Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-21

Ecuador too is moving in the same a"u
expect the mail bring good news from her. and
from New Granada also.
Miller from Mississippi is in Bolivia Gushing, Of In
DIANA is in Ecuador; and j. Randolph Clay, one of the
most accomplished diplomatsts that has the honor to
represent this Government at any court is in Lima.
These functonares alive to the Importance Of this
subject They regard the opening up Of the Amazon to
navigation, trade and settlement Of the great
questions of the age and may rely upon it. they will
10 their duty there if we will do ours here.
Richards the sailor lad whom Herndon picked up in
Lima accompany his expedition, went with that part
Of which, have said, sent into Bolivia 1t visit
ed Cuzco and passed through the Inca country the cas
sic land OF South America.
Richards had been around Cape Horn among the ants
he vsitea the great quicksilver mines of Huanca
veca, ami walked through their magnificent galleries
rooted and ooed with cnnabar and supported by pink
stained columns Of the mineral He stood upon the
shores Of Lake Tcaca and saw the Desaguadero river
which sometimes emptes into that lake and sometimes
it, lie assembled the now-capped peaks Of that
mountain range, from whose sides more than two thou
sand millions Of silver dollars have been taken lie
the lama, the acuna ana the alpaca tanned one hand
and feeding wild in their mountain Businesses the other
lie descended into the glorious piedmont country OF Bo
VIA which is drained by the tributaries of the Amazon
Passing through the region of silver he approached the
diamond districts and the aurerous streams of Brazil ;
and the descent from the Andes his comprised
at sweep the whole range Of the vegetable gamut
from the region Of perpetual the Andes to the
fields Of everlasting in the tropical plans below
4 He travelled through country where tree bears
the fruit Of bread another stands the place of
and yields the his ayore beverage the juice Of
the glk whsre another produces nut that he uses
candle and another yields him, at the time,
! food, raneut, fuel, and shelter.
These scenes, such development of mineral wealth. such
freaks Of nature and her magnificent display of vegeta
bic forces IN that tropical country well calculated
to strike the mind of any untravelled youth especially
one like the young sailor Richards who had been brought
up in the plain, quiet life Of Virginia farmer With won
der and amazement.
He had the sun at high noon standing in the north
and casting shadows the south He had been those
stormy and distant ATTITUDES where daylight itself was
the longest meteor of long night He had river
that turns about at times and up stream lie had
taken in at view the vegetation of the three zones
and therefore, wondering which of all these things APP
pear to him the most curious said the other day. Pray
Mr. Richards what during this interesting trip of yours
IN the valley Of the Amazon, struck you With force
as being the most curious thing remarkable crcum
stance met with in all your travels"
" The most remarkable thing, sir Why, that such
country that Of the Amazon should in the middle Of
the nineteenth century, be wilderness"
What commentary thank that noble young tar
with al my heart for this most glowing description of
glorious country Language of greater force and com
pass Of more eioquence to be found any where
That the Of the aga the statesmen of Europe and
America the spirit of commercial enterprise and aven
ure which marks the times should all have ignored such
country, such SOIL and such climates with such capaci-
ties capabilities and resources there is and will
hereafter be regarded as the greatest Of wonders.
This is the country, then, which invite the atten-
ton Of the Convention and towards which wish to see
the energies and enterprise of my directed
that they map assist in developing its and reap
for themselves and their country the rich harvests which
commerce. at no distant day. is gather there want
it settled; want it civilized want it chrstianized
Turn steam and commerce upon it. and all this will be
done.
Do you ask what the measures that l propose
What the point TO which the Convention should address
ITSELF and what the enterprise to which gentlemen should
/ direct their energies?
The measures that Ipropose are that lay the
dations Of direct trade aud close commercial relations
with Brazil and the Atlantic slopes Of South America
generally and with the Amazon in particular and that
set about it now.
The point which the Convention should address itself
is the free navigation Of the Amazon and the establish
men Of line Of mail steamers between Para the mouth
Of that river, and Norfolk Charleston some other
Atlantic port Of the Southern States.
Our trade with Brazil is already most valuable The
Mississippi valley is the great place Of consumption for
her coffee and she the great Of the productions
Of the States represented in the Convention.
And how is it, do you suppose, that our business men,
for the Of this line Of to the Amazon carry
this correspondence with Brazil and all Of Atlantic South
America! Why, notwithstanding the mouth Of the ANA
is at doors, and there is regular line of
steamers thence to Rio yet the American merchant who
wishes to send letter to that country first send it
to England, thence it goes by English mail
Rio, and thence it may turn north again and come in
Brazilian steamer to Pernambuco even to Para or 20
/ up stream into Peru, Bolivia, &c.
quote from the morning papers the following semi
i official announcement 10 the mails for Brazil.
q Reduction Of Postage Braz-we are authorized to
say that hereafter the single rate Of be
tween the United States and Brazil va Enqland will be
45 cents instead Of 81 cents
| requred."t
Thus you helping to support the steam ma
rne Of Great Britain with this heavy postage and by
allowing her fetch and carry Brazilian correspond
ene her merchants have weeks the start
in all the markets Of that portion Of South America
Now, by the establishment OF this line to Para-and
il 20 there in eight days-and having il connect
with the Brazilian line thence Rio, which runs twice
month, shall be able to get letters to Rio in
about half the time that il takes through Eng
land Thus this line would divide mails and passengers
both with the English not only from Rio and Brazil but
Y nj.