Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1854-11-28
VALLEY OF THE AMAZON.

In this "Fillibustering" age, when onr
own country is likely soon to be too small
for US, it may be we'll to look out in time for
some other field Of operations where there
shall be room and verge enough. We have
only to look to the valley of the Amazon, and
We shall find not only room enough, but the
most beautiful and fertile country the world
ever saw. We have before us the account of
an exploration of this region, authorized by
our government, with maps, drawings, &C.,
together with very interesting account of
the manners and customs of the inhabitants,
the agricultural productions, mines, &c., &c.,
all Of which is very interesting. And when.
ever We find time, we shall refer to this SUBJ
jsct again, and extract from this document
20 much as will be likely to interest our rea-
ders.
In the mean time, the following extract
from memorial to Congress, by Lieut.. NJ.
F. MAuRY, of the Navy. in regard to the OBJ.
struction Of the navigation of this river by
the Brazilian government, will give our rea-
ders some idea of the magnitude Of the ANA
son, and the fertility Of the country drained
BY it:
epect to the volume of water discharged by it, or 70
the extent Of its navigabty, the area Of country
drained by it, the largest the most majestic and
mighty river in the world The rcd man of the forest
calls it the king of rivors
The main stream itself is in the southern hem
isphere just the other side of the line, but its rbuta
ries take their rise in both hempheres those on one
side Of the equator flowing to the sout those on the
other to the north until they reach the main stream
and swell its tide.
The basins of its tributaries are so many steppes
leading from the habtatOf moses and ichtens on the
Andes, down to the pampas Of the temperate and the
plains Of the torid zone, in the regions below.
The Mississippi runs south at every turn IT crosses
new parallels Of latitude. There is a change of eli
mate for every parallel, and every climate eniches
the commerce Of the main stream with its own pecu
! liar fruits.
It's tributaries drain the same parallels that Iii.
main stream drains, traverse the same climate that
the main stream traverses They therefore swell the
amount not the variety, Of the agricultural products
that the main stream bears on its bosom to the
sea.
though the main stream itself may be said to cross no
n,r.e,s II descends from steppe ST eppe and ira
yerscs it desccnds from the mountains climate af
ter climate and that, too in such quick succession
for thew uIefdliJ up one dUOsc THO DINER
that Il astonshed rather at the variety than with
the quantity Of the many productions that delight up
on its banks: sfs.
A.. IL tributaries unlike II ose Of the Mississippi,
~aih eue from the east and the west, fow from the
,.csth srd The south. They nnumerable; each
one .;ns It's own plateau, which, in the first place,
I'M soi and climate peculiar to itself and its eleva-
tion o. lie way to the mac stream u crosses paral
iels Of latitude, and At each cross.e there Is new
climate and virgin soil, which ms w,sh the rlch-
ct ana rarcst Of fruits in great profusicn.
. With this physical arrangement and these Gouhie
49, AZ climates those Of each tributary differing
from Ire rest and those of tho main st, cam differing
from III. the great Amazonian watershed is endow
= v;th anacities and capabilities for production and
scsruercc such as the world has yet rea-
~ and to which there is the face Of this ealth
parallel.
m. main stream itself affords an uninterrupted
FOR vessels Of the largest class from the
- ths foot Of the Andes distance OF more than g.
900 miles, while its tributaries, some OF which are
lsrrer than our own Mississippi branch on far away
sr.on~ TIE spurs Ct the mountains and afford water
- stsamboat navigation to an unknown extent,
"a ~ places in unexplored regions Of fabulous
voalth. & #N
~. Ama non and its nnvigable tributaries wash the
49, - Ave republics ard one empire-fhe empire
below and on both banks; the republics owning
I. ,.rt the main stream and most Of its connaents