research connected with the IGY, report seeing the same UAOs on at least eight different occasions, the event can be classified as very unusual. Add the fact that a number of other people saw these UAOs and that in two cases they were observed through theodolites, and the story gets even better. Add a few more facts-that these UAOs were photographed and the photos, showing a lot of detail of the UAO, were proven to be genuine according to official statements; that they were picked up on radar and that several people got a close look at the object at least in two of the sightings-and the case becomes one of the best in the whole history of UAOs, good enough to convince even the most `ardent skeptics. Enough to prove that they are real-some type of vehicle flying through our atmosphere.

If you have something more than g o o d circumstantial evidencesomething concrete like genuine photo showing detail of the UAO, measured speeds, or sizes - then you have hard, cold, scientific facts. If your photos are also offered as proof that the UAOs are intelligently controlled, for they represent a permanent record of the motion of the UAO, 1. e., a photographic sequence of a UAO's flight path - then your case is closed. But remember that if they are real, then they have to be spacecraft because no one can give a second thought to the possibility that the UAOs might be a supersecret U. S. aircraft or a Soviet development. You know that no country in the world has developed their technology far enough to build a craft, that would perform as the UAOs are reported to do. It would be absurd to think that the millions of dollars spent on the investigation of the UAO mystery are being spent to cover the existence of a UAO-type weapon.

This is the situation when you face the reports of the UAO sightings at the Island of Trindade, a Brazilian possession lost in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. Most of these incidents are known to the Brazilian public, but there are important details which have not been disclosed. However, even the information already released through the Brazilian press must be included, for it is almost certain that the American public doesn't know anything about it. It is a well-known fact that reports of flying saucers from other countries, wt en published in the American press, do not contain the necessary detail to give them factual stature. Most are fragmentary, and come through the news services merely as an "item," mostly without verification, and many times without even names or dates. Therefore I am going to report the whole story of the Brazilian Navy sightings at the 'Island of Trindade, the remarkable series of incidents which caused a tremendous impact on the Brazilian public and put the uneasy Navy authorities of my country in a very difficult position.

Hundreds of hours of my time were spent on an exhaustive personal investigation of these amazing incidents, to uncover all the facts connected with them, even the ones not revealed through the press. I was-very lucky in my search, mostly because I was informed about the UAO's pictures at a time when they were still a top-secret subject - long before their publication

The first word of the sightings came on February 4, 1958, when a Navy Commander phoned me to report a startling story. That man, a close friend of mine, had been a hard-boiled skeptic for many years. In the past, I had tried to convince him that UAOs were real objects but got. no results - all my attempts had failed. Now he was calling to tell me he had changed his opinion just a few days ago, after he had seen some amazing pictures of a flying saucer taken a few weeks before by a Navy officer, at the Island of Trinidade. "They are authentic," he told me, "because they were shot from the deck of a Navy ship, the NE 'Almirante Saldanha,' in the presence of a number of Navy officers and sailors, who had sighted the UAO too."

My friend went on to say that the ship was at the Island of Trindade on a scientific mission, and that an investigation had been made immediately. The ship's C. O0 had taken the necessary measures to get the film developed aboard, in the presence of reliable witnesses, and had requested the negatives for examination. These negatives had been submitted to a careful investigation by photographic experts, in order to eliminate any doubt about their authenticity.

He had seen the five pictures the day before and was deeply impressed. They showed a strange object which was obviously an aerial machine of unknown type. He was also informed that a craft of the same Kind had been sighted by the crew of a Navy towship traveling near the coast of Bahia (State) He said 'the evidence was enough to convince him that saucers existed.

This was the Navy officer's story. Feeling that he was now sincerely interested in the UAO problem, I advised him to talk to Commander X (there is no need to tell his real name). an officer from Navy Intelligence who was,, in fact, the Head of the Brazilian Navy investigations of UAOs, and also the "contact officer" on the same subject with the U. S. Navy. "He was the person who showed me the pictures," was my friend's answer. He then told me that Com. X was one of his best friends in the Navy He also said he was going to request special permission to show me the pictures, under compromise. He warned that the matter 'was going to be difficult because the photos were classified for official use only

Permission was granted on February 14. On that occasion my personal investigation of the case was already yielding good results. From several sources, through my contacts in the Brazilian Navy, a lot of new information on the incident had been collected. I already knew the following basic facts connected with it: (1) - that the man who had shot the pictures was not a Navy officer, but a civilian - a photographer named Almiro Barauna; (2)-that the UAO appearing in the photos had been sighted on January 16, 1958; (3) that Mr. Barauna had taken only four pictures of the object; (4) that the fifth one, which showed the same saucer (or a similar one), had been shot by a Navy sergeant stationed on the Island, on a different date--before the arrival of the NE "Almirante Saldanha; "- and, (5) that at least six other sightings had been made at the Island before the arrival of that ship, in less than two months.

