The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-05-21
Letter from Lieut. M +, aaury-No a,
NArIosAL OBSERVATORY.

o6lse d hs hsmpt eoauenion at length" select the Pa
citc railway and the Amazon because they are pre- ein
nently national do not select the subjects of mere
local bearing, because you more familiar with them
than | am and because you understand them much
better than do. | should be likely TO do harm
Than good IN Offering suggestions with regard to them
Without the aid OF any locker on, you have the
energy and The will TO carry out all these great works Of
internal improvement among The States, many of which
you have already in hand. and all OF which are intend
ed ior the better development, OF the vast resources of
those sections OF The country especially whose welfare
Is The particular object OF the convention consider
/ look with asionishment, and behold with amaze
meni, The giant spirit OF internal Improvement that is
abroad, and the achievements which ii is accomplishing
IN The South and West IL is vast aud mighty they are
grand and both glorious. All things considered
that you live in country. that il 10 spasely popu
lated, &c-he degree of energy now displayed by the
people OF the South and West in the construction of
never been surpassed equaled in any age or coun
Try Never has there been exhibited such display of
well directed energy, public spirit corporate and individ
ual enterprise, may be witnessed in the States oil
The South and West.
therefore have not the vanity to suppose that can
say single word 10 you with regard your works and
schemes OF internal Improvement that would be worth
50 much as the ink Of expression. You are all
right here and it is wise in others ito let well enough
alone" .0
i therefore turn to the mighty Amazon and its water
she'd have made il the subject Of study for years, and
have had the benefit OF peculiar OF inio-
nation with regard toit They may amount to much
but such they are. offer you the result of Them
Do me the favor to pick up the first school atlas you
may and turn TO the map OF North and South Amer
lea, if have it not, The map OF the world You
will there that continent has, it were, been
stretched out until has been nearly drawn in two, the
two parts being held together in the middle by quite
narrow neck of land, After this pulling asunder, the
southern part appears have been thrust The
ward, forming of this neck OF land an elbow blight,
4 in which hes embosomed, midway between the two
Americans, tha, beautiful sheet OF water composing the
Gulf Of Mexico and the Caribbean sea, and which have
so often described 'our Mediterranean"
Keep your eye still the map If you please and you
will that South America is in shape beautiful
coIia Consider its mountains that they away he
West; look the number and extent of its rvers that
you may Understand how well wa,ered the whole At.
lanlic slope OF that county is and you will that lit
orally and truly il is destined 10 be great horn OF plenty
LIS mouth is turned right towards US, though were
ready pour out OF its vast abundance an infinite va
riey of fruits and whenever it does pour these oui,
will empty them into commercial lap--that aforesaid
magnificent MedeIranean sea OF America.
Turn steam, The emgrant, and commerce, with the,
influences, upon thai -shed, and you will make Of
ii vast plantation which will produce for us all tina
the climate Of India Affords and being at our own doors
will want from return everything which we have
to spare and what is il that settlers in new
country do not want
New York, at great cost OF time and money, By
means OF her Erie canal, and other works OF in,erna
improvement, has we-nish turned The Mssisspp
nver upside down She has taken OF its commercial
mouths least from the Belize and placed it at Sand,
Hook The Rio de Ia Plata is nearly large as the
Mississippi the valley II drains poporonslIy great
f.r ,.t "A -
few slepts in length, by comparison, will turn that Mis-
sisspp OF iLe south completely upside down aso bring
ing It's mouth for all the practical purposes OF travel ano
commerce, into the Amazon and the two will them fol
many other great purposes OF State be taken by the phys
cal agents of the Ceaorthc winds of heaven and the
currents of the seasnd brought TO the straits OF Florida
there be united in their great outlet upon the high
seas with the mouth OF our own Mississippi. What
focus
The Amazon as it now exists. gives drainage to sis
nations II is the national outlet OF the Atlantic, Of
much of Brazil OF most OF Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador
and OF large provinces in New Granada and Venezuela
But the empire has the strength and the position sh,
holes The mouth and will not lei the republics go up
come down with their steamboats,. They are sisters
they want sympathy, and need assistance in be
noble efforts introduce the principles OF free trade por
the Amazon From The other hemisphere, these nation,
are stretching their republican hands their Ana
zonsn tributaries, procIaning for the OF ha
river the freedom OF the seas and iavilng the world L
come up with the ktearnboa and river craft, the AK
and the emigrant, and open commerce and navigation
with their Amszonian provinces-ihe riches, piedmon
country in the world 9s# rs
spirit has gone abroad there, and il is upon the
ters OF the Amazon. hllle than two years ago
the federal government seecied gallant officer of hs
navy, who al that time serving in the Pacific de
lached him from bis ship FIRST tor special service in Luna
and afterwards directed him TO explore The Amazon from
its sources 10 iis mouth 10 sound It's depths, and to
gauge it's capacities presen, and prospective for navga
uon, trade, and commerce.
That expedition has returned and Lieut.. Herndon h'
othcer in charge OF IL, spprec,atng The importance o
placing the normaon collected by him before the pub
c without delay has already submitted his report to hs
government II has heen transmitted 10 Congress
that body. rightly conoeving it TO possess h1h degre,
OF interest, has ordered large number OF extra copies
The party consisted Of but Two officers.
Count UOrserey, a French officer, bad, when engaged
exploration OF The same region. been murdered ba
short lime before ye notwithstanding this, the Amer
can officer, when be arrived in sight oil the great wafer
she'd determined, with the 60 ahead spirit OF his
uymen, TO divide the pArty-to send his companion, &C
corDpaned by young American sailor. whom he has
ENLISTED in Lima into Bolivia, and down the Madeira
while he himself, with no one but Peruvian. and ssct
OF The native he might pick up by the way TO accom-
pany him. resolved TO undertake the main stream ltself
hus accompanied he descended that nver IN rats and
dus-ous" through distance Of three thousand five bun
dfed miles. and found nav,gabe for vessels OF h'
larees class from The sea 10 The Andes f.
That expedition has stirred up the people in the Span
ish republics OF the Amazon The Pr, sijeni OF Bovis
has TAXI en- the lead in the matter, and proved himself
statesman Of The first order He has thrown the Ana
zonian provinces of that republic open 10 The
III the world he has proclaimed the freedom OF the
for the Amazon and lis Tributaries, and has offered
prize of $4,000 to the master OF the first steamer tina