Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-17
MEMORIAL OF LIEUT.. MAURY.

Navy has addressed memorial to Congress as
king that line of United States mail steamships
be established between Norfolk or Charleston, or
some other Southern Atlantic port, and Para at
the mouth of the Amazon river. He claims that |
the preference should be given to Southern
port in this matter, first upon the ground that
direct encouragement of steamship enterprise has
ever been given by the Government to any port
South of New York and secondly for the reason
that the Southern ports nearer than those OF
| the North. to the mouth of the Amazon
Lieut.. Maury's communication abounds in stri-
king aud interesting views of the physical geo.
graphy of the American continent, and portrays
in glowing though not. we think, in exaggerated
colors the advantages which this country would
reap from the establishment of close commercial
intercourse with the great valley of the Amazon.
| We have not space for the entire memorial and
must therefore, content ourselves with giving one
two extracts:
The valley of the Mississippi extends, accord
| ing to the computation of physical geographers,
over an area of $4,000 square miles, that of the
Amazon aud its continents, with the Orinoco as
one OF them, embraces that vast more than
twice over. The great Amazonian valley is
said by the authority to cover an area
of upwards of two millions of square miles in ex-
tent
The Mississippi river is computed to afford
lttoral navigation of Is, 900 miles in length; some
put it down us hig as 20, 900. But the Amazon
and its majestic tributaries wind through an in
land navigation of such extent, that, if stretch
ed out in one line, its length would be enough TO
encirele the nth three times. 1t is set down as
high as $4,000 miles The Amazon is said to be
navgable for vessels ofthe largest class up to the
foot ofthe Andes. The Pennsyva "a may as
cend that high.
And so traversed with navigable streams and
water-courses is the great Atlantic slope of South
America that there In it no less than 1900
miles of '.furos,' natural canals, through which
it is practicable for vessels cross from one river
over into another.
Were this valley settled upon and subdued to
cultivation, ''the Indies" in commercial sense,
would thereby be lifted up and placed at our DOORS
for all the productions of the East flourish there
and so jealous and afraid of such result was Por
tuga in her day, of East India possessions and
commerce, that by aroyal ordinance it became I'M
lawful to cultivate in the great Amazon basin a
single drug, spice, plant of East India growth
or production.
The republics of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
have large and rich provinces upon the head navi-
gable waters of the Amazon SO that the free navi-
cation of that river, exchange with Brazil,
and the other powers concerned, of the free navi-
cation of the Missssi ppi for that of the Amazon
and its tributaries, would at once, and without
more ado. give rise to a considerable commerce.
As to its prospective value and importance, it is
useless to speculate.
The navigation of the Amazon would divert from
the Pacific coasts of those republics valuable por-
ton of that trade which now goes around Cape
Horn, aud reaches this Amazonian water shed by
transportation on the backs of sheep and asses
across the SUBMITS of the Andes.
A remarkable feature in the profile of the
South American coast-line, is its want of artcula-
ton.
The shore-line of that part of the world is al
as stiff and rigid the three sides of right
angled triangle. which it resembles. 1t is with
out any considerable indertations and nowhere
among the southern continents do we find those
jutting promontories and peninsuas those en-
circling arms and CULTS of the sea, which in the
northern hemisphere increase the length of
shoreline and give that articulation to the CONT
mental proiles which enables Ships as in the Med
iterranean, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Mexico,
about the peninsulas of India, and the northern
seas of Europe, to sail up into the Interior and
penetrate with commerce the very heart of coun-
tries that; but for such indentaton of shore-ine,
would be thousands of miles from the sea and its
commerce.
At best, trading vessels by sea can but fringe
with commerce the outskirts of South America;
for Its shoreline. as already mentioned is without
indenation. AS yet the heart of that country has
never been touched and unless its magnificent
rivers and ma estic sheets offresh water be open
ed to navigation, the commercial enterprise ofthe
world never can reach the great interior of Soath
America. Naturally the whole of that continent,
exceptthe narrow strip between the summit of the
Andes and the Pacific ocean, slopes down to the
Atlantic. 1t is tributary to the Atlantic, and into
the Atlantic it is destined to pour its commerce.
The country drained by the Amazon and the La
Plata embraces IN area larger than the continent
OF EQrODo. The navipation off hoeo
divert large portion of the Cape Horn trade, and
throw 1t at our feet; Tor we perceive, from the
statements already made, that, on account of the
winds and currents of the sea, the mouth of the
Amazon Is In close physical connexion with our
southern por.s-and to make that connection one
OF business, profit, and friendship we have but to
devise plan which, by encouraging commerce
and navigation there, shall, with the concurrence
OF the other powers concerned, give impulse
also to the settlement of that valley, and secure to
our merchants the ght of trade up and down that
river on fairand liberal terms.
Bearing in mind, therefore, all these THINGS
and taking into consideration the geographical
position OF that river basin. and our climates with
regard to Its oulet-considering its climates its
soisi its resources and its capabilities that the oun
dations OF its prosperity to rest on liberal
commercial policy, and that its industrial DUR
suits must receive tone, character, and direc-
tlon from those who conduct that commerce
considering that it is the policy of the United
States to cultivate the relations of peace with all
nations through the bonds of mutual interests and
good wlll-consdering, also, that this river basin
Is Tor the most part wilderness, and that it is
therefore, IKE wax to receive impression from
commerce-considering too that the laws ofRro-
I'll touching Immigration into that valley are said
to be OF the most liberal character-considerinp
moreover the federation of those laws and the
classes OF people who already there;-con-
slder1ng all these things let it be represented,
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