This was the information I had obtained when, on the evening of February 14, I went to the Brazilian Navy Ministry according to the instructions received. I met the Navy officer who was my friend and we went to talk to the intelligence officer who was to show me the UAO photos. I was permitted to make a close examination of the four pictures shot by Mr. Barauna. I also saw the fifth one, which was together with the others, but no one told me anything about its different origin. The intelligence officers who worked on the UFO problem seemed to constitute an efficient staff and it was a pleasure to talk with them. We discussed openly the details of the saucer structure appearing in the enlargements made from each photo. They had traced the flight path of the object across the sky and carefully plotted on special charts the data concerning size, speed and altitude. They had no doubt about the authenticity of the photos. The Navy Photo Reconnaissance Laboratory did a complete analysis of the original negatives, which included visual studies, frame-by-frame slide projection, microscopic examination, granulation tests and measurements of the images' brightness. And the photo lab report had concluded that the photos were genuine. Also, a photogrammetric analysis made outside the Navy, by a civilian organization, the "Cruzeiro do Sul Aerophotogrammetric Service," had definitely excluded the possibility of a falsification or photographic trick. And the photographs agreed with the description of the object that the observers had seen-i. e., all witnesses had recognized the object appearing in the pictures as the same one they had sighted over the Island.

They confirmed the information I had collected about other sightings at the Island, but no additional details were given. At the end, they asked me to keep absolute silence about the whole matter. And so I did for a long time. I am not breaking the compromise assumed. As a matter of fact, all information released in that interview was published later in the press. The secret data included in this report, not yet published, were picked up from other sources under no compromise.

After the meeting at the Navy Ministry, the next thing was to try to find the man who had taken the photos. This task was given to reporter Joao Martins, one of our best UAO investigators, who was already working with me in the case. He found Mr. Barauna on the night of February 15. He told him he wanted the photos exclusively for his magazine. Barauna agreed, but advised that the publication could be made only after authorization from the Navy for he had assumed a compromise to keep the matter secret. The permission was granted on the same night, verbally, by Com. C. A. Bacellar. However, it was still subject to the approval of the Navy Ministry and Martins was forced to wait for it.

This seemed to be the end -of my investigation of the photographs. The amount of data I had gathered was accurate but it was inconclusive as far as getting a definite answer was concerned. Then something unexpected came to change the situation. On February 20, the first news about the incident appeared in the press: the newspaper "0 GLOBO" printed a note on the rumors that a flying saucer had been sighted at the Island of Trindade by the crew of the NE "Almirante Saldanha."

The note said that the information had not been confirmed or denied at the navy Ministry, but a Navy spokesman had said that a statement on the case would be released to the press at the proper time. That same night Martins was visited by Mr. Barauna. The man had bad news. Com. Bacellar had phoned him to report a very unpleasant fact: that same night, a radio news program had announced that a newspaper, the "CORREIO DE MANHA," was going to print next morning "exclusive pictures" of a saucer taken by the Navy, at the Island of Trindade. Bacellar also said that the Navy, taken by surprise and worried, had made a desperate attempt to stop the publication at the last moment-but failed ... Then they had sent him to inform Barauna that he was free from the compromise and should take the proper measures to defend his own rights. Mr. Barauna told Martins that he was free to break their contract, too. But Martins decided to accept the fight. They prepared a written contract which was signed by Barauna. They went immediately to the office of the involved newspaper to stop the publication. Their attempt was a failure, too. It was then decided to publish the pictures in another newspaper, at the same time.

The newspaper "0 JORNAL" was contacted and agreed to print the photos. Next morning, on February 21, the case was published in both papers. "0 JORNAL" printed also a report about the sighting as told by Mr. Barauna, which has also been published in "The A. P. R. O. Bulletin" (March, 1958).

Despite the careful measures to maintain secrecy, some one had broken the censorship and put the Navy authorities in a very difficult position. And the man who had done this could not be punished because he was the Brazilian President himself. Ten days before, he had received several copies and enlargements of the UAO photos from Admiral Alves Camara, the Navy Minister, as evidence that the Navy had proof of flying saucers' reality. A few days later the President was visited by a close friend, a person connected with the editor of the "CORREIO DE MANHA." During the interview, that person noticed some strange photos spread on the President's table and asked about them. The President told him. He became very excited and asked permission to get them published. The President promised to consider the demand. Several days later, under the pressure of insistent demands, he finally acceded to liberate the pictures. And when the Navy tried to stop the publication at any cost, the President-who had not asked for the Navy's advice on the subject-said that his decision, right or. wrong, was final. The photos were published. The incident made headlines in Rio's newspapers and later all over the country. Excellent enlargements of the pictures were printed in the press, showing the saucer moving over the sea and hovering above the Island's mountains. The effect on the public was tremendous. A thing like that had never before been revealed to the Brazilian people. Those photographs. were clear enough to show the object was an unknown type of craft. And they had been shot by a member of the Navy's scientific expedition, i. e., they had been authenticated by the Navy.

The case remained on the paper's front pages for seven days. Navy authorities did not know what to do, for the thing was too big to be concealed anymore. To deny any connection with the incident was a childish thing, an unnecessary liebut they tried it. The maneuver was a failure, however, for the orders to keep the secrecy about the matter were not obeyed by civilian observers aboard the ship. They talked. Their reports confirmed Barauna's report. Under the pressure of public opinion, the Navy was forced to issue an official release which caused a Congressional inquiry into the Navy policy about the UFOs. This marked the climax of the confusion and controversy which followed public announcement of the startling events at the Island of Trindade.

The Congressional inquiry was approved at the House of Representa-tives on February 27, 1958. According to Brazilian law, Representative Sergio Magalhaes requested the Navy Minister to explain the facts connected with the incident at the Island of Trindade. The text of this fascinating document was printed in all Rio's newspapers on February 27 and 28. It is transcribed below, quoting verbatim from the Government Printing Office publication, the "Diario do Congresso National." "HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE U. S. OF BRAZIL" "OFFICIAL INQUIRY"

"Subject: The Navy Ministry is requested to answer or explain the following items of the inquiry presented by Rep. Sergio Magalhaes (R -o de Janeiro, D. C.) on February 27, 19-53, and approved by this House.

