The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-24
uH. Amazon nn.f the Allan TIC slopes OF South
America.

une Amryon nd the Allan tic slopes OF South
America.
The republic OF Paraguay lies between the paral-
les Of % degrees ard d degrees south latitude. 1t
MAJ be said, therefore, to be extra. tropical.
The Brazilian province OF Matte Crosse lies be-
fweon the parallel Of degrees south and The Troplc
Of Capricorn 1t is inter tropical. It's productions,
thorsfere n NAV be supposed, are different IN many
respects from those 81 Paraguay.
This province, IN its greatest length and breadth,
measures rs degrees Of latitude by 10 degrees Of
longitude.
Passing midway through il on zig zav course
from east TO west Is The great divide" which seps-
rates the waters Of the Amazon from the waters of
tho Rio de IL Plata From one end Of this ridge to
The other. from the Atlantic to the Andes, gold,
diamonds and precious stones dug from its sides
or washed from its streams
On the northern slopes Of It. the Tocantins, the
Chinga the Tspagos and the Madura, tributaries
to the Amazon, ndlarger than any OF the rivers of
Europe, take their riso. Also the Paranahiba,
which empties directly into the Atlantic, has its
sources among the northern rayines Of this aurifs
rous slope
On its southern declivities the fountain heads Of
the Parsna and Paraguay are found sending forth
bright sparkling streams, which, like threads of
silver are seen winding their way through the most
IuxuIiant vegetation, and over sands of gold and
pebbles, pterseefsed With brilliants, to unite and
sTell cut into tire mighty river Of silver" as the
Let US therefore leave the country Of old Fraucia
for that Of Matte Crosse and Brazil
The traveller leaving the republic, and ascending
ire PARAGUAY tg the CelenThIG1 gold auu oil imOnd
region Of Matte Crosse, sRds on either hand, he
goes up, charming country, diversified with pam
pas and groves of great beauty ard extent.
Turning up the Mendpgo, which comes in from
the east, and ascending the same for seventy or
eighty miles, he comes TO the village Of Miranda
The people in the neighoorhood are industrious
They rsise large herds OF cattle and great numbers
OF horses. They cultivate in great abundance the
sugar cnne Indian corn, pnse, manioc, and cotton
The climate is salubrious and deghtfsl-msny Of
the inhabitants reaching the age ofl00 years.
II wac here that DR.. WaddelL the botanist, saw
the nioaya" with its elegant foliage the fruit of
which was described BY the Indians to be of al OBJ
long form, md TO contain o natural confetton, of
which they are very fond,
Throughout this region they have immense GUAM
titles of the beautiful violet and other ornamental
woods, which are used for frewood; for though Of
great value in the cabinet shops, the people here
have 10 other way, Notwithstanding their ins navi-
gable streams, of getting these woods TO seaboard
except on the backs Of mules
Returning to the Paraguay, the scene is enlivened
by the immenfe herds that are feeding upon the
new evergreen pastures Of tbe plains The value of
these herds consists chiefly in their horns and hides
The village Of Poeone, at the mouth of the
Cuysba, is Of the most AouriShing places in the
interior Of Brazil Csselnau says, (and until other
wise stated he is my chief authority for what fol-
Jows) that as many ~ 900 or 10 Geo head OF cattle
sre owned by single individuals in that village.
- p&sSing Pooone on the right, and taking tho left
fork Of tho river, which retains the of Para
quay, 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 20 the Tapajos, thence by
that river up Arinas, thence by portage the
diamond regions TO the head wsters of the Cuyaba
into the Paraguay, and so no steam to Villa Maria.
