The Nevada journal., 1853-12-02
Plain of The Amazon.


contains an interesting article upon the
great levels Of the earth. The writer
thus describes the Valley of the Amazon,
which has recently attracted so much at
! tention: ,gr os.n
The central level of South America
bears the local name of Selvas, (woods, J
and extends along both sides OF the river
Amazon, from the Andes to the OCEAN
1t embraces on area about six times larger
than France, and of equal size with Eu-
ropean Russia. 1t is an immense forest
region, with open pa ches of similar
character to the Llanos, intersected by nu-
merous rivers flowing into the great basin
of the Amazon. This district is but little
known to Europeans, except on the borders
of the stream; and many of those have not
been traversed through the whole of their
course. The powerful vegetation here
conceals IN great measure, the uniform
level of the soil. The trees attain a great
height, with straight clear stems, the foli-
age uniting in canopy above, and leaving
all beneath in perfect shade and quiet
This longitudinal development is unfavor-
able to protracted existence, as age and
climate soon attack the trees; but others
very speedily fill up the vacant places
These primeval woods occupy about 49,
600 square miles of territory; and inc'ud-
ing the waters, enclosed open plains, and
some ranges of hills, the whole surface pre-
sents an area of 2,320,000. The srees
vary greatly in species, scarcely any two
trees landing together being of the same
kind. Thirty or forty different species are
found in an area OF twenty square Yards
Bushes and creepers fill up the intervals
between them, uniting the whole together,
and constituting woody fabric which de-
hes the intrusion of man. "The industry
of man. says recent writer, 'has in all
other countries succeeded in subjecting
the productive power Of nature to his sway,
and to direct its operation to his ends. In
the Sahara it has taken complete posses
sion of all the resources of the entire
country till it has arrived at the very linn
its which nature herself has fixed. No
further improvement can here take place.
In some countries situated within the polar
circle, course of improvement has been
adopted, and is pursued with success. Its
progress is slow, but certain. The un-
grateful and almost barren soil of the
Falkland Islands has even fallen under the
fertilizing hand of man, and will doubtless
be converted into fruitful fields in the prog
ress of time. But thore is little hope that
such will ever be the case with the plain of
the Amazon. The productive powers of
this country, it appears, are too great and
too active to be subdued. If its soil was
but half as fertile, its air half as moist, and
its vegetation half as vigorous as it i, mar
would easily master nature, and compel it
TO administer to his wants, or to supply
him with riches. But he finds here that
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 before
him, whilst his body feels the exhaustion
produced by that climate which imparts to
the soil its never ceasing power OF repro
duction. He finds himself reluctantly com
PEELED to abandon his plans, and to leave
to nature that portion of the globe which
she seems to have reserved for her exclu-
sive property. and for her unfettered
operations. The plain of the Amazon is,
perhaps, destined to remain forever viii
derness."