1-If it is true that the crew of the NE 'Almirante Saldanha' witnessed the sighting of a strange object over the Island of Trindade.

2-Considering that the official statement released from the Navy Minister's Office recognizes that photos of the strange object were taken 'in the presence of members from the crew of the NE "Almirante Saldanha" - it is asked if an investigation was made, and if the reports from the Navy officers and sailors involved were registered

3-In the hypothesis of a negative answer, the Navy Minister is requested to explain the reasons on which he has based his inclination to attribute no importance to the fact.

4-If it is correct that the photos were developed in the presence of officers from the NE 'Almirante Saldanha, and that the pictures showed the image of the strange object since the first examination.

5-If the negatives were submitted to a careful examination in order to detect any photographic trick contrived before the sighting.

6-Why the information was kept secret by Navy authorities for about a month.

7-If it is correct that other similar phenomena were observed by Navy officers.

8-If it is correct 'that the commanding officer of the Navy tow ship 'Tridente' witnessed the appearance of the strange object called a `flying saucer.'

"JUSTIFICATION:

The appearance of these strange aerial objects known as `flying saucers' has attracted the world's interest and curiosity for more than ten years. For the first time, however, the phenomenon is witnessed by a large number of members from a military organization, and the photos of the object receive the OFFICIAL SEAL through a statement released to the press by the Navy Minister's Office

Yet, as the problem affects the national security, more information is necessary to clarify the facts. There is some controversy in the information divulged through the press, but the Navy apparently has no intention of releasing a complete report to stop the confusion and inform the public. Furthermore, the Navy Minister's Office. having declared (officially) that a large number of people from the NE 'Almirante Saldanha' crew had sighted the strange object photographed over the Island of Trindade--in spite of this, there was no request for the witnesses' reports or any other measures, as confessed the Chief of the Navy High Staff when interviewed by the press." UNQUOTE.

The flying saucers had achieved the honor of being referred to in the House of Representatives. By now the words "flying saucer" were being batted around by every newspaper reporter, radio and TV newscaster, and man on the street. It had become apparent that the press was reviving its interest in UAOs. Newspaper reporters uncovered and printed a lot of valuable information on the matter, for they rival any intelligence officer when it comes to digging up facts. But the best thing they were able to get was the Navy secret report to the House of Representatives with the answers to the questions asked by Rep Sergio Magalhaes. The information was published on April 17, 1958, by several newspapers at Rio (CORREIO DA MANHA, 0 JORNAL, and JORNAL DO BRAZIL).

The document pointed out that the reports hadn't actually started with the Barauna Incident. Several other sightings over the Island had been witnessed by a number of workers, sailors and officers.. on different occasions, during the months of December (1957) and January. Some of these cases had not been taken into consideration, said the report, "though the witnesses reported the sighting of the object on different days, because their stories were not sufficient for scientific evaluation due to the observers' lack of qualification (sailors and workers), and to the brief duration of the phenomena." But in five incidents, at least, the reports had come from Navy officers, scientists, and other equally credible observers - and those reports couldn't be discarded. The Navy investigation of the matter was started in' January, soon after the arrival of the NE "Almirante Saldanha" at Rio de Janeiro and closed on February 2.

The Navy report also included an account of these other incidents, which involved "unidentified objects" shaped like a flying saucer, and tear-shaped devices. "One object," said the report, "when seen from below, showed a spherical outline and its color was undefined for some, like stainless steel for others. The size was not determined. All the reports called attention to the high speed, controlled maneuvers, and extreme mobility of the objects spotted. Their movements were not continuous like those of an airplanebut abrupt and rapid, with sudden changes of course and speed, and right-angle turns."

It contained also the Navy's analysis of the Barauna Incident to gether with the evaluation of the photos taken by that photographer. The conclusion at the end of the document was the following:

"Personal reports and photographic evidence of certain value indicate the existence of unidentified aerial object (s)."

All the information transcribed above was printed in the Brazilian press, as well as a summary of the several sightings at the Island. No one knows who gave out the data to newspapermen, but some clues suggest Rep. Magalhaes himself Anyway, the information was correct. I was able to check the matter personally. I saw the Navy report itself, in the hands of some friends from the Navy. In fact, there was more information in it than what had been revealed through the press. The matter will be discussed again in another portion of this report.

Incidentally, the Navy reaction to the publication of information contained in the secret report was expressed in the official release made by Commander Raul Lopes Cardoso, from the Navy Minister Office, on that same day:

"The Navy has sent a memorandum to the House of Representatives with the answers to the questions , asked by Rep. S. Magalhaes, in an official document, on the sighting of a flying saucer on January 16, 1958, at the Island of Trindade. I must declare, however, that such a memorandum is a classified document, and the House of Representatives is not authorized to divulge any information included there. Only the President of the Republic or the Navy High Command, could give the order to declassify the Navy Secret Report on the subject and make it available to the public.

"I would like to make it clear, on the other hand, that the document received by Rep. S. Magalhaes is not the Navy Secret Report itself. That Report continues to be absolutely secret. Any information or comments about it are still forbidden. What was sent to the House was a single memorandum, classified too." (Rio de Janeiro 0 JORNAL, April 17. 1958).

