Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-20


The shorene Of Eastern Africa is arranged like that
Of the South American watershed but has not enough
to wndward to supply the vapor feed springs enough
to make large rivers.
The southeast winds when the monsoons Of the
Indian will permit them to blow, strike perpen-
dculary upon the east coast of South Africa they do
upon that of South America In the American they
blow perpetualy; in the African for not half the
year. They therefore cannot give Africa half much
rain as South America receives.
At Cape Guardafa the right angle of the African coast
line is formed, it is at Cape st. Rogue for America
But the winds which this line between Cape St.
Rogue and the Ishmus have rayersed the Atlantic ocean
and Caribbean sea, hence they reach the land dripping
with moisture; whereas in Africa the northeast trade
Winds which the line from Cape Guarafui to
the shnus Of Suez have sucked up vapors from the Red
Sea ony therefore the quantity Of moisture which these
Winds carry into the interior Of Africa is not by any
great that which those Of the Atlantic carry
Icves Into Geulh Amsrc~ 1te Hmsaos = - great y
tht o the ersporating surface exposed to the
northeast trsdewinds by the Atlantic the hand
the Red sea on the other. sss
The two systems of the northeast and the
southeast meet in the interior of South America
where between the equator and the Isthmus This place
Of meeting is place Of cams and where il is there 1t is
rainy
This and other meteorological agents divide the
in the northern portions Of South America especially the
valley of the Oronoco, into the rainy and the dry six
months Of constant rain six months Of bghng drought
Not in the valley Of the Amazon There the weather
is agreeable all the year round and though rain
falls there in months than in Others it does here
with u.s. still there, here it may rain and does rain
any day in the year.
Now think that any one who has followed me with
map will perceive why this inter tropical region Of South
America that part of its water rshed which from Pa
the parallel of 800 $50 south slopes towards
the Atlantic has and ought to have the most remarkable
climate in the world We have that Eastern Africa
and Eastern Africa alone resembles it in confguraton
of horene alone for the evaporating surface and the
supplies of vapor wanting and therefore South Africa
cannot be nearly well supplied with rans and conse
quently with rivers, as is South America.
In all the other interropca regions of the world in
India, in Western Africa, New Holland and Polynesia
the year is divided into the rainy and the dry
during the latter of which little falls springs
90 dry and cattle perish and dead bodies poute the air
Then too stalks forth in those countries the pestence
that walketh in darkness"
In the valley Of the Amazon such condition exists
There the fall of water though copiousthe river Amazon
the rain guage-s not compressed within few months
accompanied by the terrible hurricanes and tornadoes
which rage at the change Of seasons in India.
Because the Amazon is in tropical country the public
disposed to judge of its climates by comparing them
with the climates of other tropical countries India for
example but for the stated and because there
other conditions to cause the valley
the Amazon hs rarched with drought atpne season.
and drenched with rains another India is one
hand and the oronoco country the other there is no
resemblance between the climates of India and the
Amazon than there between the climates of Rome and
Boston And any one who would infer similarity of eli
from the fact that Boston and Rome in the same
latitude would not be out than he who nfers smi
\ larity Of climate between India and Amazona.
Now what ought be the condition Of inter tropi
cal country whose plains watered with frequent
showers unaccompaned by single drought during ages
Of perpetual summer Why fertility and salubrity, for
in such climate any thing and every thing will grow.
The rapid production and constant decay of vegetable
that have been going there for thousands and
thousands of years must have made the soil rich with
vegetable mould.
The fact that vegetation there is in perpetual activity
that there is period Of vegetable repose that as fast
one leaf falls and begins decay other leaves just
putting forth absorb its gases makes the valley in the
Amazon Of the most salubrious and delightful OF
climates.
Having shown that the climate of the La Plata and
Amazon country is climate without ur0ugnts anu thal
is moist and climate have established enough
TO satisfy any that the soil there whatever be the sub
stratum, must have upon il rich vegetable mould which
the decay Of the rank vegetation during ages must
have formed
In my next shall proceed show what travellers and
of science who have explored various portions Of this
wonderful region Of country say its productions its
commerce, and the navgability Of its water
| INCA.
No. III.
i proceed now to show the present condition with
the future resources and commercial capabilities OF
4 the great South American watersheds. will con-
fine my attention to the rivers Amazon and La
Plata to their tributaries and the valleys drained
by them. But first let give our attention to the
La Plata and compare the extent of country drain
ed by it with the extent drained by rivers in the
Northern Hemisphere.
i The valley of the Amazon lies in both hemi-
spheres it is the largest riverbasn in the world,
but belongs exclusively neither to the North to the
South The Mississippi then it viii be perceived drains
the largest riverbasn in the Northern and the La Plata
/ the largest in the Southern hemisphere Both these
streams run from north south, each embracing
great variety Of productions and aversing many diver
sites Of climate.
The of the principal river basins which drain
ed into that accessible to may
be thus stated
In America-The Amazon, 048 480* square miles
North do.-The Mississippi, $4,000 /"
South do.-The La Plata, area $4,000 I"
| Europe--The Danube, area $4,000 4"
| Africa.-The Nile, area $4,000
/ w. A. N