On the west there are several fine rivers, which,
rising Ia Bolivia and Brazil, fol into the Pasaguay
above tho mouth Of the CuyabR Several Of these
streams interiock with the head waters Of the Ma
aiers, which is to the Amazon what the Missouri is
10 the Mississippi. / shall have occasion again to
speak Of these tributaries, Of the splendid country
eH-fA t11tts e
villa MsTia is IN the midst Of tue great pe.ncu-
anna region Of G9tto Crosse Ia 1914 Francisco
Real WAS sent to explore the diamond region of this
province But Il turned out with him as | eppre-
herd It would turn ont vita the pioneers of COM
merce now; 81 tiGn in diamonds ss are the streams
sn6 gravel beds Of this province, the rehes of the
vegetable were found greatly to exceed those Of the
mineral kingdom
This immense natural plnntssion includes within
one Geld an Of : 0O0 square miles The crop ia
perennial, and may be gathered the year round
One expert hand may colect fifteen pounds Of this
root N a usy, which srougn. in Rio 81 the pound
The work OF N ordinary hand is I've pou1ds the
day, aud the cost of lsoorera from IS 80 to Si psr
mcnth
Csstelnau estimates that efon 1880 10 1887 not
lees than SOC, Coo pounds Of this drug exported
FROM this province TO Rio. This abundant supply
brought down ITS price. Bat here is he Singular
feature of this trade this produce is taken from
the very banks Of one of tue neblsst rivers in the
world and transported by mules for the distance Of
Zoo miles to the sea-coas., in spite Of Natures
great highway,
The ipeca auanha delights in Eat or sandy soil,
and is found also in greas abundance the banks
Of the Vcsmilho. tho Seputuba, and the Catacal.
Vanilla is also abandant. It's price, when Castel-
ran sat Villa Hsria vas 60 cents the pound
But intended 10 follow this Intelligent traveller
up into the diamond country, and with him to visit
the 8 divide" between the waters OF the Paraguay
end Tapsjos.
Brazilian tributary Of the Paraguay, about $50
miles from its mouth you come to the lourishing
city Of Cuyaba the capital of tho province OF
Malta Crosse il bas population Of about 1000.
it carries on q bIisk commerce with Rio by cara
rsns numbering from 200 70 800 mules each. This
commerce consists Of hides jsguar. and deer skins,
gold.oust diamonds, peescusnha, and the Like.
The freight to Rio is almost Sl5 the 100 lbs.
Here, perhaps, among 81 INC wonderful things
that found IN thess great river basins OF South
America, is the most wonderful Of them alt-aeity,
the capital Of provinces larger than al OF the Od
Thirteen States Of this cObieaeJacy put together,
and occupying on tire banks Of the Ii Plata very
nearly the relative position which St louis ocou.
pies on the banks Of the Miss sipp, carrying on its
commerce not by steam and water. bus by the
mule load and over such distance Trom tAe sea
coast, that the time occupied by each caravan in
going and returning, IL ffoa ten to twelve
months
Thsttbis state Of things should III the middle Of
the nineteenth century, be fund 10 exist in the
middle Of South AmeTicE, upon one Of the fiuest
steamboat water courses in the world, whose navi-
gable tributaries oTnsd by no less than i've
s'pDhcy OF commerce has not yet demanded to be
thrown vice open 60 navigation and commerce, viii
in sitter times DO regarded as more wonderful than
sny other reality Of ths wonderful region.
Nay Brazil has, within a stones throw Of this
very cepitGl, and BY easy portage, the navigable
waters OF Der own Amazon: and yet 80 fearful mas
she been that the steamboat on those waters would
reveal to the world the exceeding grea. riches of
this province, that we have here re. enacted under
our own eyes worse than Japanese policy; for it
excludes from settlement aud cultivation, from
commerce and civilization, tue finest country ia the
worlds country which Is larger than the continent
oa Europe. and in which there is an everlasting
harvest Of the Oh oices fruits Of the earth
Cuyaba is in the midst Of tke gold region. The
metal Is found Ia veins, among tho pebbles al the
bottom Of the brooks and in ue graiGs in the soil
After every rain the servants AID children mag be
seen gathering i from the washing Of the streets in