Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-27
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE AMAZON AND THE ATLANTIC SLOPES OF
SOUTH AMERICANA Ill


FORE TO be extra tropical.
The Brazilian province of Matte Crosse lies between
the parallel Of degrees south and the Tropic of Ca
pricorn 1t is nts-opical Its productions, therefore
it may be supposed different in many respects from
those of Paraguay
This province, in its greatest length and BREADTH
sures sixteen degrees of latitude by sixteen degrees Of
longitude.
Passing midway through it zgzag from
east to is the great divide" which separates the
waters of the Amazon from the waters of the Rio dc la
Plata From end of this ridge the other from the
Atlantic the Andes, gold, diamonds and precious
stones dug from its sides washed from its streams
On the northern slopes of it the Tocantins the Chngu
the Tapaos, and the Madeira tributaries the Amazon
and larger than any of the rivers of Europe take their
rise. Also the Paranahba which empies directly into
the Atlantic has its among the northern rayines
of this auriferous slope
On its southern decvities the fountain of the
Parana and Paraguay found sending forth bright
sparkling streams which, like threads of silver
winding their way through the luxuriant vegetation
and sands of gold and pebbles nterspersed with
briliants unite and swell out into the mighty river
Of silver" as the La Plata is called.
Let us therefore leave the country of old Franca for
that of Matte Crosse and Brazil.
luc laFcHcr icuNlnB Republic, anu tsCenuiuB inc
Paraguay the celebrated gold and diamond region of
Matte Crosse, finds either hand he goes up charm
ing country diversified with pampas and groves of great
beauty and extent.
Turning up the Mendingo which comes in from the
east, and ascending the seventy eighty miles,
he comes to the village of Miranda
The people in the neighborhood industrious They
raise large herds OF cattle and great numbers of horses
They cultivate in great abundance sugar-cane, Indian
corn, pulse manioc, and cotton. The climate is sau-
brous and delghtfu-many Of the inhabitants reaching
the age Of 100 years.
1t was here that DIR. Weddel, the botanist saw the
ncaya with its elegant foliage the fruit of which was
described by the Indians to be of oblong FORM and
contain natural confecon of which they are very
fond.
Throughout this region they have immense quantities
of the beautiful violet and other ornamental woods which
used for rewood for though Of great value in the
cabinetshop the people here have other way not
whstandng their fine navgabe streams of getting these
woods to the seaboard except the backs of mules
Returning to the Paraguay, the is envened by
sthe immense herds that feeding upon the
green pastures of the plains The value of these herds
consists chiefly in their horns and hides
The village of Pocone at the mouth of the Cuyaba is
of the ourishing places in the interior of Brazil
chief authority for what follows that many as 900
10000 head of cattle owned by single individuals
in that village.
Passing Pocone the right and taking the left fork of
the river which retains the of Paraguay we reach
at the distance of about $50 miles above it, the frontier
Brazilian fort of Villa Maria.
The guns that mounted in this fort were brought up
the Amazon to the Tapaos thence by that river up the
Arnas thence by portage the diamond regions to
the headwaters of the Cuyaba into the Paraguay and SO
up stream to Villa Maria
On the west there several fine rivers which, rising
in Bolivia and Brazil, fall into the Paraguay above the
mouth Of the Cuyaba Several of these streams inter-
lock with the headwaers of the Madeira which to the
Amazon what the Missouri is to the Mississippi shall
have occasion again speak of these tributaries of the
splendid country watered by them and the portage
tween them.
Villa Maria is in the midst Of the great pecacuanha
region Of Matte Crosse In 1914 Francisco Real
explore the diamond region of this province But it
turned out with him aprrehend it would turn
with the pioneers Of commerce rich in diamonds
the and gravelbeds of this province the
riches of the vegetable found greatly exceed those
of the mineral kingdom.
This immense natural plantation includes within one
field Of three thousand square miles The crop
expert hand may collect fifteen pounds Of this root in
day, which brought in Rio dollar the pound. The
work of ordinary hand is five pounds the day. and the
cost aborers from three dollars and forty cents to four
dollars per month.
Castenau estimates that from 1880 10 1887 than
500 pounds Of this drug exported from this pro-
vince to Rio This abundant supply brought down its
price. But here is the singular feature of this trade
this produce is taken from the very banks Of Of the
noblest rivers in the world and transported by mules
the distance Of twelve hundred miles the seacoas in
spite Of Natures great highway.
The ipecacuanha delights in fat or sandy SOIL and is
found also great abundance the banks Of the Yer
inilho the Seputuba, and the Cabacal.
Vanilla is also abundant It's price when Castelnau
at Villa Maria sixty cents the pound.
But intended to follow this intelligent traveller up
the diamond country and with him visit the divide
between the waters of the Paraguay and Tapsjos
Ascending the Cuyaba which is the principal Brazilian
tributary Of the Paraguay about $50 miles from its mouth
you to the aourishng city Of Cuyaba the capital Of
the province Of Matte Crosse 1t has population Of
about 1000 1t carries brisk commerce with Rio by
numbering from 200 to 300 mules each This
consists Of hides aguar and deer skins gold
Dust diamonds ipecacuanha and the like The freight
to Rio is almost $l5 the 100 lbs
Here, perhaps among al the wonderful things that are
found in these great river basins Of South America is the
most wonderful Of them ala city the capital Of pro-
vince larger than all Of the Old Thirteen States Of this
Confederacy put together and occupying the banks
the La Plata very nearly the relative position which st.
Louis occupies the banks Of the Mississippi carrying
on It's commerce not by steam and water but by the ue