New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-12-19


THE AMAZON.
The very fattering anticipations of business
about to be developed in the valley of the Anna
ION, which sprang from Lieut.. Herndon's re-
BORT of his voyage and discoveries in that re-
pi0n. have been somewhat diminished Of late by
: counter report Of those who went above Para
In quest Of wealth.
II seen,s difficult for any two accounts to con-
tradict one another more thoroughly and en-
tirefy than these do. They disagree as to
distances, population, products, navigability
Of streams, enterprise of the people, char
acter Of the country. its wealth and its
healta On the first points Lieut.. Herndon
must be considered the best authority. His ex-
petition was undertaken at the instance and
under tie auspices Of our Government, and his
report is very full as to measurements Of dis
tances, depth Of water and population Of differ
emit places. He was provided with al the IN
formation of previous times, and turned his ex-
elusive attentions the departments we have en-
umerated The expedition which left New J ork a
year ago and is just returning was of astrictly
private and business character. 1t aimed at
money getting only, and naturally turned its at
The attention Of its members was, in all proba-
bility, only incidentally directed towards geo.
graphical and scientific matters. and can
not, therefore, outweigh tie testimony Of an
expedition purely scientific. Enough, how
ever, remains that is indisputable to rub off
the couleasr dc rose from many Of Herndon's
statements, and to take away o great deal
Of the political element that was mingled with
the differences drawn from them. Neither
The Amazon nor any of its tributaries are like
60 rival the Pactolus or Sacramento in aurifer-l
BUSINESS Golden deposits are not as patent or
plentiful as Lehigh coal--indeed, the returned
searchers for anoJher Ell Dorado found none
whatever In its stead, however, they found
low water, sandbars, sunshine Unfortunately in
tense, priyations and hard work they found
flies, alligators, reptiles, rains and numerous
other disagreeabilities they found sickness and
death. These things, superadded to an utter
and entire failure Of all the ends of the expe-
dition, were not well calculated to leave very
glowing or romantic impressions Of the Amazon
on the minds Of the survivors, and we accord
ingIy ind their tales as mournful as those of
Garagantua after fast or Sancho's after q
penance. Their disappointment rather than
their cool judgement is evidenced in their mel
ancholy statements. They expected pleasant
summer trip under the tropics and plethoric
purses to reward their enterprise. Not finding
what others have failed to find, and meeting the
harlships and troubles incident to and insepa-
rable from all such expeditions. they pronounce
a Judgment Of condemnation upon the country,
its climate, resources and advantages.
A correct report Of the observations Of the
party just returning will be full Of interest con-
corning great portion Of country hardly bet
ter known than Soudan or Central Africa
country which, stretching from ocean to ocean.
from the Atlantic nearly to the Pacific, contains
immense resources that are undeveloped and
an immense wealth that is underlined and not
at all brought out. There is now sickness in
its broad savannas and gigantic forests: there
are alligators in its bayous and wild beasts in
Its jungles there is scanty population and
an utter want Of enterprise. But letthe energy
and emigration Of the age be once turned thither,
and another generation would see all these diff
cnlties diminished and all these advantages in
creased Instead Of two or three steamboats,
there would be hundred defining black lines
against the sky from the Atlantic to the Andes
Villages and cities would spring into being
Lands would be reclaimed and settled, and the
the nineteenth century mean on the Amazon
what it now does along the Mississippi