Rep. - Sergio Magalhaes was the obvious target of the Navy release transcribed above. To avoid trouble, he was careful in his official declaration to the press on the matter. He said only the following:

"After receiving from the Navy the information requested in the inquiry connected with the flying saucer of Trindade, I have concluded that an unidentified object was seen by the crew of the NE "Almirante Saldanha," and photographed by Mr. Almiro Barauna." (Rio de Janeiro JORNAL DO BRAZIL, April 17, 1958)

the facts reported above represent only a part of the whole history, but they are enough for the reader to get a general idea about the situation and to realize the extraordinary significance of the remarkable sequence of UAO sightings at the Island of Trindade. The following account presents the true and complete story based on what I learned in my investigation of the matter. Most of the information included was published in the press, but my report contains also data which has never before been divulged. In these instances, I have left out the names of the people who gave me the information, or the names of certain people who were associated with the Navy project-people who have cooperated to help me but do not want publicity But the greatest care has been taken to make sure that the omission of a few names has in no way altered the basic facts because this report is based on facts-all of the facts. Contrary to the present thinking in military circles, I believe that the public must be told every detail of every phase of the UAO investigation Therefore, nothing of significance was left out.

Now let us consider the events in the order in which they occurred.

Trindade is a small, deserted, rocky island located in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, between the Brazilian coast and the African continent. more than 600 miles off the coast of Bahia. During World War II, it was used as a military base for U. S. and Brazilian warships fighting German U-boats. But it was abandoned after the end of the war, remaining completely deserted and forgotten until 1957. In October, 1957, however, a task force from the Brazilian Navy arrived there, under the command of Captain-of-Corvette Carlos Alberto Bacellar. The Hydrography and Navigation Division of the Navy Ministry had decided to build an Oceanographic Post and a Meteorological Station on the island for research connected with the IGY

By early November the task had been completed. The installations began their activities. Besides equipment for oceanographic and meteorological studies, there was also a radio station on the island. Instrument-carrying meteorological balloons were released daily by Navy technicians to study high-atmospheric conditions. These weatherballoons were flexible bags inflated with hydrogen and painted red, to make it easier to spot from the ground. The gas inside the balloons expanded gradually as they ascended (because of the drop of atmospheric pressure), and a stage was reached when the balloon could not expand further and then it burst. The instruments were automatically dropped by parachute before this moment. 'Each balloon carried a radio transmitter which started to send a radio signal as the balloon began to climb. Information registered on the balloon's instruments was automatically sent to the ground station. At the moment the instruments were parachuted, the radio signal changed automatically to a higher frequency. The balloon's movements were tracked all the time through optical devices because a close observation of its ascent would give information on the winds at various heights. The technicians tracked the balloon with theodolites, to avoid losing contact with it.

November was coming to an end. On the morning of a clear, sunny day, a meteorological balloon was being tracked with a theodolite as it slowly climbed into the sky. Com. Bacellar was inside the radio station, picking up its radio signals. Everything seemed to be normal. But suddenly the signals' frequency changed unexpectedly. Puzzled, Com. Bacellar sent a man outside to tell the operators at the theodolite that the balloon's instruments had been parachuted prematurely. The technician came back a few minutes later and was very excited: "They said a that the instruments have not been dropped yet, Commander, and that..."

"That is impossible," answered Bacellar, "because I am listening to the new signal. What is happening outside?"

"I don't know, sir, but they say there is another object in the sky near the balloon, and perhaps ... " But he had no time to finish the sentence because the commander was already running through the door.

It was unbelievable. There was another object in the sky besides the balloon, hovering over the Post at a great altitude. It could be sighted distinctly with the naked eye, appearing as a bright luminous speck, silvery in color. It seemed to be moving from one side to another and making tight turns. At its apparent height, the speed had to be tremendous to convey an impression of motion so clearly defined. It was at an elevation of about 80 degrees. Despite the impression of motion, the first suggestion was that the "unknown" might be the planet Venus. The possibility was immediately checked and it was found that the azimuth and elevation of Venus did not coincide with the position of the object.

Com. Bacellar took over the theodolite and found the balloon still there, whereupon he immediately abandoned it and picked up the unidentified object as it came out of the sun. Through the 20-power scope, the UAO presented a distinct oval-shaped outline and was about three times as long as it was wide It was silvery-white in color and reflected sunlight with what looked like a metallic shine. It appeared at times to change shape according to its position in space in relation to the observers. Sometimes it seemed round, or looked liked a planetary disk.

There was a cloudless sky and no haze. The object left no vapor trail or exhaust. No projections were noted on the surface. It was not rotating, but the small change of shape at intervals suggested an osccillatory motion of some sort.

The balloon burst at the proper time but the UAO was still there. It remained in sight for almost three hours. At the end, diminishing gradually in size, it finally was lost to sight by the technician who was tracking its course all the time.

A radio message signed by Com. Bacellar was sent to Rio reporting the events and asking for instructions.

According to Com. Bacellar, this was the first UAO sighting at the Island. I had another information about two previous incidents in October, before the arrival of Bacellar. It was said that, in one of them, the UAO had landed at a deserted spot on the island but-when approached --moved away at high speed after a swift take-off. The information had come from a reliable source, but Com. Bacellar denied it.

The second sighting happened on December 5, 1957. A worker, according to his written report at the C. O. at the island (Com. Baceller), watched a strange object cross the sky overhead at 8:00 a. m. The alien craft was flying silently at a height of about six thousand feet; it was silvery in color and round-shaped; its angular diameter was similar to that of the full moon's.

