The daily union., 1854-11-11
THE FREE NAVIGATION OF THE AMAZON.


nected with and international Law involved in
the obstacles thrown by the Brazilian government in the
way of the free navigation of the Amazon river This
whole subject engaged large share of the consideration
of the convention which met at Memphis in Tennessee in
June, 1853 and which is reassemble Charleston
in South Carolina Amongst the resolutions adopted by
the Memphis convention in which Lieut. Maury
requested to address Congress memorial in behalf
OF the convention This request has been complied WITH
and find the memorial amongst the documents lately
printed by the House of Representatives.
1t is of regret that have the space for the
publication of this memorial entire Lieut. Maury has
manifested deep interest in the subject for number Of
years and in this document he has given TO all its bear
ings thorough investigation. Not being able publish
the whole of this truly valuable and interesting document
hope that the perusal of the which make
will prove acceptable to readers.
The circumstances which invest the valley of the ANA
zonits settlement its commercial and their de-
velopment the free navigation of its waters and all that
pertains 10 it, with features that very engaging the
true spirit of enterprise stated by Lieutenant Maury
follows:
The Amazon is the largest river in the world and the
great photographic basin which includes it in its rbuta
res is unsurpassed for fertility is there any where
the surface Of the earth region of country, of like extent
which compete with this in capacity Of production
vie with it as to the variety extent or wealth of its min
era 1t teens with animal life; its soil is most
prolific and the display of riches in the vegetable king
dom is truly magnificent.
The tributaries of the Amazon inoscuate with those Of
the Rio de In Plata the SOUTH and unite with those Of
the Oronoco at the north The Casquiar connects, by
natural canal the waters OF the Oronoco with those OF the
Amazon and Count Caselnau saw the head streams Of
the Amazon and those of the Rio de Ia Plata running
through and watering the same gentleman's garden in
Brazil.
parallel of ten degrees of north latitude to that of thirty
six degrees OF south latitude
At its Atlantic slopes ntertropcal and cxtratropica it
therefore embraces all the climates and includes all the
retes of production that to be found within the
of forty-six degrees OF latitude
Again the country drained by these rivers extends from
the meridian of "a degrees to that of so degrees west
longitude, another 46 degrees
From the seashore under the line to the region of per-
petual snow, BE mountains it therefore embraces all
the climates that spread out the plains that lie
between the equator and the poles but which have
here condensed crumped up and brought within the
compass of fortyx degrees of longitude when measured
at the equator.
From the head of navigation the waters of the ANA
the head Of navigation the waters Of the Rio de
Ia Plata the natural canazaon to connect the two is SO
nearly completed that only three leagues of artificial canal
it said by explorers wanting to pass the vessels OF
river into the other
Settlement would accomplish this among its first achieve
mens and thus that Mississippi river Of the south
hemisphere upside down. and bring the mouth of the
Rio de la Plata from the parallel Of 36 deg SOUTH and
place it. for all the practical purposes OF commerce. under
the line whence its wealth will be poured into lap
with that of the Amazon
The great commercial marts of the world and the CEN
of trade in all ages have been and will be- in the
| northern hemisphere.
Four-ffths of all the dry land in it. 1t is the seat
of human knowledge, of wealth, civizaton and enter
prise The shipping of the world belongs to it, and the
natives of it. And the benefcence of Provi-
depce has arranged the that the seedme OF the
northern hemisphere when the fruits of the south
ern are just ripe for the harvest
These are physical conditions which will forever compel
the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere look north
| as they do now, for their chief market places.
Produce it descends the La Plata goes south
queny every mile it travels in that direction is mile the
further market and when it reaches the mouth the
river it then has to turn about and north again by
sea- its Vay northern markets. and after many
days is only as far its way the mouth Of the ANA
zo which this canal of span in length WILL in the full
of time enable 1t to reach direct and by inland nay
cation.
Considering the valleys Of these three rivers-he La
Plata the Amazon, and the Oronocoas great hydro
graphic basin have region embracing the enormous
area of less than 100000 square miles, afordng
inland navigation of not less than 10000 miles through
climates Of much diversity and upon soils of all the capa-
city and variety o production that are common to India
Such are the Atlantic slopes pf South America.
The valleys of these rivers for the most part wilder
ness and their channels unknown to steam
The Amazon is the largest river in the world tribua
ries flow into it from both hemispheres The Mississippi
the largest river in the northern and the Rio de la Plata
the largest riger wholly in the southern hemisphere.
The following table shoWs, according to the best physi
cal geographers the of the yaeys that drained
BY the principal rivers of the world
Area in