Eastern times., 1854-09-14

The Exploration Of the Valley Of the
Amazon.

For some few years past, the public mind in
the United States has been more and more
craven to a consideration of the vast field
Providence has provided for the habitation and
employment of civilized man, upon the great
South-American slopes, which intervene be-
tween the Andes and the shores Of the At
lantc, comprising the vallies Of the Amazon,
and the Rio de la Plata
The former of these rivers and its tributa-
ries, with their thousands Of miles Of naviga-
ble waters, and the fertile shores which they
wash, have of late attracted the attention of
our government so far as, in 1850, to order
Lieut.. Herndon to cross the continent from
Lima, on the Pacific, to Paria, at the mouth
OF the Amazon. From his report, published
by order of Congress in 1853, we make the
following extracts -
The river upon which we now entered is
the main trunk Of the Amazon, which carries
Its Peruvian name of Maranon as far as Taba-
tlnga, at the Brazilian frontier below which,
and as far as the junction of the Rio Negro, it
takes the name Of Solimoens; and thence to
the ocean is called Amazon 1t is the same
stream throughout, and, to avoid confusion. I
shall call it Amazon from this point to the
sea.
The march of the great river in its silent
grandeur was sublime; but in The untamed
might of its turbid waters as they cut away
Its banks, tore down the gigantic denizens of
the forest, and built up islands, it was awful.
Ii rolled through the wilderness with stately
and solemn air. Its waters looked angry.
sullen, and relentless; and the whole scene
awoke emotions of awe and dread-such as
are caused by the funeral solemnities, the
minute gun, the howl of the wind, and the
angry tossing of the waves, when all hands
are called to bury the dead in troubled sea.
was reminded Of our Mississippi at its
topmost flood the waters are quite as muddy
and quite as turbid but this stream lacked
the charm and the fascination which the
plantation upon the bank, the city upon the
bluff, and the steamboat upon its waters, lend
to its fellow of the North nevertheless, felt
pleased at its sight. had already travelled
seven hundred miles by water, and fancied
that this powerful stream would soon carry
me to the ocean but the water-travel was
comparatively just begun; many a weary
month was to elapse ere should again look
upon the familiar face Of the sea, and many
time, when worn and wearied with the canoe
life, did exclaim, This river seems intermi-
nable y
It's capacities for trade and commerce are
inconceivably great. Its industrial future is
the most dazzling ; and to the touch of steam,
settlement, and cultivation, this rolling stream
and its magnificent watershed would start up
into display of industrial results that would
indicate the Valley of the Amazon as one Of
the most enchanting regions on the face Of the
earth.
From Its mountains you may dig silver,
iron, coal, copper, quicksilver, zinc, and tin !;
from the sands of its tributaries you may wash
gold, diamonds, and precious stones from its
forests you may gather drugs of virtues the
most rare, spices of aroma the most exquisite,
gums and resins of the most varied and useful
properties, dyes of hues the most brilliant,
with cabinet and building-woods of the finest
polish and most enduring texture.
Its climate is an everlasting summer, and
its harvest perennial. translate from book
Of travels in these countries, by Count Castel-
nau, (received since my return to the United
Statcs,) an account of the capacities of some
Of the southern portions Of this vast water
shed.
The productions of the country are ex-
ceedingly various. The sugar-cane, of which
the crop is gathered at the end of eight months
from the time of planting, forms the chief
source of wealth of the province of Cercado
Coffee is cultivated also with success in this
province, and in that Of Caq,atos yields its
fruit two years after having been planted, and
requires scarcely any attention. Cocoa, re-
Gently introduced into these two provinces,
gives its fruit at the end of three or four years
at most. The tamarind, which thrives in the
same localities, produces its harvest in FIVE
years. Cotton gives annual crops there are
two varieties-the one white, the other yell
low. Tobacco grows, so to speak, without
cultivation in the province Of Vale Grdnde,
where it forms the principle article Of COM
merce Indigo, Of which there are three cul-
tivated kinds and one wild, is equally abundant
Maize Yields at the end Of three months all the
year round it is also cultivated in the prov
ince of Cercado. The cassave produces in
eight months after planting; there are two
kinds of it-one sweet, and the other bitter !;
the first can replace the potato, and even
bread; the second is only good for starch.
There is an enormous amount Of kinds Of va
rietes of bananas, which produce in the year
from seed; they are specially cultivated in
the province Of Cercado Two kinds Of rice
--one white, the other colored-are cultivated
in the two provinces of Cercado and Chiquitos.
They produce every five or six months; they
say it is found wild in the region of Chiquitos.
The grape, which grows well everywhere,
and especially in the province of CordiLeras,
where it was cultivated in the Missions up to
the time of the independence, is nevertheless
made no article of profit, It will some day,
perhaps, form one of the principal sources Of