Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-04

gable Tor oOO miles t Is rch In gold Its banks
habited by hostile tribes of Indians, and covered with
sarsapara and other valuable products of the forests
These Indians make the finest and most beautiful ham
mocks that found in the Pampa del Sacramento pros
Of hammock two yards Of cotton The trade in posons
makes this an important place
Pebas is thirteen leagues below the mouth of the Napo
has population of 3S7 and fine country round about
It's productions white and black wax, sarsaparia,
vanilla, poisons, storax, chambira," hammocks pitch
copal incense India rubber milk Of the COW tree, and
many curiosites, which the Indians, who though wild
and savage, friendly to the white man, usually bring
in exchange for beads, trinkets, &c.
White is worth two yards Of cotton black one
and half thirtyfour pounds sarsparilla twenty -four
yards hammock two yards little pot of poison four
yards; pound vanilla, eight yards. ~ ~
Thence to Loreto the frontier town Of Peru we have
five small villages Loretois 100 leagues below the head
of uninterrupted navigation or the Huaiaga population
l22. In this yiago you find preparation from the wild
yuca which is very paatabe wholesome and nutrcous
1t is good substitute for bread.
Sarayacu, situated the right bank of the Ucaya,
300 miles above its junction with the Amazon has popu
lation of 1,270.
This is important point in the midst of fertile
gon Eight ten miles above this town the Ucayai
ceyes the Ahuaya which takes its rise almost the
UuuAo VI Inc HudlldBd ~ lew AHcS UP Lulo tributary
bring you to great sarsaparia country. This drug
costs here eight yards Of the cotton cloth of the country
the 100 pounds; which 100 pounds are worth $25 in
Para and from $40 to $50 in Europe according to the
markets These eight yards Of cotton for the 100 pounds
of sarsapara according the statement of this clever
blacksmith worth four yards only of cotton
Let therefore, for the sake of illustration this
trade through its entire course.
The American or English peddler to the Amazon-for
trader he is not-buys in New York Liverpool, the
may be- four yards Of cotton for which he pays
twenty cents He ships thence around Cape Horn
Calao Here it pays duty at the Peruvian custom house,
and is sent thence to Lima by mule BY this tme what
with freight transportation and commissions it has cost
the purchaser fifty cents. 1t is then packed mules,
carried the Andes and in about twelve months
from the time of its leaving New York Liverpool it
rives at the mouth of the Ucaya where it is up by
boat which occupies three hundred working hours in 60
ing up three hundred miles Sarayacu and the
ra country Here this piece of four yards is exchanged
in barter according to Hacket the New England mecha
nic from whom have been quoting for 100 pounds of
that drug shipment of the return cargo is then made
in the rude river raft Of the country and this 100 pounds
Of sarsapara, bought with four yards of penny Bit
cotton when reaches the Amazon is worth SO in Nau-
ia, $lO50 in Sabatinga $25 at Para and $50 at New
York or Liverpool. The voyage has been long and
tedious and a roundabout one, but the profits are
enormous
Now If Peru and Brazil instead Of forcing commerce
with their interior provinces 60 around Robin Hoods
bow to get there would open ports of entry all
tions, and permit them to the navigation Of the
Amazon the citizens and subjects of Peru and Brazil
Of getting four yards Of cotton for their hun
pounds Of sarsapara would get three four hun
dred yards for it.
| 1t would be difficult to quote any example NOR,
srikngly illustrative of the advantages to Peru Of tha
policy Of commerce which calls for the establishment
of port Of entry the head Of navigation the Mar
anon, the main trunk of the Amazon is here called
at Chasuta the head of navigation the Hualaga; al
the head Of navigation the Ucayali and at Nauta
which is at the junction Of this last with the Amazon
SO Ecuador might establish ports of entry her side
Of the Amazon, Barja if the navigation be unnter-
ruped that far and if Baria belong her and at the
head Of navigation at each Of her Amazonian bu-
aries, the Pasaza, the Napo the Putomayo and the
Japura though the head of navigation Of the last is per-
haps in New Granada.
Now, If of these republics should declare such
places free ports to all the world ports Of entry
the commerce of all nations at peace with them surely
Brazil would not in this enlightened day. if American
Englishman should wish to wear his own flag and
go up in his bottom under it on trading voyage to
those portssurely, say, Brazil would at this day
attempt to play the part Of Japan and hinder those
sells from passing BY her doors to other parts Of the world
The Pastoza, am informed on the authority Of my
old Friend General yillam the Secretary Of State of
Ecuador is naygabe nearly up Quito and it is well
known that the Sands Of Of those streams are au
riferous.
Tabatinga is the frontier post of Brazil on the Amazon
Thence ascending, have uninterrupted navigation
along the main trunk Of the Amazon which here
through the northern parts Of Peru and not from the
southern boundary Of Ecuador for the distance Of FIVE
or six hundred miles. Thus steamboat may reach the
foot Of the Andes
Lieut. Herndon entered the Amazon four hundred and
sixty miles above the Brazilian boundary and he thus
describes the river there:
THE Amazon, where il receives the Hualaoa is Eve
hundred yards broad The march Of this great river in
its silent grandeur sublime but in the unamed might
Of its turbd waters, they away its banks tore
down the gigantic denizens Of the forests and built up
islands, IL awful IL rolled through the wilderness
with stately and solemn air its waters looked angry
suen and relentless and the whole scene awoke emo
tions Of awe and dread, such are caused BY the
funeral solemntes the minute gun the howl Of the wind
and the angry tossings Of the waves when all hands
called ito bury the dead in troubled sea.
Though the river not at its full il reminded me
OF our Mississippi at its topmost floods The waters are
quite as muddy and quite turbd but the Amazon lack
ed the charm and the fascination which the plantation
upon the bank the city upon the bluff and the steamboat
upon the water lend to its fellow Of the North nevehe
less, felt pleasure at it's sight had already travelled
seven hundred miles by water and fancied that this
powerful stream would soon carry me 70 the ocean Rt