The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-09-20
THE RIVER AMAZON IN 1871.
MI. Stanton Sholes writes as follows
D the National KateAigencer of August


to the National EateHigencey of August
22d:
In September, 1871, we entered the
mighty waters of the great river Anna.
zon, of South America, and moored our
ship far up the river, near its left bank,
and abreast of a plantation. Ny OBJ
ject in recurring to this part of my jour
nal is to show my views of the onnex
ion of the waters of the great Amazon
of South America with those of the
Gulf Stream of the North Atlantic
Ocean. After that voyage to the Anna
zon I made several voyages to the Cay
enne, the Surinam, and the Demerara
rivers, so that I became well acquainted
with the coast as well as the interior of
the country.
I will now give my views to prove
that the waters of the Gulf Stream are
nothing more nor less than the waters
ofthe river Amazon. This great father
of waters is bedded more than one thou
sand miles Immediately under the equa-
tor, and all its tributary streams for
many thousand miles are constantly
pouring their hot water into this mighty
reservoir of water. As these waters are
gathered in under the burning sun of
the equator, it is extremely warm; far
more so than the Atlantic Ocean waters
under the equator. This great body of
heated water shoots out into the Allan
tic more than a hundred miles, in the
face of the eternal trade winds. The
Amazon is sixty miles wide, and, after
being belted in it's irresistible course, it
arr-oz 0F A. fha LA o-1 ea11o IF he
fore the strong trade winds till out of
their reach. Driven along with great
force, it takes its course around the
great baJ formed between the two con-
tinents Of North and South America
Dashing along the northern coast of
South America, and passing to the lee
ward of the West India Islands, it leaves
the shore of Cuba, and proceeds along
the shores of Florida, the capes of Vir-
ginia, and the south coast of North
America, and, passing the shores of New
f%oundland, ends its mission among the
icebergs which float out of the Northern
Ocean. Cut off the Gulf Stream, and
it would not be many years before the
North Atlantic would be filled with ice
bergs that would be very destructive to
1df1kd6lOA. 0ub q hIoO 1IOfluCNCC has
provided an eternal reservoir of hot wa
ter constantly rushing around over the
back of the cold Atlantic to its destina-
ton, where, after spending its vital
warmth among the icebergs, it is hurried
away by a new supply of native warm
water from the great Amazon. Seamen
can always tell when in or out of the
Gulf Stream by dipping the hand in the
water alongside. Surely the wisdom of
and all-wise Being is wonderfully dis
played in these trade winds, which hur-
ry this great body of water on it's des-
tined course SO soon as it is free from
t~he-confines of its great reservoir.
Undoubtedly this view will be new to
some readers, but what I have written
is from experience, and was seen while
I was rowing upon the mighty deep
The Gulf Stream, I repeat, is nothing
more nor less than the waters of the
great Amazon of South America. I
have crossed it in many places, and for
many years have glided through its
warm water, always pleased to have it
astern. The most violent storms from
whatever quarter they may como, never
change its course or its current, but it
continues to move on in that irresista-
bic Power above.
It would be very pleasing to me (per-
haps one of the Oldest seafaring men
now living) if some one of our naval gen.
tlemen would sift these suggestions,
and cast overheard whatever is chaf;
remembering, however, that they have
come from the hand of one who has
stood at the wheel through many a ra-
ging STORM, and one who takes graet
pride in u young naval officers, who
will be the pride and bulwark of our ma
tional defence, God grant It'll