The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-07-27
D0ntlfal.
FaoM THE ESSEX REGISTER.

The greatest attention rs now drawn towards
South America. We have been accustomed to
consider ourselves as surrounded nv European
colonies, from which we could expect nothing.
but rs it was first Dictated by European policy.
whatever injuries might arise from it to Ameri
can settlements 1t rs true, these reflections
were Qualified according to our conception. OF
the w,sdnm which directed the respective ma
lions, bnt the essential character Of colonial go
vernmCpts was not changed Their frequent com
plants and petitions have all discovered tha,
they contemplate the same character in their
E~overnment, and expected only partial relief for
the INJURIES they received II ia true, they
sometimes speak the Language of gratitude, and
confessed they ought to re ward the bencsactors
who protected them, but they have all been con
yinced, in the prosperity Of our states in North
America, how much better it might be to help
themselves he time has come when the oh
legation to relieve themselves seems to be As
great as the desire, and when the most irapor
tant circumstances seem to require the .uh per
formance of tfeic duty. They have no bands of
patriotism to break, no allegiance to aay prince
10 dissolve They are To revolt from no govern.
ment which is established, and they have the
power to maintain SO much Of their present cha
racter as can agree with the pu5iic wishes. Re.
jic'on pton.yts no change, and denOuuces M
choice they can make Cor their political > ovation.
What will be the progress. Ii is in VAN to con
lecture All the hopes which ever did belnng
TO any settlements, are their own. America will
be free, but whether by bold and decisive nea-
sures, or by the impcrious necessity in their e
fairs, is hardly open for our conjectures. we
cannet have more to hope and less to fear
Th.c celebrated count Humhuldt. who visited
our states, embraced also South America in his
discoveries and in his travels. We have seen
some observations from hus Views of Nature,
which will be acceptable at 4 time when we are
%enquiring into the history ofa p >r, ion -four own
continent, with which we hope far important con
Dec.ions n some future ages of is prosperi,v.-
Count Humboldt tells us, Z" The interest which
South America excites, belongs rptirely to ma
ture Nothing exists to bring to our recollection
ehe ancient dwellings, of men No temple, no
stone wrought by the hand of man is here
TO I've seen. From the m luntains of the Carac-
cas-, the desert extends mto the forest of Guiana,
and from the mountains Of Merida, where we
see sulphurious springs issuing from beds of per-
petual snow, the same desert stretches To the i'm
1nense Drlta, formed by the mouths of the Orc.
noko. Toth ne a0ulhwes these plans extend in
the form 0ftho sea bevpnd the shores of the Me
ia, and o. lie Vtc'iada 10 the almost unkno wn
sources II the GuAviara, ar tn the isolated peak
called bv the Spaniards Paramo de la sumno
Paz, the residence Of eternal p ace This plain
occupies suffice If Ia 900 "a isre miles The
scanty geographical klo Sie,ige hitherto in our
possession respecting these countries, encourag
ed an idea t1at IT IS coltrluel y the straits of
M .gellan, but no rcgN"d has beer paid to the
chain, which extends TO tie east of the Andes,
ant winch separates TO the norti. w ard and the
southward, the wondy plains ofthe river Of
mszons, and The meade US Of RIO de la Plata -
TIL latter which fUrT, the Pampas OF Buenos
-Ayres, are there the extent OF the Llanos on the
north they are bounded by forests OF Palm trees,
wiIie the southern parts are constantly covered
with ice aid snow. Countries already half cul.
tivated by Europeans, bound the vast plains of
South America Tie countries which extend
northward, between the chain Of the Vant zuels
mountains and the West India islands, are cover
ed wth Furnishing towns, and we'll cultivated
farms. TIE immense desert is bounded on the
South by lmpenetrahle forests of timber, which
occupy the damp regions between the rivers O.
ronoko and amazon Enormous rocks Of granite
line the beds of their foamy waters TIE
mountains and forests echo back the noise of
their water falls, and the almost incess2nt cries
of animals prognosticate approaching storms
Various are the races OF man which inhabit these
savage countries they are distinguished BY the
variety cftheir language. Ofthes- the Otomacs
and the JAtures feed upon ants, gum, and even
earth Others, more Intelligent and of mllder
manners, live on the fruits oi the earth which
they cultivate. Immense regions are inhabited
only by mnnkies who live in a Kind of society -
hinges, however, carved on the rocks, announce
che existence of mankind in these countries at
some remote period These relics contain the
secret of The muta5le desiIniss otmen, and prove
that the mod 'fications OF lirguage are invariably
the most indellbie monuments OF their first orr
gin. The savage tubes u Guiana wage etcr
nal war" Such is The outline OF the picture
which this celebrated naturalist has given of a
portion of our con- ment, which Is soon to receive
me " honors The historian has give a pointed
contrast between SoHti America and Africa
Tue cold and The humIdity Of ) Iutb America he
o%orls.sis wan The burning deserts ni Africa -
According 10 MN tpr hf1- of South America
is situated beyond the Equator, IN a hem sphere
Tendered cridsrby ! kes and rivers, Than The
nnrshsrn hem sphere, to- which the greater p,rt
OF Africa belongs. We do not c mcern ou!se'v !
with his ingenious reasoning upon TIC facts IN
the history Of man, he II ItIces 4 tribe of South A
mericans inhabitJng the baik, ofthe Oronoko near
its mouth, and who live IN cabins suspended to
the branches ofthe tree called MaurItia. The
existence OF thus tribe he represents as depend
ing entirely upon the productions ofthe Maui
tia During the inund ton of the Delta, they
suspend ingenousiy between the branches OF
the tree, kinds Of hammocks, woven with The
leavrs and sowed together with threads made
from the same tree. He testihes to- the i'm
msnse herds Of horned cattle. horses and Wild a..
ses, which pasture III the South American
plains the pr0diB,5us increase OF these animals !
Is to inn more astonishing, from the difficulties
with which they have 10 contend aud winch lie
describes