This report didn't attract unusual interest at the time because the witness was a person with no special qualification.

On December 31, however, came the third sighting. The same object (or a similar one) passed again over the island. The time was 7:50 a. m. A silvery, circular object, with an apparent size compared with the full moon, crossed the sky silently at about six thousand feet. This time it was watched by five workers, a sailor, the island's doctor, and a Navy officer-Lieutenant Inacio Carlos Moreira.

By this time, the commander was worried. If those UAOs were hostile, the Navy garrison at the island had no chance to fight back in the case of an attack. The island had no weapons for defense - no artillery, long-range weapons, or even antiaircraft cannons. Corn Bacellar did not expect an attack, of course, but his men were uneasy--and he knew it. There might be trouble in, handling them if those UAOs-whatever they might be-continued to appear, over the island.

The fourth sighting occurred on the following day, January 1, 1958. For obvious reasons, almost everybody was alert, with eyes turned toward the sky. At 7:50 a. m., a bright point of light flashed over the sea at very high speed. It described a 90 degree trajectory on the sky before vanishing into the horizon. In the middle of this trajectory, it glowed brightly for a few seconds-like a mirror reflecting the sun. The whole garrison, including Com. Bacellar, saw the object. At that hour a number of sea-gulls were flying around. Was it a sea-gull? Com. Bacellar said he is not sure. If it was a sea-gull, it was the fastest of its kind in the world.

Workers and sailors witnessing the phenomenon, on the other hand, reported that the object sighted was the same they had seen on other occasions. Besides, it had appeared at the same time and was moving in the same direction (to the North) as the UAO of the previous day.

Next day, January 2, another alarm was given-this time at night. But the men were excited and the thing was seen for a few seconds only. No one was sure about it. The sighting was discarded. The same night, however, the Navy tow ship "Triunfo," traveling off the Bahia coast, some 400 miles off the Island of Trindade, was circled for almost ten minutes by an unknown aerial object. The whole ship's crew witnessed the incident. The UAO was round-shaped, encircled by a weird orange glow, and maneuvered at high speed-with sudden changes of course and right-angle turns. At certain times it hovered motionless in mid-air for a brief time, sometimes close to the ship.

This was the fifth sighting of the series. It was not published in the press.

These facts seem fantastic, but they are recorded in the Navy Secret Report on the Trindade Incidents. The most incredible event was yet to come. According to the secret Navy document sent to Rep. Sergio Magalhaes, the sixth sighting happened on January 6. As usual, another weather balloon had been released that morning and was being tracked from the ground. The sky was blue and clear, with no haze, and there was a solitary cumulus cloud almost overhead. Com Bacellar was inside the radio cabin, tracking the balloon's slow ascent via the signals emitted from its radio-sonde. Everything appeared to be normal .. .

Suddenly a strange thing happened: the radio signals began to diminish gradually in intensity, fading away as if the transmitter was moving to a distance outside the range of the ground station antenna. And there was no change of frequency. In fact, the signal's frequency did not change even at the expected time, when the instruments should have automatically dropped by parachute. The change never came because soon the radio-sonde was dead. For unknown reasons the balloon's transmitter was now silent.

Worried, Com. Bacellar went outside to investigate. There was nothing unusual at first sight: the balloon was already very high in the sky and still climbing up; it was slowly approaching the large cumulus cloud, which was overhead at an altitude of fourteen thousand feet. The balloon's instruments were expected to be dropped at this height.

It was then that the observers saw a strange thing: the balloon was sucked suddenly toward the cloud, entered it, and was lost to sight. It appeared again about ten minutes later, and resumed its ascent in the sky-more rapidly now, for it was lighter than before its disappearance into the cloud. The balloon's instruments had disappeared when it was inside the cloud. In fact, it had entered into that cloud still carrying its instruments-but it had left the cloud without them.

Had the balloon's instruments been parachuted when it was out of sight, inside the cloud? Maybe, but no one saw the parachute coming down with them. No one can be sure because they were not found.

As would be expected if they were picked up by an interloper.

Yes, there was an interloper inside the cumulus cloud. It came out soon after the balloon and was first spotted by the technician at the theodolite. Com. Bacellar was alerted and saw it too: a silvery object, with the color of polished aluminum shining in the sunlight. It came slowly from behind the cloud moving along a SW-E direction. Com. Bacellar looked at it through binoculars and then asked for the theodolite.

Through the 20-power theodolite, the UAO looked like a half-moon with a bright white color. Bacellar followed it with the scope for half an hour. It was still moving from the Southwest to the East-but later it changed course and started to move from East to West. At this moment, Bacellar called a technician to resume keeping the slow-moving UAO in the radio post, to check the radiosonde data. He went later to a ship to get a sextant and, from the deck he followed the object through that optical device for a long time.

At 12:15 p.m. the UAO finally disappeared behind a cloud-bank (cirrus clouds) and was not seen again.

According to Com. Bacellar's observations, the UAO's angular velocity was like that of the sun when the object was moving on an E-W course. However, when it moved in the other direction (along a SW-E course) the speed was much higher.

This sighting was reported in the press on April 17 (Rio de Janeiro CORREIO DA MANHA, 0 JORNAL, and JORNAL DE BRASIL) and May 17, 1958 (magazine 0 CRUZEIRO). All the details were included, except the facts connected with the radiosonde signals and the balloon's instruments. These are related here for the first time.

