New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-03
See First and Fourth Pages.
The AMAZON.

The Amazon. sY
III The recent explorations Of the river Amazon
and its tributaries, and Of the countries CONT
"a guous thereto, made by order Of the United
I'll States Government, have materially increased
a4aour stock of knowledge concerning highly in
4 teresting portion of South America, and one
N destined sooner Or later, to be Of great import
ance to us and the whole world
The earliest explorations known to have beer
Il undertaken on the Amazon date back as far az
Ii the middle of the sixteenth century, and thery
are still, in the archives Of the Society Of Jesus
n st Quito, some imperfect accounts Of what was
zlAccomplished by the earlier members of that
5#order. But it was not until a1 late as 10000
{that any thing Importance was done. Spanish
stronger than any religion, led num-
N bers Of adventurous men there to penetrate, in
II search Of Bimini and Ell Dorado, to points Blu,
II recently resought. and mapped out and geo.
7graphically described only within the present
AAyear
III The country Grained BY the Amazon, and
II which must eventually pass an immense trade
Through its waters, can hardly, as yet, be com
pnted. Che river is already naYigable to ships
for thousands Of miles, and, with the removal Of
RI few bars, could be no to steamers for great
additional distance. II has tributaries flowing
4 in from the North and South which are longer
l1sand deeper than Red River or the Missouri, and
(which drain regions that, properly cultivated,
Ncould be made to produce almost any and every
q thing. The western slope Of the Andes is rich
jin minerals: gold silver, iron, coal, copper and
Mquicksilver have all been found there, and need
Ionly the appliances Of civilization to be sought
with an exceeding profit. The land, within
The two millions Of square miles drained by
1.-THE river Amazon, is Of unrivaled fertility
Iproducing nearly every thing essential to
the comfort and well being of man. Wheat,
Hrye. tobacco, barley, maize and clover grow
ZION the side Of the mountains, while i'm
mense herds Of sheep, llanaas, alpacas and
|!Iyieunas feed near by, and yield wool Of the
l FINEST and longest staple This temperate zone
lilies but short distance from the torrid, where
Aproducts, of an altogether different kind, arr
found in uneqGaled profusion. Coffee, plan.
II tains, sugar cane and cotton grow there with q
II luxuriance of which we know nothing. The
81 finest and most luscious fruit is found in any
abundance: oranges, lemons, bananas, pine
Mapples, melons, and many others, Of which the
livery names are strange and unfamiliar to our
fears. Cocoa and vanilla are also to be gathered
sIat certain seasons of the year. Dyes Of variou.
HHlIcolors and drugs of the rarest virtue; rice
II Indie rubber, copaiba, gam copal, animal ant
negotiable wax, nutmeg. Tonka beans, ginger
pepper, arrow root, tapioca and indigo are
Flew of the miscellaneous products Of q regior
(which has mol yet one inhabitant to ten sauar.
82miles, but which is capable of supporting popn
zsHlation double that Of China or Japan, and Will
III less than half the labor.
The testimony Of the latest explorers is, tina
I ahe climate is salubrious and the temperatur,
Iagreeable. The direct rays of the sun are sale
VITO be tempered BY an almost constant Eas
wind, 50 that no one suffers from either heat d
Hfcold. Those who once become accustomed IL
L the climate are always fond Of it, and unwilling
Ito give it up for any other. Epidemics--
FWhether of cholera, small, pox Or yellow fever
Hi are unknown. There is a marrow belt Of coun
II try not far from the river, troubled BY what tn
natives call malsitas, which are often Of malig
Inant type, but they are confined to particular
Isection and would doubtless lose much of thei
Il malignancy and danger before scientific man
agement On each side Of the tributaries Of thi
I great river are broad sayannas Astounding il
herds Of wild cattle and various game, and be
II yond them, to the South, are ranges Of noun
tains said to be rich in diamonds and othe
III precious stones.
II All this country is now q wilderness unten
atad atoA, 4