Butte record., 1853-12-10

Amazon, which has recently attracted 50
much attention;
The central level of South America
bears the local name Of Selyas, woods
and extends along both sides Of the river
Amazon, from the Andes to the ocean.
1t embraces an area about six times lar
ger than France, and Of equal size with
European Russia. 1t is an immense
forest region, with open patches of a
similar character to the Llanos, inter
sected by numerous rivers flowing into
the great basin Of the Amazon. This
district is but little known to Europeans,
except on the borders of the streams
and many Of these have not been trav-
ersed throu.h the whole of their course.
The powerful vegetation here conceals,
in great measure, the uniform level Of
the soil. The trees attain great height,
with straight clear stems, the foliage uni
ting in canopy above, and leaving all
beneath in perfect shade and quiet. This
longitudinal development is unfavorable
to protracted existence, as age and eli
mate soon attack the trees; but others
very speedily fill up their vacant places.
These primeval woods occupy about 7l9,
600 square miles of territory; and in
cluding the waters, enclosed open plains,
and some ranges of hills, the whole sur
face presents an area of2, ,320, 900. The
trees vary greatly in species, scarcely
any two trees standing together being of
the same kind Thirty or forty differ
ent species are found In an area Of twenty
square yards. Bushes and ereepcrs fill
up the intervals between them, uniting
the whole together, and constituting a
woody Fabric which deiies the intrusion
of man. "The industry of man, ," says
a recent writer, "has in all other coun-
tries succeeded in subjecting the produc-
tive power Of nature to his sway, and to
direct its operation to his ends In the
Sahara it has taken complete possession
Of all the resources Of the entire coun-
try till it has arrived at the very limits
which nature herself has fixed No far
ther Improvement can there take place
In some countries situated within the
polar circle, u course Of Improvement
has been adopted, and is pursued with
success. Its progress is slow, but Ger
tain The ungrateful and almost barren
soil of the Falkland Islands has even
fallen under the 1ertiIizing hand Of man,
and will doubtless be converted into fruit
fll fields in the progress Of time. But
there is little hope that such viii ever
be the case with theplain of the Amazon.
The productive powers Of this country,
it appears, are too great and too active
to be subducd If its soil was but half
as fertile, its air half as moist, and its
vegetation half as vigorous as ii Is, man
would easily master nature, and COMPEL
it to administer to his wants, or to sup
ply him with riches. But he finds here
all the efforts Of his industry are in vain;
he is overwhelmed by the bounties Of ma
ture. His mind sinks into despair when
he contemplates the immense work be-
fore him, whilst his body feels the ex-
haustion produced by that climate which
imparts to the soil its neYer-ceasing pow
er Of reproduction He finds himself
reluctantly compelled to abandon his
plans, and to leave to nature that por-
ton of the globe which she seems to have
reserved for her exclusive property, and
for her unlettered operations. The plain
Of The Amazon is, perhaps, destined to
remain forever a wilderness y