The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-02

The Amazon and the Atlantic Slopes or South
America.
Bolivia has but one seaport on the Pacific. That
is Cobijs, an open rosdsteAd, and q miserable vii
lsge, at the head of the great desert Of Atacams
The land transportation between this port and the
agricultural districts of the republic is too rough
too tedious, and too expensive ever to admit of its
becoming a commercial emporium. The direction
in which Bolivia looks for outlet to market for
her produce is along her navigable water courses
that empty into the Amazon, and then down that
stresm to the sea, where the winds and the our
rents are such as to require that produce to pass by
our doors
Bolivia understands this, and her President ha,
expressed the most earnest desire to draw closely the
bords of friendship, commerce, and navigation,
which are destined TO bind his country to this
Bolivia, we have seen, owns navigable streams
that are tributary both to the Amazon and La
Plata. The free air of heaven and the glad waters
of the earth put here by the Almighty for the
well being of mankind. Use without exhaustion is
the only condition annexed by the laws of man to
the air and water being considered rs the common
property of the world.
Have not, therefore, Bolivia and the seven other
independent nations that own navigable streams
eDptyiDg into the Amazon or La Plata, but
which do not own its mouth, the right to follow and
to I" use without exhaustion " each its own nayiga.
BILE waters to the sea? And does not the policy
OF commerce" require the enforce nent of that
right, go far rs 1t concerns any all of these eight
upland nations which may wish to trade with rs
snc the rest of the world through those natural
channels sand commercial highwaysl
This Is one of the questions that propose to cou-
slider But before showing who it is that by q ia.
panese policy here at doors is shutting out com-
merce from the finest portions of the world, wish
to show that the free navigation Of the Amazon is
not an abstraction but that there there, in
actual existence, all the elements Of profitable,
large and wing commerce. aud that therefore the
nf INN II will
therefore speak of the productions OF this interest
ing--l had almost said classic-land.
In the Puna county Of Bolivia we find the llama.
the veuha, and the alpaca. Immense focks Of sheep
feed in its pastures, and lie down upon its hills
My friend, Lieutenant Gibbon who about two
years ago was sent with Lieutenant Herndon, by
the navy department, to ex lore tho Amazon, from
its sources to its mouth writes that it is WOOL
growing country; that i'm nense focks of sheep are
tended there. Indeed, he says the country 10 over
populated.
Speaking, few weeks since, with Northern
manufacturer upon this subject, he informed me
that he had then just bought 800 900 worth Of this
Puma wool, which, instead Of coming down the
Amazon, in sight Of which almost it was clipped,
this Japanese policy, that keeps the mouth Of that
river closed, had compelled him to 20 up into the
region Of the Clouds in order that it might the
Andes and reach the free waters Of the Pacific It's
voyage was then around Cape Horn to Boston
Chuquifsca, or the City Of Silver" is situated,
Amazon and the Lis Plata. On one side the waters
Of the Piloamayo flow south; the other, those of
tho Madeira flow north, on their way to the liking
Of rivers"
Near by Chuquisaca is Potosi Here We pass
from the regions of gold and diamonds to those Of
quick liver and silver
Since the discovery of the mines of Potosi there
have been extracted from them not less than sixteen
hundred millions Of dollars The vein is said to be
% rich now as ever it was but It Is not worked for
the want of mechanical force, such steam and the
facilities Of commerce alone can give
1t IL from the Atlantic slopes of Bolivia that We
get the bark for the manufacture of quinine. The
cinchona, the Peruvian bark, il is called, is
gathered there on the banks of those navgable wa
ter courses of the Atlantic, and taken hence the
backs of sheep and asses six hundred miles across
the Andes to the Pacific.
Two millions dollars worth of this bark was gath
cred there the last year. Does not this afford
mmercial basis sufficient to support steam naviga
ton up the Amazon to Bolivia? Bolivia has there
thrifty and industrious population Of million and
halt, whose commercial wants would be supplied
by this new route One Of her cities. Potosi. has
been supplied With water, at toe cost of 900
people be an abstraction /! The productions of the
eastern slopes of Bolivia are thus described by
Castelnau -
The productions of the country great variety
ing, the staple OF the province Of Cercado Coffee
cessfuy cultivated in this province we'll in that Of
Chqnito yields fruit in two years after being planted
requiring but the slightest The recently in
troduoed into these provinces bears in three four
at most The tamarnd which succeeds in the
localities but especially In the country of chquftos 70.
Cotton yields annual crops; there two species-ths
Tobacco grown to speak without cultivation in the
provinces Of Vale Grande in which is the principal
.,ce o. traae indigo OF which there are three cutvs
pens in three months. without regard to 1t 10
cultivated more particularly the province Of Cercaio
There two species Of it. the sweet the other Bit
ter the former Is substitute the potatoe and even
or o pro
duce after planting They cultivated especial
In the province Of Cercado Two species Of rcewhte
and rtdsre cultivated both in the province Of Cercado
and Chiquos yielding crops every five Fix months It
Is said to grow wild in the country Of Chiquitos.
The which ourishes particularly in the province
Of Cordera where it cultivated the missions
Ill the epoch Of independence is made Of It
viii perhaps be one Of the principal products
Of that country.
Wheat barley. and the potato, could be cultivated
With advantage in the provinces Of Chiqutos and Cord
province Of Vale Grande The culture Of coca has com
menced in the province Of CeIcado where is found Wild
also .ps ae aaUquna On the rs Samalpa
musfmeons watermelons, chirimoy as (Which the Bra
Of these fruits grows wild and great abun
dance in the woods of Chiquitos We met with it par
cnlsIy the day before cur arrival at Santa Anna 1t is
6ne favored but left such burning sensation in the
mouth that bitterly repented having tasted it.
In the province gathered in great abundance asp
ipecacuanha. caoutchouc eopal SO.
DyewOods, cabinet woods and building timber abound
The inhabitants gather with great quantities OF
gums rtots and baks to which they attribute medicinal
virtues Of every kind At several points in the depart
me mt especially in the provinces Of Vale Grande and
CordilleIs found iron and of mercury Gold
found in the province of Cercado the pueblo do
Ban Xayia Mines Of silver worked in the noun.
tsns Of Colchus by the Jetuits Don Sebastian Rsnco
whilst he was Governor of Chquitos announced to the
governments that diamonds Of very fine water had been
found in the brooks about Santa Corazon.
So xious is Bolivia for the introduction Of the
stes mbost upon her rivers that she has offered for
it, in fee simple, twenty thousand square miles Of
her richest lands.
To add to the interest, the resources, the charms
and wealth of this country, there are the hot springs
of Tulula with their wonder ul properties. The
ruins cf Samaipata and Tiahuaneco, which, with
people anterior 10 the Incas, and, in the opinion
of Castelnau, superior to them in civilization rs
the coDquercrs we're.
The forests Of the Madeira valley, the passage
NJ xil hstau a1It hath had