At this point, I would like to call the attention of the reader to the fact that Com. Carlos Alberto Bacellar is a highly qualified officer, a competent technician, and an expert on meteorological and atmospheric phenomena. He started the first systematic radio-sonde research in my country. Therefore, he is well qualified to detect the difference between a UAO and a balloon, or the planet Venus, or any other meteorological or astronomical phenomena. His observations of the sightings described above were obviously more precise and accurate but, unfortunately, he could not talk about the matter. He confirmed the incidents but refused to give out more details because the data was still classified.

There was still another sighting in January according to the information I received from another source. When questioned about it, Com. Bacellar angrily refused to admit its existence. He said the whole thing was a lie. Despite this lack of confirmation I will report the case because the information came from a very reliable military source.

According to the information, this seventh sighting occurred just a few days before the arrival of the NE "Almirante Saldanha." This time the UAO appeared very low over the island. It flashed toward the Meteorological Post at terrific speed, slowed down abruptly, and hovered for a few seconds over it. Then it started to move again, described several circles around the island, hovered briefly above the "Desejado" peak, moved again on a "zig-zag" course and was gone into the horizon at tremendous speed. When last sighted, it was flying in a Northwesterly direction. This UAO was a weird object. It appeared to be made of polished aluminum (or similar metal), and was shaped like a flattened spheroid with a large ring circling its equator. The spheroid body did not rotate, but the ring appeared to be spinning at fantastic speed. The object made no sound as it flew through the sky. In spite of the fact that it had been sighted almost at noon, on a clear sunny day, against a cloudless sky-this UAO was surrounded by a bright greenish glow, which almost disappeared when the object was hovering, to become brighter when it started to move.

A number of people at different spots on the island witnessed the sighting. The witnesses were scared and spread alarm and confusion through the garrison. Com. Bacellar, it was said, submitted the witnesses to a careful interrogation after taking measures to avoid any contact between them. All reports agreed that the "unknown" was a solid object about twice to three times the size of a DC-3; that it appeared to be intelligently controlled; and that its performance was beyond anything manufactured upon this planet.

The investigation also revealed another important thing (also denied by Com. Bacellar) : that the UAO had been photographed by one of the witnesses, a Navy sergeant. The man was taking pictures of the island with a , box camera when he spotted the UAO moving across the sky. He shot one picture before it disappeared. The negative was immediately requested by Com. Bacellar and the film developed the same day. The picture was good enough to show that the object photographed was the same as described by the witnesses. Its spherical outline as well as the large thick ring around it could be clearly seen in the enlargements made from the negative. On the other hand, it seemed that the UAO's rapid motion had not been adequately stopped by the box camera; the object appeared out of focus on the photo and no good detail was observable.

This photo was probably one of the five UAO pictures I saw at the Navy Ministry, together with the ones taken by Mr. Barauna. Despite the lack of detail, it is very important as evidence, for it shows the same object seen later in the photos taken by another person.

With this we can pass to the last UAO sighting at the Island of Trindade, the one that was widely reported through the press. It is the best case of the whole series, not only because of the amazing photographs taken by Mr. Barauna, but also for other important reasons that will be presented in the next portion of this report.

In early January, 1958, the ship "Almirante Saldanha" left Rio de Janeiro's harbor and proceeded toward the Island of Trindade with a crew of three hundred. That ship had been previously a Brazilian Navy school-ship, but it had been converted into a hydrographic unit to be used for investigations connected with IGY research. It belonged to the Hydrography and Navigation Division of the Brazilian Navy and, since October, 1957, the ship had made several trips to Trindade, most of them connected with Navy's oceanographic studies for the IGY.

Several civilians were aboard the ship this time, invited officially to collaborate with the Navy Ministry in the scientific studies which were underway at the Island. One man was Almiro Barauna, a photographer and former newspaperman now working as a "free lancer." He was also an expert in submarine photography and had been invited to work in the field for the Navy.

After a routine trip the ship arrived at the Island and stayed there for several days. It was scheduled to leave for Rio on January 16. That day, at 12:15 p.m., when the ship was preparing to depart, a strange object was sighted simultaneously by a number of observers gathered on the deck. The UAO came toward the Island at high speed, hovered briefly over a peak, disappeared behind it for a short time, and appeared again to move away toward the sea. Mr. Barauna was taking pictures of the ship's maneuvers at that moment. He spotted the UAO and got four pictures of it.

Let's review what happened as told in the witnesses'. own words. Let's begin with Almiro Barauna's report. He was interviewed by reporter Joao Martins and his statements were published in the magazine 0 CRUZEIRO (March 8, 1958).

They are transcribed below:

"Q. Mr. Barauna, what were the reasons for your presence aboard the NE 'Almirante Saldanha'? A. The Navy has invited several teams specialized in submarine hunting to visit the Island of Trindade. I am a member of the Icarai Club for Submarine Hunting, and our group was invited for the last trip. So, on January 8, when the ship left Rio, I was aboard together with the following members of my group: Amilar Vieira Filho, captain of our team, a Government employee (he has a job at the CACEX) ; Jose Teobaldo Viegas, instructor at the. Aero Club of Niteroi and Air Force Captain (retired) ; Mauro Andrade, from the London Bank; and Aloisio, municipal employee at the Federal District. We were going to try to beat some records on submarine hunting. Personally, I was going to take underwater photographs for the Navy, and also to write some articles about the Island and the activities of the scientists working for the IGY.

"Q. Was any other civilian aboard, besides your group? A. Yes. There was Prof. Fernando, a geogolist, with two assistants, and also a photographer, and a reporter from the newspaper 'JORNAL DO BRASIL.' The three scientists left the ship and went to the island.

"Q. Please tell me what was the date of the sighting? What happened? A. It was on January 16, at 12:15 p.m. The ship was preparing to leave the island, to come back to Rio. I was on the deck observing the operations to take aboard the boat used in the trips between the ship and the island (the island has no harbor). The sea was agitated. The weather was cloudy, clear, with no shadows. It had my Rolleiflex 2.8model E, which was kept inside an aluminum box for protection against the corrosive effects of water and salt. I had left my Leica with a telephoto lens in my cabin a few -moments before. The deck was full of sailors and officers. Suddenly, Mr. Amilar Vieira and Captain Viegas called me, pointing to a certain spot in the sky and yelling about a bright object which was approaching the island. At this same moment, when I was still trying to see what it was, Lieutenant Homero-the ship's dentist-came from the bow toward us, running, pointing out to the sky and also yelling about an object he was sighting. He was so disturbed and excited that he almost fell down after colliding with a cable. Then I was finally able to locate the object, by the flash (of light) it emitted. It was already close to the island. It glittered at certain moments, perhaps reflecting the sunlight, perhaps changing its own light-I don't know. It was coming over the sea, moving toward the point called the 'Galo Crest.' I had lost 30 seconds looking for the object, but the camcera was already in my hands, ready, when I sighted it clearly silhouetted against the clouds. I shot two photos before it disappeared behind the peak `Desejado'. My camera was set at speed 125, with the aperture at f 8, and this was the cause of an over-exposure error, as I discovered later.

"The object remained out of sight for a few seconds-behind the peak -reappearing bigger in size and flying in the opposite direction, but lower and closer than before, and moving at a higher speed. I shot the third photo. The fourth and fifth ones were lost, not only because of the speed the saucer was moving, but also for another reason: in the confusion produced as a result of the sighting, I was being pulled and pushed by other persons also trying to spot the object and, as a consequence, photographed the sea and the Island only-not the object. It was moving again toward the sea, in the direction from which it had come, and it appeared to stop in mid-air for a brief time. At that moment I shot my last photo (the last on the film). After about 10 seconds, the object continued to increase its distance from the ship, gradually diminishing in size and finally disappearing into the horizon.

"Q. Did you hear anything unusual during the sighting? Was the object emitting any sound? A. I am not sure, to be honest, because of the noise made by the sea waves against the island's rocks, as well as for the yelling aboard the ship at the time. However, I think that l heard nothing besides those sounds.

"Q. What was the color of the object? A. It showed a dark grey color, appearing to be surroundedmostly in the area ahead of it -by a kind of condensation of a greenish, phosphorescent vapor (or mist).

"Q. Did the object appear to be metallic? A. Yes. It was obviously a solid object.

"Q. How was it flying? Any special characteristic? A. Yes. It showed an undulatory movement as it flew across the sky, like the flight of a bat. And when it came back, it changed speed abruptly, with no transition, in a jump.

"Q. Do you know how many persons aboard the 'Almirante Saldanha' sighted the object? A. The object was sighted by almost all the people on the deck at that time, including Lieutenant Homero, Captain Viegas and Mr. Amilar Vieira.

"Q. What happened after the sighting? A. The ship's commander and several officers from the garrison wanted to see what I had got in the photos. As I was very curious too. I decided to develop the exposed film at once, aboard the ship. The processing was done under the supervision of several officers, including Com. Carlos A. Bacellar. But only the negatives were seen aboard. The reason: there was no photographic paper for the copies on the ship at that time. The negatives, however, were seen and examined by the whole crew.

"Q. Did you keep the negatives in your hands? A. Yes .

"Q. Were you under any pressure to give up those negatives to the Navy's authorities? A. No. Com. Saldanha da Gama (the ship's C.O.) and the other Navy officers aboard were very kind. They never tried to get the negatives from me.

"Q. What happened when the ship came back to Rio? A. The ship stopped first at Vitoria, in the State of Espirito Santo. As it was going to stay there for two days and later travel to Rio, we were permittedthe civilians from the submarine hunting group only-to leave the ship there and to take a bus for the rest of the trip. Later, two days after the arrival of the 'Almirante Saldanha' at Rio, Com. Bacellar (excommander of the Navy Post at Trindade) appeared at my residence. He wanted to see the enlargements made from the negatives, and asked permission to take them to the Navy's authoritives. Two days later they were returned with congratulations. I was also requested to appear at the Navy Ministry as soon as possible. They wanted to ask me certain questions, and to see the negatives again.

"Q. And what happened there? A. I was interviewed by several highstaff officers, who asked me all kinds of questions. I went there twice. At the first meeting, they requested the negatives for examination. They were sent to a civilian organization. the 'Cruzeiro do Sul Aerophotogrammetric Service,' remaining there for four days. I was told by the Navy ofcficers that the analyses proved they were genuine-excluding definitely the possibility of a trick or falsification. On the second visit, they performed several 'Time-tests'. While I worked with my Rolleiflex, taking shots at the same time-intervals I had used to photograph the object, three Navy officers with chronometers registered the times. They came to the conclusion-based on these tests as well as on studies concerning the ship's position and examinations of charts of the Island-that the object was flying at a speed between 900 and 1000 Km./hour (600 m.p.h.). The object's size was also estimated, on the basis of studies related Sith the Island's details also appearing on the photos, diagrams drawn on charts, graphs, etc. The object was about 120 feet in diameter, and about 24 feet high.

"Q. Do you know anything about the official report on the case? A. I saw a 'dosser' which was consulted many times during the interrogation. However, I didn't read what was written there. I was also _informed that my photos, mixed with other pictures, had been shown to witnesses of the sighting-to be identified. The result was positive.

"Q. Do you know anything about any photos by other people aboard the ship? A. No. Besides myself, there were at least four other persons with cameras at the time of the sighting. But apparently they were not able to spot the object in time, or were paralyzed by their own emotions.

"Q. Were you warned against something by the Navy's authorities? Was there some recommendation? A. Yes. They requested me to keep the matter secret for some time. I was permitted to publish the case only after authorization from the Navy. The permission was granted, verbally, on the night of February 15, by Com. Bacellar. They made only one restriction, which I cannot mention for the reason that I have given my word .. .

"Q. Do you know if your sighting was the first over the Island of Trindade? A. I was informed of four other sightings over the island during those thirty days preceding the incident of January 16. I was also informed of another thing: At one of those sightings, the 'object' was photographed by a Navy sergeant. His photo obviously was not released and probably never will be-the reasons are evident. Besides those four sightings, there was also the radar case. A 'target' flying at supersonic speed was tracked through the radar of the 'Almirante Saldanha', on January 15.

"Q. Did you receive any money from the Navy for your work at the Island of Trindade? A. No. I was there as a guest.

"Q. Did you receive any money from the Navy for your photographic work, or for the enlargements you made for them? A. No. I only received the photographic paper to be used for enlargements.

"Q. How many enlargements have you given them? A. Thirty-eight.

"Q. One last question: What kind of impression did you get from observing the 'flying saucer'? A. I am absolutely sure it was a controlled object-either directly or by remote control-but very well operated, in any case. The general impression of people aboard the ship was the same: it had come to make a close observation of the ship." Unquote.

The interview transcribed above was rechecked and confirmed by the witness. However, Mr. Barauna also talked to the press reporting additional details not mentioned previously. The more interesting were the following ones:

(1). "I cannot estimate the number of persons on the ship's deck at the moment of the sighting. However, during the official investigation ordered by Com. Saldanha da Gama, about one hundred members from the ship's crew confirmed that they had sighted the UAO.

"The radar was not in operation at the time. The object was already gone when it was put to work

"I shot the six pictures in about 14 seconds." (Rio de Janeiro ULTIMA HORA, February 21, 1958)

(2) "1 was worried for a few days after an officer told me that 1 was under military regulations, as any civilian aboard a Navy ship, so that the film was going to be confiscated according to orders from the Navy Headquarters, at Rio. But nothing happened. Now I am convinced that he was joking." (Rio de Janeiro ULTIMA HORA, February 22, 1958).

On February 24. 1958, the newspaper "0 GLOBO" printed an exclusive interview with Almiro Barauna about his interrogation at the Navy Ministry. As that part of his story had not been reported yet in full detail, it is interesting to know what he said in that interview, which is transcribed below:

"I went to the Navy Ministry for a four-hour interrogation about the photographs. The negatives were projected on a large sized screen. After a careful examination by all officers from the Navy General Staff gathered at the place, the Chief of the Intelligence Service (who was the officer of highest rank there) told me the following: 'I am going to ask questions. Do not be offended, for I do not doubt the authenticity of your pictures. But we need your answers for some questions. Now, if you were going to fake a photo, how should it be done in order to escape detection?'

"'Commander, as an expert in photography, I am well aware that no photo of such a kind could resist an accurate examination,' was my answer.

"'In your opinion, said the Commander, "what Should be done to distinguish a faked photograph from a good one?'

"'A laboratory examination of the negatives should be made on the following points: granulation, emulsion, and large-scale projection. The definite proof, however, good enough to detect any tricks, would be a microscopic examination,' I said to them. 'It would demonstrate the increase in granulation connectced with the double-exposure needed for the trick,' I concluded.

"After a few more questions, the intelligence officer said: 'We want your negatives for those examinations. Do you agree? I agreed, of course, and he got the film. These things happened three days after the arrival of the 'Almirante Saldanha,' at the Navy's Intelligence Headquarters. A few days later, the negatives were returned in an official envelope with a card informing me about the results of the analyses.

"Some days later I was called again. This time they also asked for my Rolleiflex. They wanted to make tests in order to estimate, if possible, the speed of the flying saucer at the moment of the sighting. The tests were performed. They showed that I had taken my six pictures in 14 seconds, and that the saucer was flying at 900 to 1000 Km./hour. One of my photographs, taken when the saucer was hovering over the 'Desejado' Peak, stopped in space, did not show (as they said) the turbulence in the surrounding air observed in the others with the object moving. There was a kind of vapor or condensation in front of the flying object when it was moving-similar to that produced by the engines of a jet plane.

"At the end of the meeting, the Intelligence chief officer said he was convinced that my photos were authentic. Then he showed me another photo which had been taken by a Navy telegraphist-sergeant-also at Trindade. A box camera had been used. I was surprised. That photo showed the same object seen in my pictures. It was evidently the final proof. They told me. it had been taken some time before my arrival at the Island." Unquote.